A Death, a Funeral, and a Card of Thanks (Wednesday's Child)

Photo by James Allen

"Deaths and Funerals
LILLIAN CAMERIERO
The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Cameriero sympathize with them in the loss of their youngest daughter, Lillian, whose death occurred yesterday morning at 9:30 o'clock at the family residence, 401 Walnut street. The little girl had only been sick for a few weeks and her death was unexpected.

The funeral services will be held this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock at St. Joseph's Catholic church, Father Frankhauser officiating. Interment will be in St. Joseph's cemetery." [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 19 July 1916]

Macon Telegraph (Georgia)
21 July 1916

A CARD OF THANKS
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cameriero and family desire to express their deep appreciation...for the many beautiful expressions of friendship shown during the sad bereavement of the family in the loss of their infant daughter, Louise Cameriero.

Oops! Frank Cameriero Did it Again. (Tombstone Tuesday)

Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 13 July 1909

Frank Cameriero was a barber. It's what he did. And apparently, he was very good at it. Local newspapers called him a "tonsorial artist,"¹ and said he operated "the very best tonsorial institution in Macon."²

City directories further illustrate this. Macon, Georgia directories from 1904, 1906 - 1909, 1914, and 1917 - 1918 accessed via Ancestry.com show Frank as either a proprietor of a barber shop or at least an employee in one.³ What in the world then, was F. Cameriero doing on a September 1911 list of people alleged to have violated the prohibition statute?⁴

It seems that sometime around 1910, if not before, Frank Cameriero got into the "soft drinks" business. This is bore out by the 1910 U.S. Federal Census⁵ and 1911 Macon, Georgia City Directory,⁶ both listing such as Frank's occupation.

The next newspaper article I came across stated Frank Cameriero plead guilty on pending charges of violating the prohibition law:

PLEAS OF GUILTY MADE IN PROHIBITION CASES
Cameriero...Signs Affidavit That He Will Never Sell Whisky Again
Frank Cameriero now has a clean slat with the city court, a number of cases charging violation of the prohibition law which had been pending against him being disposed of yesterday, a plea of guilty being entered in three cases, while two others were not prossed.[sic]

Cameriero presented an ex culpe affidavit to Judge Hodges, in which he promised never to engage in business of that character again. [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 31 August 1913]

But (oops!) Frank did it again.

POLICE FIND WHISKY WHILE MAKING RAIDS
Frank Cameriero Has Three Drums in His Place
...Yesterday morning the police swooped down on a bar run by Frank Cameriero at 225 Fifth street. They were armed with search warrants and succeeded in unearthing two and a half drums of whisky which they found in the place. Cameriero had only been in the near beer business at this location a few days. He was released under a bond of $200.

The police also claim to have evidence of a sale of whisky made at Cameriero's place... [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 26 October 1914]

Frank again plead guilty:

Local News Bits
Cameriero Gets Off Light
Because his place of business had been open only three days when raided by the police and charges of violating the state prohibition law placed against him, Judge Hodges was unusually lenient on Frank Cameriero in the city court of Macon yesterday, when the defendant entered a plea of guilty. Judge Hodges only required him to pay the court costs... [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 15 January 1916]

Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum

Frank Cameriero (1874-1935) and his wife Angelina (1885-1929) were both born in Italy. They rest in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery section of Rose Hill. A kind reader and descendant of Frank Cameriero told me Angelina was the daughter of Nicholas Cameriero's second wife. Nicholas and Frank were brothers.⁷


Footnotes:

1. "A Popular Barber Makes A Change," The Macon (Georgia) Telegraph, 21 June 1906; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 11 June 2012), Historical Newspapers Archive.
2. "Frank Cameriero Moves Shop Into New Quarters," The Macon (Georgia) Telegraph, 13 July 1909; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 11 June 2012), Historical Newspapers Archive.
3. "U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)," database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2012), entries for Frank Cameriero.
4. "40 Prohibition Cases," The Macon (Georgia) Telegraph, 9 September 1911; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 11 June 2012), Historical Newspapers Archive.
5. 1910 U.S. census, Bibb County, Georgia, p. 7A, line 19, Frank Caneriero; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T624.
6. "U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)," database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2012), entry for Frank Cameriero.
7. Nina Fort (e-address for private use), to Stephanie Lincecum, e-mail, 7 June 2012, "Re: Rose Hill Cemetery; Macon, Georgia," Rose Hill Cemetery Project & Family Tree Maker Files; privately held by Lincecum, e-address & street address for private use, Georgia.

Prepare for Your Death, Mr. Nicola Cameriero

MR. CAMERIERO GETS BLACK HAND LETTER.
Well Known Italian Merchant Receives Mysterious and Threatening Missive.
Mr. Nicola Cameriero, one of the most prominent of the Italian merchants of Macon, renounced his allegiance to Victor Emanuel of Italy yesterday and became a citizen of the United States, and Macon in particular.

He was therefore somewhat shaken up yesterday morning when in his mail was a suspicious looking letter addressed to Mr. Nicola Cameriero, 357 Fourth street, Macon, Ga., and postmarked at Macon the day before.

When he opened the letter he saw only a few lines, but these were accompanied by some pictures. The letter read as follows:
"Prepariti per la tu morte."
"Ioe ultima."

Which translated read: "Prepare for your death."
"First and last."

In the right hand corner is a hand pointing downward to four short straight marks as if underscoring the hand. On the left hand side was a rudely drawn pocketbook and a Maltese cross, while underneath were the figures $200.

That was all there was to the letter, and it was as much of a puzzle as a black hand letter, if a black hand letter.

Mr. Cameriero has an idea who sent it to him, and he is laying low so as to fasten his suspicions. He does not believe in any such foolishness, and the writer will suffer if his suspicions are correct.

The letter may, or may not, have been a joke, but if it is the writer has struck the wrong man. Mr. Cameriero is a full fledged American citizen now, and he will be protected. He does not think that the letter had any connection with his having taken out his naturalization papers, but it was something of a coincidence that it should be received on the very day he became a citizen. [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 27 May 1909]

Nicholas Cameriero was born about 1863 in Viggiano, Italy. He was first married to Ella English 28 December 1887 in Bibb County, Georgia. The first Mrs. Cameriero died 23 December 1895, just hours after giving birth to their second child. The following year, on November 15th, Nicholas married Marie/Mary F. Nicolia:

MARRIED.
Sunday morning, Nov. 15, 1896, at 8 o'clock at St. Joseph's Catholic church, Nickalous Cameriero and Mrs. Francisco Nicolia, from Italy. They have taken up their abode at his residence, No. 420 Mulberry street, Macon, Ga. [Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 16 November 1896, page 4]

Nicholas Cameriero died 13 August 1937 and was laid to rest next to his first wife in the Cameriero lot of St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery section at Rose Hill Cemetery.