Robert Thomas Durkin, 1941

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September 30 1941

1941, Robert Thomas Durkin, Military Registration Card

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Robert Thomas Durkin, 1967

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February 20 1967

Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Monday, February 20, 1967

Chess Player's Prize—Robert T. Durkin of Pleasantville holds Hoffman Memorial Trophy which he retained as highest scoring member of the South Jersey Chess Association's fourth annual open tournament. (Press photo by Ron Sarner).

Resort Chess Tourney
Psychiatrist Wins First
The South Jersey open chess tournament at the President Hotel was won by Dr. Ariel Mengarini of The Bronx, N. Y., who won five games and drew one in the six-round tournament staged over the weekend.
Dr. Mengarini, 47, a psychiatrist with the Veterans Administration in New York, defeated chessmasters Ivan Theodorvitch of Toronto and Paul Brandts of New York City, and drew with expert Edgar McCormick of Elizabeth on the way to winning the $250 first prize.
The event, sponsored by the South Jersey Chess Association, attracted 68 players from the Eastern states and Canada.
Robert T. Durkin of West Adams Avenue, Pleasantville, retained the Hoffman Memorial Trophy, which he won last year, awarded to the highest scoring member of the South Jersey Chess Association. Durkin scored five points.
Scores of other Atlantic City Chess Club players who took part were: Marvin Sills, 4½; Lionel Friedberg, 3; Abraham Levin, 2½; James Doran 2½; Norman Cohen, 2½; Roland Horner, 2 and Lawrence Hooley, 2. John Yehl of Hammonton scored 3.
Tied with Durkin for second place in the tournament were McCormick, Larry Heinin of Washington, D.C., and Roy D. Mallett of The Bronx.

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Robert Thomas Durkin, 1994

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August 24 1994

August 24, 1994, Robert T. Durkin, Chess Champion, Grave Marker

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Robert Thomas Durkin, 1996

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May 31 1996

Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Friday, May 31, 1996

Heir of mystery compounds property problem in Somers Point
By Bett Norcross McCoy
Somers Point—City officials will foreclose on the late Robert T. Durkin's Gibbs Avenue home unless an heir apparent before the process is complete, according to City Administrator Wes Swain.
“We'd like somebody to come forward,” Swain said, otherwise the state Division of Taxation gets a letter from the city outlining the situation, to get the legal wheels rolling.
Right now the property at 23 Gibbs Ave., is an eyesore, but it isn't a public-health nuisance, Tracey McArdle, director of the Atlantic County Division of Public Health, said Wednesday.
“We conducted an inspection Friday and there were no public-health violations at that time. No odors, no rodents. There were problems related to property maintenance … weeds, grass, junk,” McArdle said. That's the city's responsibility, she said.
Durkin's property became the city's aesthetic and financial problem when he died in a veteran's hospital in Somerset County on August 24, 1994, apparently without a will. Durkin, 75, was on 100 percent disability and was exempt from property taxes.
But city officials didn't know it was their problem until condition came into City Hall nearly a year later.
“Everyone here knew who he was and that he died, but we had no proof,” Swain said. So the city “bulldozed” the weeds, boarded up the opened front door to stop kids from playing inside, and set out to confirm Durkin's death.
Then it was Catch-22 time.
When Tax Assessor Diane Hesley asked the Department of Veterans Affairs for Durkin's death certificate, she was told such things are confidential. Then she hit on the idea to ask if he was still eligible for his benefits. She was told no.
Eventually, the city got the death certificate, and the property was listed as an added assessment on the tax rolls by the end of last year.
Last week, a Gibbs Avenue resident complained at a City Council meeting about an obnoxious odor coming from the over-grown backyard where Durkin had several sheds.
That's when the Health Department was called in to do Friday's inspection—which turned up nothing but the city's resolve to settle the matter.
“We want to do this without needless expense to the taxpayers,” Swain said.
For anyone trying to figure out if they may be Durkin's heir, he was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. And if he's the same man named in 1940s articles in The Press library, he had four brothers—Joseph, George, Frank and William — and two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. In December 1941, his mother, Mrs. D. F. Durkin, lived at 6803 Atlantic Ave., Atlantic City.
Prior to moving to Somers Point in 1976, he'd apparently lived in Pleasantville and Linwood.
If you think you're an heir, call Swain or City Clerk Carol L. Degrassi at 927-9088.
Meanwhile, articles from the 1970s say Durkin was a champion chess player. That was confirmed Tuesday by Jay McKenn, who learned of Durkin's death last summer when he tried to renew their friendship.
McKeen, a Hamilton Township police sergeant, said Durkin was a “chess idol” to several players, including himself. “He was an innovator, eccentric, but an innovator. There's an opening move named after him. The Durkin Attack, Knight to A3.” Durkin's chess buddies lost touch with him as he became more and more reclusive, McKeen said.
Plans are under way for a Robert T. Durkin Memorial Chess Tournament, he said.

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Edward Beckley Adams, 1922

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June 29 1922

Rapid Transit 29 Jun 1922, Thu The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com

The rapid transit tournament, conducted concurrently, resolved itself into a team match, six on a side, between the “Y” players and the Swedish Chess Club. The Centrals won by 29½-6½. Clean scores of 6-0 were made by R. Start. E. B. Adams and M. Schroeder. In the play-off Start and Adams captured the two prizes set aside for this contest.
E. B. Adams made formal presentation of the several awards in connection with the recent interclub team matches, in which the Swedish Chess Club defeated the Centrals by 18-12. The victors were made the recipients of a framed score card as trophy, the individual prizes going as follows:
Brilliancy prize to L. W. Bubbett, Central Y. M. C. A., for his game against C. Carlson; best game won by white, to G. Gustafson, Swedish Chess Club, for his game against A. E. Johnson; best game won by black, to A. Sundberg, Swedish Chess Club, for his game against E. B. Adams.

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Edward Beckley Adams, 1937

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February 18 1937

Evening Star, Washington, District of Columbia, Thursday, February 18, 1937

EDWARD B. ADAMS DEAD HERE AT 67
Founder of Hotel Supply Firm Retired From Business in 1931.
Edward Beckley Adams, 67, founder and former president of E. B. Adams & Co. dealers in hotel supplies and household furnishings, died today after a long illness at his home, 103 Leland Street, Chevy Chase. Md.
Mr. Adams, widely known here, formerly was chess champion of the District for several years and long had been active in the Capital City Chess Club, which he once served as president.
He founded the business firm here in 1902 and retired in 1931, at which time he sold his interest in the business.
Active in a number of organizations. Mr. Adams was a former president of the Retail Credit Men's Association, was a member of the Civitan Club, the Columbia Country Club and the Racquet Club.
Surviving him are his widow, Mrs. Sarah Godman Adams; three daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Bowie and Miss Sarah Margaret Adams, both of this city, and Mrs. Ruth Patton, Englewood, N. J.; two sons, Edward G. and Donald H. Adams, this city; a brother, William Adams, and a sister, Miss Margaret Adams, both of Baltimore, and six grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mr. Adams' late residence. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Baltimore Md.

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February 19 1937

Evening Star, Washington, District of Columbia, Friday, February 19, 1937

Funeral Tomorrow For Edward B. Adams
Retired Business Man Was Widely Known—Was D. C. Chess Champion.
Funeral services for Edward Beckley Adams, 67, founder and former president of E.B. Adams and Co., will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at his residence, 103 Leland street, Chevy Chase, Md., where he died yesterday.
Mr. Adams founded the firm here in 1902 and retired in 1931, when he sold his interest in the business.
Widely known in this city, he formerly was chess champion of the District for several years, and long had been active in the Capital Chess Club, which he had served as president. He was a former president of the Retail Credit Men's Association, was a member of the Civitan Club, the Columbia Country Club and the Racquet Club.

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