In January 1884, the British barkentine Elmina grounded off LBI, and despite the efforts of several life-saving crews, all hands were lost in the icy surf. Several New York newspapers carried stories criticizing the local citizens for unceremoniously dumping the bodies into shallow graves on the beach and even taking donations from New Yorkers to bury the bodies with dignity. Enraged by the insult, the people of Manahawkin fought back.
The Baptist church minister, the Rev. W.H. Eldridge, wrote the New York Telegram saying, “The printed announcement that…
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