History: Jilted Lover Stabs Himself in Neck at Matawan Train Station (1927)

A lonely man, feeling depressed after being jilted by a woman, stabbed himself in the neck and broke off the knife blade after getting off the Central Jersey Railroad train at Matawan rail station, according to a front page article in the 1 Apr 1927 edition of The Matawan Journal. He had just arrived from Highlands, where he claimed he'd tried to drown himself, but the water wasn't deep enough; his shirt was still wet.

Matawan Chief of Police Edwin Sloat and Dr Millard Erwin saw to his immediate medical needs, then Chief Sloat sent him to the Monmouth County jail, where he was examined by a doctor, found to be demented, and quickly committed to the New Jersey State Hospital (now Trenton Psychiatric Hospital) in Trenton.

Three years later, the 1930 Federal Census listed an Anthony Waideles, age 39, born in Polish Russia and spoke Lithuanian, who was head of household on 8th Street in Union Beach. He was a house laborer. The record showed that he had immigrated to the US in 1912 and was a naturalized citizen. He claimed to have only $10 to his name.

Living in the same household was a roomer named Joseph Mackovick, age 38, who was born in Lithuania and spoke Lithuanian. He was a laborer in hollow tile. He was an alien; the date of immigration is difficult to read.

The Matawan Police Department had been established a year earlier, on 9 Mar 1926, according to a history found on the Matawan PD website. Chief Sloat was the first full time police officer in Matawan to hold the position of Chief of Police.

Below is the original text from The Matawan Journal.

STABS HIMSELF IN THROAT.
Anthony Waidhes Mentally Unbalanced Said Girl Deserted Him.

Because he had been jilted by a woman, Anthony Waidhes, 35, a native of Poland, stabbed himself in the throat with a jackknife Wednesday morning. The man was a passenger on the Central Railroad train on the Highlands division, which arrived at Matawan station at 8:45. It is thought that he thrust the knife into his throat soon after he alighted from the train. Blood streamed from the wound and the man's clothing was soaked with water.

Chief of Police Edwin C. Sloat of Matawan took the man in charge and Dr. Millard Erwin administered first aid and advised that Weidhes be taken to a hospital. Chief Sloat questioned the man who told him that the knife had broke off in his throat when he stabbed himself and that before he attempted to slash his throat he had tried to drown himself but that the water was not deep enough. He said that he had no family and that a girl had deserted him.

As the man was apparently demented, Chief Sloan took him to Freehold, where he turned him over to Jail Physician Dr. Clayton and after an examination as to his sanity he was committed to the State Institute at Trenton.