I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on website the FindAGrave.
I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.
Having finished my work at Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard and Knesseth Israel Anshe Kolk Wolyn cemeteries on German Hill Road, I was invited by fellow Findagrave volunteer Dianne Feldman to help her document some graves across the street at the Hebrew Orthodox Memorial Cemetery. How could I say no? I found so many interesting folks across the street that I was hopeful I would find more grave tales there. And I was right.
For the most part, the monuments in Hebrew Orthodox Memorial Cemetery are modest and unobtrusive. It would have been easy to walk past the grave of Benny Kulpe without giving it a second thought. In fact, I am hard pressed to remember what inspired me to research him, but I'm glad I did. I found it to be a fascinating case. Here's the story:
The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 17 November 1938, Thu:
A 51-year-old grocer, Benjamin Kulpe, was shot and killed last night as he stood behind the counter of his store in the 900 block North Eden street.
I'm stopping the news story there. After that point, the reporter discusses two other armed robberies that happened the same night. I don't mean to diminish the tragedy of any death, but the murder of a store owner during a robbery was not uncommon in Baltimore. Look at the way the newspaper treated the story: They just lumped it in with two other robberies. However, I decided to keep looking. I wanted to see if the killer was brought to justice.
Here's a story from the morning paper the next day:
The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 18 November 1938, Fri:
That morning the prospects were not good for finding Mr. Kulpe's killer, but prospects improved a few hours later with the release of the evening paper:
The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 18 November 1938, Fri:
Okay, okay. First off, Kulpe was not killed five days earlier. He was killed the previous evening. That was a reporting error. Secondly, it appears that the police were acting on some mighty thin evidence -- particularly if what the previous story reported was true: That Kulpe was killed with a .32-caliber pistol, not a .38-caliber one. That said, I think the evidence was strong that the suspect was cheating on his girlfriend. I doubt a lawyer could clear him of that!
I assume that the suspect was cleared and released. A few days later another suspect emerged:
The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 21 November 1938, Mon:
Well, at least this suspect had a .32-caliber pistol. Aside from that, the evidence against him in the Kulpe murder was slim to non-existent. Not surprisingly, this unnamed suspect disappears from the story. I couldn't even find any reference to him in the court proceedings on the following Wednesday.
I found no further reference to an active investigation into the Kulpe case after this story. However, I found some interesting stories prior the shooting. Benjamin Kulpe and his daughter Katie were facing charges regarding an illegal lottery. Take a look at this court schedule printed on 28 October 1938:
Here are the results of Benjamin and Katie's trial:
The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 29 October 1938, Sat:
Nineteen days before his murder, Benjamin Kulpe was acquitted in a numbers case. That's quite a coincidence, and I don't believe in coincidences. I'm sorry, but I can't help but connect the two incidents.
I believe it is highly-possible that Mr. Kulpe was not killed in a holdup. I believe he might have been the victim of a mob hit.
I know I am treading on dangerous ground here. I certainly do not want to defame the dead or blame the victim. I am not accusing Mr. Kulpe of being a criminal. That said, do I believe he was selling numbers out of his store? Yes, I do. Was that illegal? Yes, it was. However, he might not have been doing it willingly. The numbers were a hugely-profitable racket controlled by organized crime. If they decided you had good location for their product, you had little choice but to agree.
Additionally, look at the behavior of Richard Martin, the unfortunate witness in the numbers case. Could his "memory lapse" be a result of witness intimidation? That would be my first guess. Back in the day, snitches still got stitches -- or worse. Do I believe he was intimidated by Benjamin Kulpe or his daughter Katie? Absolutely not. Still, it's not difficult for me to see the mob influencing this trial.
Additionally, isn't it possible that Benjamin Kulpe said the wrong thing, perhaps inadvertently, to a police officer, prosecutor or judge during his arrest and trial? Something that might have angered the gangsters who ran the numbers? Possibly.
One additional news story about Benjamin Kulpe appeared in the Sunpapers in 1939 before he disappeared entirely from their pages. On August 6th, his death was one of many homicides unsolved murders listed from the previous year. It reads: "On November 16, 1938, a grocer, Benjamin Kulpe, was shot and killed by what was believed to be holdup men as he stood behind the counter of his store in the 900 block of North Eden street." Eight months later, the authorities still weren't sure of the motive....
I admit this is all speculation. Do I have any evidence that Mr. Kulpe's murder was a mob hit? No. But, on the other hand, there is no evidence his murder was the result of a failed robbery either. Nothing was stolen.
I'm just surprised that no one seemed to connect the two incidents. It was all public information. If they had investigated that angle, perhaps Mr. Kulpe's murderer might have received the justice he deserved in this world. Fortunately, I'm sure by now he has received perfect justice in the next one.
Rest in peace, Mr. Kulpe. You deserved better.
Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one....
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting.
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3
Sean, just wanted to pass this along to you, you partially inspired me to write my first novel, Brock O’Conor, light keeper! I am currently negotiating with readers digest over the first of 12 novels in this series! Should hit the stands by July,23!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm glad I partially inspired you. Be sure to send me a link when the book is out! Good luck!
DeleteI love your stories and the tales of the graves is awesome stuff ,keep up the amazing work.
DeleteThanks! I will.
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