Poormaster

Poormaster is the name of a now obsolete job position similar to that of Paymaster. Most of the states had their own poormaster.

The duties of a poormaster were to validate those who applied for relief and issue funds. [Barbagallo, Tricia A. "The Poor of Albany." 4 Aug. 2001. New York State Museum. 27 Apr. 2008 [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/poor.html] .] The job was often a political sinecure before the 1930's. However the job was not without its risks. Those rejected often held grudges and poormasters were sometimes guarded by police officers during the Great Depression. ["Last Client." Time Magazine Printed 07 Mar. 1938. Accessed 27 Apr. 2008 [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,759182,00.html] .]

Harry L Barck was one such. He held the position of Poormaster for the city of Hoboken, New Jersey. He was killed by Joseph Scutellaro, a frustrated applicant, on February 15, 1938. [Reynolds, Quentin "Courtroom", (1952) Popular Giant. Chap. 7, Part 4.] Scutellaro, who killed Barck with a spindle, received two years. ["POORMASTER Slayer Guilty." Middletown Times Herald 16 Jan. 1939. 27 Apr. 2008 [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=glp&search=poormaster&
] ]

The occupation ceased to exist after the 1940's, with the advent of Social assistance.

References

Works

*Historian Holly Metz wrote a book on Barck. [http://www.state.nj.us/state/divisions/historical/Word%20documents/FY%2008%20Projects%20-%20press%20release%20list.rtf]

*cite book | last = Livermore | first = Mary | title = My Story of the War | publisher = A. D. WORTHINGTON AND COMPANY | location = HARTFORD, CONN. | year = 1888 | Ch = 31 Chapter 31 [http://www.ourstory.info/library/1-roots/Livermore/story11.html]