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Post by Sue on Feb 8, 2021 0:10:29 GMT -5
There may be many misspellings of the name Biroschak.
I believe his full name was Stephen Sidney Kelly Biroschak.
What was he doing in Hopewell in March 1932?
Why was he in Hopewell AT ALL?
His home was in Brideport, Connecticut.
Biroschak was an inventor who owned a patent on a weird toy.
He was a stamp collector and a philatelist.
(Didn't a stamp guy figure in Robert Zorn's Cemetery John book?)
Biroschak was also a military man.
Biroschak's wife's name was Agnes, and he sent a registered letter to her out of the Hopewell post office on March 8, 1932.
Why did he need to send Agnes an envelope that she had to sign for?
The New York Evening Post for Friday, May 13, 1932 says that Biroschak was "poking through the woods" near Mount Rose a few weeks before the baby was found.
In those woods, Biroschak found gloves and pieces of burlap, and he gave them to State troopers.
Two weeks before May 12, 1932, would have been the end of April.
How long was Biroschak in Hopewell? Did he come and go from Bridgeport to Hopewell?
Is this the FIRST report of burlap and gloves having been found in the Lindbergh case?
What became of these gloves and strips of burlap?
His name is spelled Biershak in this newspaper article, and says that he is from Bridgeport, Connecticut.
There is also mention online of an envelope sent by a guy named Multop to S. K. Bierschak, with a July 1936 postmark.
Can anyone color in the story of this mystery man who made appearances in Hopewell, New Jersey in 1932?
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Post by Sue on Feb 8, 2021 0:40:33 GMT -5
I see that I have spelled Bridgeport wrong TWICE! It's the typing!
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Post by johanna on Feb 8, 2021 9:47:51 GMT -5
Since Stephen Biroschak was in the Hopewell/Mt. Rosa vicinity on both March 8 of 1932 and the end of April to turn in a burlap bag and gloves he had found, then he was most likely an investigator whose assignment was to search the area near the site of the house and kidnapping. What was his position in the military? And what was his occupation following World War I? The stamp collecting and invention of toys would be interesting but hardly the way he would earn a living.
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 8, 2021 11:40:23 GMT -5
Sue, I believe Michael has mentioned Biroschak's name previously, so he may be able to shed some light here. It sounds like Biroschak may have had a number of interests while in the Hopewell area at the time of the kidnapping.
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Post by aaron on Feb 8, 2021 12:45:48 GMT -5
Interesting to speculate about Stephen Biroschak. He was born in 1895, so he would have been 37 years old at the time of the kidnapping. According to a list of military serving in World War I, Biroshak was stationed in Alaska in 1918, the year the armistice was signed. He would have been the right age (23) for serving in the military at that time. The next entry indicates that he was stationed in Washington in 1920, whether the "State of" or "DC" is not indicated. His wife Agnes lived with her parents (named Sterback) in Bridgeport, CT, and Stephen is also listed as a resident there at one time, possibly because of his assignments. He died in 1963.
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Post by Sue on Feb 9, 2021 2:20:34 GMT -5
Johanna,
I don't know for sure that Biroschak was an investigator. Aaron has provided some information on Biroschak's military background. There must be more about Biroschak that can be determined with all the variations in spelling of his last name!
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Post by Sue on Feb 9, 2021 2:33:32 GMT -5
Aaron,
Thanks for sharing biographical background on Biroschack! I agree with Johanna that the stamps and toys couldn't provide a living for him, but maybe he got his investigative training in the Army?
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Post by Michael on Feb 9, 2021 10:11:36 GMT -5
Sue, I believe Michael has mentioned Biroschak's name previously, so he may be able to shed some light here. It sounds like Biroschak may have had a number of interests while in the Hopewell area at the time of the kidnapping. Biroschak is a strange and crazy story. He was supposed to have made a living buying and selling stamps. He also was a "globe trotter" and "fortune hunter." According to his family, he once took off for Alaska to search for gold, and for this reason they referred to him as "The Alaskan King." He heard about the case on the radio, became agitated, and immediately took off for Hopewell. His family only learned about where he was due to a postcard he sent to them. What he did on his own was pretty incredible. It appears he walked every inch of just about every road within a certain area surrounding Hopewell. He collected everything he found, and documented all NY tags he came across. He did so much of this he sometimes became confused about exactly "when" or "where" he made these discoveries. One thing for certain though, the burlap strips Sue mentioned were turned over to the NJSP and are the ones included in the Squibb Report for analysis. Another interesting thing... At some point he became upset that no one would speak to him as he tried to investigate, so he went to Bergen county and somehow got credentials and a badge from the "New Jersey State Secret Service." (This PI Detective Agency has been mention in several places in my books.) I don't know the details behind this but he returned to Hopewell flashing this badge which caused people to believe he was a Cop so they cooperated with him. Even though he was sharing his discoveries with the NJSP, and specifically Frank Wilson, they started to get pissed off and had the Bridgport PD investigate him. Once they learned from his family that they considered him " eccentric" and " not to be taken seriously" the NJSP rolled up on him, took his creds, and told him to go home. He wrote constantly to the NJSP, and later Governor Hoffman. I have some of it but there's so much I gave up since most of it was repeated. He drew some maps too but they are messy. Lutz of the Governor's office eventually referred to him as a "Pest" due to the amount of correspondence he was generating, and were dismissive towards him. imgur.com/SAmTtdh
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 10, 2021 13:19:28 GMT -5
Sue, I believe Michael has mentioned Biroschak's name previously, so he may be able to shed some light here. It sounds like Biroschak may have had a number of interests while in the Hopewell area at the time of the kidnapping. Biroschak is a strange and crazy story. He was supposed to have made a living buying and selling stamps. He also was a "globe trotter" and "fortune hunter." According to his family, he once took off for Alaska to search for gold, and for this reason they referred to him as "The Alaskan King." He heard about the case on the radio, became agitated, and immediately took off for Hopewell. His family only learned about where he was due to a postcard he sent to them. What he did on his own was pretty incredible. It appears he walked every inch of just about every road within a certain area surrounding Hopewell. He collected everything he found, and documented all NY tags he came across. He did so much of this he sometimes became confused about exactly "when" or "where" he made these discoveries. One thing for certain though, the burlap strips Sue mentioned were turned over to the NJSP and are the ones included in the Squibb Report for analysis. Another interesting thing... At some point he became upset that no one would speak to him as he tried to investigate, so he went to Bergen county and somehow got credentials and a badge from the "New Jersey State Secret Service." (This PI Detective Agency has been mention in several places in my books.) I don't know the details behind this but he returned to Hopewell flashing this badge which caused people to believe he was a Cop so they cooperated with him. Even though he was sharing his discoveries with the NJSP, and specifically Frank Wilson, they started to get pissed off and had the Bridgport PD investigate him. Once they learned from his family that they considered him " eccentric" and " not to be taken seriously" the NJSP rolled up on him, took his creds, and told him to go home. He wrote constantly to the NJSP, and later Governor Hoffman. I have some of it but there's so much I gave up since most of it was repeated. He drew some maps too but they are messy. Lutz of the Governor's office eventually referred to him as a "Pest" due to the amount of correspondence he was generating, and were dismissive towards him. imgur.com/SAmTtdhBiroschak obviously had an adventurous spirit. As Sue posted above, he sent this letter from Hopewell, N.J. on March 8, 1932 to his wife Agnes in Bridgeport, Connecticut. From the postmarks on the envelope, it appears he also wanted to have a permanent record of his stay and activities there, with the various location and registered postmarks for his philatelic interests. "Immediately took off for Hopewell" is by no means an overstatement as he seems to have made a beeline there, taking only 6 days or less to travel the approximately 4300 miles from Alaska. Unfortunately, no letter was included with this item, which Sue discovered on eBay. If only we knew what he had reported to his wife from his stay in Hopewell.
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Post by aaron on Feb 10, 2021 18:33:17 GMT -5
According to the US 1940 Census, Stephen Biroschak was living in the house of his father Peter who was head of household. Agnes was his spouse. He had a son Peter, age 9, born in 1931; a daughter Mary age 7, born in 1933; a son Paul, age 6, born in 1934; and a daughter Virginia, age 4, born in 1936.
Since he had children born in 1931 and 1933, I think we can assume that Stephen Biroschak was not in Alaska at the time of the kidnapping of the Lindbergh child. Another record shows that he was in Alaska in 1918, at which time he would have been 23 years old, and that would have been 14 years earlier.
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Post by Sue on Feb 10, 2021 20:19:19 GMT -5
According to Opinions of the Judge Advocate General of the Army, in 1919 Biroschak was looking for travel pay after he had been discharged from the service.
Biroschack also asked to have his official address changed from 2024 Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut to a residence in Nome, Alaska.
He was denied both requests.
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Post by Sue on Feb 10, 2021 21:04:45 GMT -5
Thank you for the background information on Biroschak. Too bad he was regarded as a pest, since he was the one who found the pieces of burlap and gloves.
His name can easily be spelled wrong, so maybe there is more in the files on him under a different spelling?
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Post by Sue on Feb 11, 2021 3:16:29 GMT -5
That 1940 census says that Paul, age 71, was the head-of-household.
Agnes, age 39, was the daughter-in-law. Stephen, age 45, was Paul's son.
Other members of the household were: Peter, age 9, Mary, age 7, Paul, age 6, and Virginia, age 4.
Agnes was Stephen's wife.
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Post by Sue on Feb 11, 2021 3:48:08 GMT -5
Michael,
Thanks again for the information.
I wonder if Biroschak was going through a mid-life crisis in 1932. By 1940, he had a wife and four children. I wonder if he ever settled down, or maybe his wanderlust continued to plague him and his family?
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Post by aaron on Feb 11, 2021 4:06:02 GMT -5
Sue, you are correct in identifying the name of the Biroschek household as Paul, not Peter. Sometimes young men before marriage do not stay in one place but move about before finally settling down. In 1932 Stephen had a wife and was starting a family. The Alaska and Washington (1920) adventures were behind him. It's possible that he went to Hopewell hoping to make a discovery and earn some money or acquire some reputation by doing so. I found a reference to his service in World War II as one of the older enlistees but have not yet had a chance to follow up on it. The name appears to be Czech, as was his wife's maiden name. The Biroshecks mentioned in obituaries are Catholic, apparently devout and respectable. Stephen may have been something of a character with wanderlust and unrealized ambition. Passing himself off as an investigator with a badge does not speak well for his character though.
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Post by aaron on Feb 11, 2021 4:25:11 GMT -5
Interesting that Stephen Biroschak found the burlap bag and gloves in late April but did not see the child's remains when he was investigating the case on Mt Rose. So he missed his chance to claim fame or money if that was the motive.
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 11, 2021 7:35:09 GMT -5
My apologies, as I misread the Alaska reference part of Michael's post and realize Biroschak wouldn't have been in Alaska at the time of the kidnapping.
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Post by Michael on Feb 11, 2021 12:01:44 GMT -5
I wonder if Biroschak was going through a mid-life crisis in 1932. By 1940, he had a wife and four children. I wonder if he ever settled down, or maybe his wanderlust continued to plague him and his family? I just can't figure out where this guy was getting his money. One can't simply run off to Alaska to mine for gold. It's an expensive endeavor. So too would be to take off for Hopewell and spend considerable time there without funds. Interesting that Stephen Biroschak found the burlap bag and gloves in late April but did not see the child's remains when he was investigating the case on Mt Rose. So he missed his chance to claim fame or money if that was the motive. He didn't find "the" burlap bag. He found strips which he claimed came from the area of the burial site. I was originally interested in him because the logical conclusion would be that he would have found that bag - right? But since there's no way to know 'when' he searched that area, and even if he claimed it was prior there's just too much doubt that can be attached to his accounts. He also found a letter and I pursued the family's name that was on it so he gave me that much at least.
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Post by Michael on Feb 15, 2021 11:20:24 GMT -5
Here's part of one of his "maps" for anyone interested. It appears he was the guy who actually found the March 1st World Telegram article. He also claimed to have found a "Boat Nelly" cartoon in one of the discarded papers near the scene as well. Like I said, he wrote LOTS of letters but did remain consistent throughout. This is just one example: imgur.com/pCZVSyE
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Post by stella7 on Feb 15, 2021 14:32:26 GMT -5
Wow, his family was probably relieved when he was away. A little narcissistic thinking he's the one who could solve it and heading down to Hopewell on day 1. Reminds me of Condon and the way he felt compelled to insert himself into the situation.
Who knows how much money he had or how he was managing to get by but remember that a lot of people hitch-hiked wherever they needed to go and he probably could get there and back to Connecticut for free. Also there were freight trains that regularly went through Hopewell that he could have jumped a ride on. So he may have not needed as much money as we would think.
Also, I did attend the ZOOM meeting about Dr, Kloner's property that she was donating to the D&R Greenway a few months ago that had a connection to the kidnapping. It was a General Store at the corner of Lindbergh and Wertsville Rds. owned by her grandparents, the Steins. At the time of the kidnapping, her mother, the Steins daughter, was working in New York and her boyfriend (who she would later marry) was away at college. He didn't need his car so he had it stored in their garage but since it had New York license plates they were all investigated by law enforcement and no connection was found. I wonder if Biroschak was the one to discover this car with the New York plates since this seemed to be one of his obsessions. Although she had no anecdotes to relate, Dr. Kloner speculated that the general store was a likely hangout for the press and law enforcement given its locale.
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Post by Sue on Feb 15, 2021 19:27:41 GMT -5
Aaron and Michael,
I don't know if Biroschak made any money investigating the Lindbergh case in Hopewell, but maybe he cashed in on the patent of that toy in 1922? I can't understand why, but maybe the toy was a big seller, and he made money off of that toy and other inventions?
There is a pdf link to the toy online. He gives the spelling of his last name as Biroscak. The patent date is July 11, 1922. There are sketches of the toy, and he gives his name in a few places as either Stephen S. K. Biroscak or S. S. K. Biroscak. He states that he is from Bridgeport, Connecticut.
I wonder if he purposefully gave the misspelling of his name for his own reasons.
Maybe Joe can put up the link to the toy?
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 15, 2021 20:01:44 GMT -5
Aaron and Michael, I don't know if Biroschak made any money investigating the Lindbergh case in Hopewell, but maybe he cashed in on the patent of that toy in 1922? I can't understand why, but maybe the toy was a big seller, and he made money off of that toy and other inventions? There is a pdf link to the toy online. He gives the spelling of his last name as Biroscak. The patent date is July 11, 1922. There are sketches of the toy, and he gives his name in a few places as either Stephen S. K. Biroscak or S. S. K. Biroscak. He states that he is from Bridgeport, Connecticut. I wonder if he purposefully gave the misspelling of his name for his own reasons. Maybe Joe can put up the link to the toy? Sue, this is from Google Patents: patents.google.com/patent/US1422334
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Post by jeanne on Feb 18, 2021 9:36:27 GMT -5
It's possible, considering his behavior, that Stephen Biroschak was psychopathic. His actions to some extent resemble those of the imposter Ferdinand Demara who is now thought be a psychopath. He moves about from place to place, sometimes presenting a fraudulent identity or using false credentials. In spite of the family he did not appear to "settle down" but served in World War II as an older man. Demara also served in the Army (to which he went AWOL) and then the Navy in WW II. He served time in prison for desertion from the military during war time. Psychopaths are known for their lack of commitment as well as pretense. Note that his wife and family lived with Biroschak's father. Perhaps they needed to in order to survive. All this is not to say that Biroschak had anything to do with the kidnapping of the Lindbergh child. He simply saw an opportunity to play a part and get himself some attention.
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