"The Shortest Man in Hackettstown" - Oct. 8, 1886

Jessie Bilby

Free James Titus Radio Interview

Original Broadcast Date: 11/15/09
WRNJ Radio

The FJTM Has Enemies

The Free James Titus Movement Has Enemies
Originally uploaded by Erik B. Anderson

Someone was very naughty at the Stiger St. Quick Chek in Hackettstown this week.

It has always been difficult keeping postcards promoting the Free James Titus Movement there. Many days over the past months have been spent in frustration because I could put a postcard on the public bulletin board, and within as little as four hours, it is gone.

Now someone has boldly ripped the latest postcard in half and stuck it back up there.

This one has a quote from James Baldwin on it:

Sentimentality, the ostentatious parading of excessive and spurious emotion, is the mark of dishonesty, the inability to feel; the wet eyes of the sentimentalist betray his aversion to experience, his fear of life, his arid heart; and it is always, therefore, the signal of secret and violent inhumanity, the mask of cruelty.

Then I wrote:

Remember Tillie Smith!
Free James Titus!

and finally

He didn't kill anyone in 1886!.

This doesn't surprise me at all. It shouldn't surprise anyone who has read the book that the James Baldwin quote comes from, Notes of a Native Son.

Ah well...

If I'm able to post fingerprints, I will.

Warm Regards,

Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782

The Fire Could Have Been Prevented

There was a big fire in Hackettstown on Halloween night, 1899.

Hackettstown Historian Dan LeMasters told me today that the Centenary College Fire (Halloween 1899) was caused in the boiler room by loose rags lying around in the long place.
The Denis Sullivan book about Tillie Smith said that James Titus was a very conscientious janitor. When It his duties are listed, the first one was tending the furnace.

He would have been manager of the Maintenance Department by 1899. If he had not been sent to jail for a murder he did not commit, there would have been no fire. Hackettstown would be a totally different place.

What do you think?

"[N]ot one word of real evidence."

Hackettstown Gazette, May 7 1886

It is true the air is full of theories and suspicions, and the reporters of the metropolitan papers have woven an ingenious network of circumstantial evidence around James Titus and have manufactured public opinion so fast that the belief has settled into a positive conviction in the minds of a majority of our citizens that the right man has been found. ... [N]ot one word of real evidence has been adduced to convict him of this crime...we think it would be just as well to hold off condemnation of this man until something is shown connecting him directly with [it]...3

 The indictment of James J. Titus was also written on May 7, 1886:

...hat James J. Titus, of the Town of Hackettstown, in the said County of Warren, on the 8th day of April, in the year of our Lord  1886, at the town aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this Court, in and upon one Matilda Smith, then and there feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought, did kill and murder, contrary to the form and statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace of this State, the government and the dignity of the same.

...the said James J. Titus, on the 8th day of April, in the year aforesaid [1886], in said county and within the jurisdiction aforesaid, in and upone one Matilda Smith, in the peace of God and this State then and there being, did commit, rape and in attempting to commit rape, and in committing rape in and upon her, the said Matilda Smith, did kill the said Matilda Smith contrary to th eform of the statute in such case made and provided, against the peace of this State the government and dignity of the same.

...that the said James J. Titus, on the eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six, at the town and country aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this Court, with force and arms in and upon the said Matilda Smith, in the peace of God and of this State then and there being, feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought did make an assault, and that he, the said James J. Titus, on and about the neck and throat of the said Matilda Smith did then and there foloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought fix, fasten and grasp with his hands, and that the said James J. Titus with his hands aforesaid, her the said Matilda Smith then and there feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought, did choke, suffocate and strangle, of which said choking, suffocating and strangling she, the said Matilda Smith, then and there instantly died; and so the Inquest aforesaid, on their oaths aforesaid, do say that the said James J. Titus, in manner and form aforesaid, feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought, her the said Matilda Smith, did kill and murder contrary to the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of this State, the government and dignity of the same...²

But Tillie Smith didn't die on April 8th, 1886. According to her death certificate, she died between on April 8th between 10:15 and 10:30 p.m..<sup>3

1</sup> Sullivan, Denis. In Defence of Her Honor: The Tillie Smith Murder Case. Flemington, NJ: D.H. Moreau Books, 2000. p135
²Ibid. p46
³Ibid. p47

New Postcard - RE: Warren Reporter Story

You might see this postcard on a bulletin board in the Hackettstown Area. Look in the Laundromats and the Quick Cheks. If you see anyone try to take it down, ask them their name. If they are not Erik Anderson, ask them if they are authorized to take it down. Thanks.

Read the rest of the NJ.com article.

Thanks,

Erik

More postcards here and here.

FJT's Got Mail!

Someone wrote to the Free James Titus Myspace Page on January 2, 2010 , saying:

"Why don't you put this kind of effort into something that might benefit people who are actually LIVING today?  Titus is long gone.  Let it go already."

I was upset a little bit when I got that message; but, then I read a message from someone who wrote to us on January 1, 2010:

"As a local resident and paranormal investigator, I too have researched the Tillie Smith case. I also believe Mr. Titus to be innocent of the crime.
Tillie spent her last night on earth at a local club, formerly located on the corner of Grand and Main Street, across from what is today Charlie Brown's, the former Claraden House Inn. She was escorted home by a salesman who was staying that night at the inn across the street from the club, which is now the site of the uniform shop. On the way back to Centenary, they were accosted by Tillie's estranged boyfriend, who I believe was the real culprit in the crime....The ex-bpyfriend had motive and opportunity, while Mr. Titus had neither. I also do not rule out that the ex-boyfriend had accomplice(s).
My team of scientific researchers stands willing to assist you in any way. "

Please keep writing!

If you don't have a myspace page to use, you can just send e-mail to freejamestitus @ myspace dot com. I think that will work.

Have a Blessed New Year Everyone!

Sincerely,

Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782

Cross-posted here.

Warren Reporter Story - Free James Titus! - UPDATED

An image of James Titus,

who was convicted of the 1866(sic)

murder of Tillie Smith in Hackettstown.

Independence Township man leads charge to have Hackettstown man convicted of Tillie Smith murder pardoned -- nearly 150 years later

By Warren Reporter

December 06, 2009, 4:04PM

Story Written By Todd Petty

Regardless of whether you believe in ghosts, Hackettstown residents have been aware of the presence of Tillie Smith for well over a century. Murdered in 1866 (sic), Tillie’s name still elicits an impassioned reaction from local residents – it is a part of their dialogue, a part of their folklore, and a part of their history.

However, pieces of the story may still remain unwritten — there remains a specter of doubt regarding the involvement of James Titus, the man who was found guilty and sentenced to prison for seventeen years for Tillie’s murder.

One resident in particular from Independence Township, Erik Anderson, is determined to close the case once and for all. Anderson is working to have Titus pardoned for a crime that he does not believe that Titus ever committed.

“If you look at the case and if you read the trial documents, it’s really obvious that there is a ton of reasonable doubt,” Anderson said.

More...


UPDATE!

This article was on NJ.com on December 6, 2009. I just discovered that it was printed on the front page of the Print Edition of the Warren Reporter (under the fold) on January 1, 2010! The title of the piece was shortened, the date of the crime was corrected and one or two other typoes were fixed.

I found this in the Hackettstown Historical Society already:

click on it for a better view

Not a bad way to start the new year!

Weird NJ is Speechless!

by Erik B. Anderson - November 24, 2009

In late August of 2009, I wrote a lament poem about the Tillie Smith case and made it into a postcard that looks like this:



I sent it to a number of people and posted it on a few bulletin boards around Hackettstown, where the Rape and Murder happened in 1886. The only response I got was from Weird NJ, which is a publishing phenomenon around Warren County.

It follows:



Mark S. says

"Hey Erik-
RE: Tillie Smith-
We've Never sent "Investigators" about the Tillie Smith murder to Hackettstown. You must be mistaking us with someone else!
Regards
Mark S."

After about ten days - on September 21, 2009 - I finally got sick of being scared whoever this guy is and his flip postcard, and I thought of something to write:



And I haven't heard back from them since.

And this is why:

Not only do they send investigators to Hackettstown on their web site, they give them directions. The message below is copied directly from a page on WeirdNJ.com.

TILLIE: THE GHOST OF CENTENARY COLLEGE


Centenary College is located in Hackettstown, New Jersey on Jefferson Street. Tillie Smith was killed in 1867. There is a memorial to her in Union Cemetery in Hackettstown, on Mountain Avenue.

Hackettstown itself is located off Exit 19 on Interstate 80. To reach the college, make a left off the offramp, and proceed four miles on Route 517 to the first stop light. Go straight through the light and look for Jefferson Street on your left (it’s the fourth or fifth left). You should be able to see the school from there. I hope I’ve been of some help to you.

- Letter via E-mail

The entire URL is http://www.weirdnj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28

So, who is Mark S.? Does anybody know? Is it this guy?

Bueller? Bueller?

I am tired of ghosthunters and paranormal investigators coming around my town. It is scary. It is haunting. That's how I stand on the issue. How does Mark S. stand on the issue? Will he comment on this blog? Will he state publicly what his last name is? Weird NJ is a successful for profit publishing phenomenon that delights in scaring people, and they encourage their readers to go to towns where real people like me are trying to live peacefully. And they deny it when someone calls them out on it.

Shenanigans! That's right! I call Shenanigans.

Here is something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving: Halloween is a whole eleven months away.

Warm Regards,

Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782

Reasonable Doubt in the Warren Republican

The Front Page of the Warren County Republican (April 16, 1886) is currently on display in the front room of the Hackettstown Historical Society. It looks like this:

There is a lot of information on that one big page. Statements from witnesses are published. In the first column, it says this:

Miss Smith was a girl of remarkable physical vigor. Although her face was not comely, she had a beautiful form with magnificent shoulders and limbs. Her strength was a matter of comment among her fellow servants, and that she made a furious resistance is certain. She was overcome by the vise-like clutch of the hand upon her neck. That one man could have overcome her is not believed by those who know her. It is supposed that at least two were concerned in the crime.

So if one man could not have overcome her, how is it that James Titus, a scrawny little janitor, was found guilty and served almost twenty years doing hard labor for the crime?

I rest my case.

The Hackettstown Historical Society Museum is located at 106 Church Street, Hackettstown, NJ. The museum is open on Monday and Tuesday from 9:00-2:00pm; Wednesday and Friday from 9:00-4:00pm and Sundays from 2:00-4:00pm. It is closed on holidays. Special groups and other times may be accommodated by appointment.

When you're there, look at the calling card tray by the door. The calling card on top yesterday said Rebecca Titus. Go pay your respects.

Warm Regards,

Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782

American Heritage Usage Panel Rules Against Hackettstown Historical Society

According to the Hackettstown Historical Society:

James Titus served 19 years for the 1886 murder of Tillie Smith before he was paroled by the Court of Pardons and released from prision on December 27, 1904. For the nearly fifty years that followed, he lived ironically, in Hackettstown, amongst the same neighbors and townsfolk who championed his conviction. James Titus died in June 1952 and is buried in Union Cemetery, Hackettstown. Unfortunately, no one will ever really know the truth about happened that fateful night or if justice was truly served.

Erik B. Anderson doesn't like it when someone says "no one will ever really know the truth," perhaps it's because he loved the X-Files so much in college. In the spring of 2009, he read on Wikipedia that:

The American Heritage Dictionary’s usage panel found it unacceptable to use the word ironic to describe mere unfortunate coincidences or surprising disappointments that “suggest no particular lessons about human vanity or folly.”

So he wrote to the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel. They ruled in July, but it took three tries to get this letter to him:


Click on the image to read a larger version of the letter.

So there you have it, the use of the word ironically is "somewhat misleading" when the Hackettstown Historical Society uses it to refer to James Titus living in Hackettstown, among the townspeople who wanted to kill him, for nearly fifty years after he served his sentence. So I ask the Hackettstown Historical Society: Can they defend their use of the word ironically in this article?

Furthermore, what is so ironic about the building that Tillie Smith was allegedly raped and murdered in burning to the ground on Halloween night? The American Heritage Dictionary Editors think that statement is "somewhat misleading" too. Normally, one doesn't think of a historic society publication as being "sensational," but there it is. Right before your eyes.

Anybody want to buy a T-shirt?

Warm Regards,

Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782