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David Havelock Bellamore was a British-born
businessman and inventor,
who became famous in 1910 when he introduced the first purpose-built,
mass-produced armored motor car. The novel vehicle was equipped with a
steel
safe-deposit vault, electric burglar alarms and armored protection
for
both the driver and cashier. Built on a sturdy forward control 20
h.p.
2-cylinder Autocar chassis, the body was constructed of chromium steel
and was
said to be both bullet and fire-proof.
Bellamore was not unfamiliar with the needs
of bankers, serving
as a salesman in the Manhattan office of the Mosler Safe Co., 373-375
Broadway.
It is believed that the Mosler brothers, Moses and William, supplied
financial assistance
to Bellamore for the prototype which was, not surprisingly equipped
with a
large Mosler safe. During the ensuing years Bellamore and the Mosler’s
were
involved in a handful of business ventures (Standard Ordinance Corp.
&c.)
and in the early twenties Bellamore became Assistant Secretary, and
later
Secretary of the Mosler Safe Co. During
the buildup to the First World War he served as Export Director of the
Otto
Armleder Co., a Cincinnati-based manufacturer of heavy trucks. In the
thirties
he served as Export Manager and later Director of the Export Division
of the
Republic Steel Corporation, whose office was located in New York City’s
Chrysler Building.
In addition to his expertise in the Export
business, Bellamore
was also a prolific inventor, holding 14 US patents, mostly relating to
armored
cars, safes and disc wheels, a couple of which were assigned to the
Standard
Ordinance Corp. of New York and the Mosler Safe Co. of Cincinnati &
Hamilton, Ohio.
According to David H. Bellamore’s draft
card, he was born in
London, England* on June 23, 1885 to David Gordon (b. 1857 in Scotland)
and
Emily Byrne (b. 1859 in India) Bellamore. (*Some
U.C. Census’ list Austria-presumed to
be Australia – as his place of birth). His father, who it is assumed
served in
his Majesty’s service, first visited the United States in 1866, and
after
numerous trans-Atlantic and Pacific journeys, established a residence
in Australia,
where his son, David H., was born in 1886. A daughter, Muriel, was born
at
about the same time and a third child, Vivian, was born in the British
colony in
1902. The family visited the Unites States in 1890, and in 1899,
establishing a
permanent residence in New York City.
According to US immigration records, the
junior Bellamore
made numerous trans-Atlantic and Caribbean journeys during the teens
and
twenties, no doubt related to his involvement in the import-export
business.
Bellamore married Muriel Kendall (b. 1889-d.
1957) the
daughter of George Henry (b. 1854 -d. Apr 24, 1924) and Hattie L.
(b.1864) Kendall,
and to the blessed union was born a son, Kendall Bellamore, born in
1914.
Bellamore’s father-in-law was a well-known
Manhattan ‘character’
who in 1913 famously accused New York State Senator Stephen J. Stilwell
(from
the Bronx) of official misconduct, when Stilwell demanded $250 in order
to
sponsor a bill in the N.Y. State Senate. The bill in question was the
result of
Kendall’s fight against the New York Stock Exchange who
steadfastly
refused to list companies with securities that were engraved by his
firm, the
New York Bank Note Co. (formerly Kendall Bank Note Co.)
The New York Stock Exchange’s position, as
stated in the
March 10, 1913 issue of the New York Times follows:
“The New York Stock Exchange issued
yesterday, through
William C. Van Antwerp, a statement in reply to attacks made on it by
George H.
Kendall, President of the New York Bank Note Company, in which it
accuses him
of falsehood and defends the exclusion from listing of securities
engraved by
him on the ground of his ‘character.’”
Although Kendall’s testimony was never
refuted, Stilwell
remained in the Senate after the Judiciary Committee voted him ‘not
guilty’ by
a 28 to 21 margin. However Stilwell was subsequently indicted,
convicted, and
sentenced to two years in prison upon substantially the same evidence
as that
upon which a majority of his colleagues in the State Senate had
acquitted him.
Manhattan directories list David H.
Bellamore, as a
member of the Mosler Safe Company, 373-375 Broadway, New York. Founded
in 1867 by
Gustav Mosler (and Fred Bahman) as the Mosler-Bahman Safe Co., in
1890 the
firm relocated from Cincinnati to a new 300,000 sq. ft. facility in
Hamilton,
Ohio. By that time it had been reorganized as the Mosler Safe &
Lock Co., and
was controlled by Gustav’s two surviving sons, Moses and William - a
third brother
named Julius had passed away in 1890.
The Bellamore Armored Car &
Equipment Co. was
incorporated under Delaware laws in July, 1910, with a capital stock of
$100,000. Officers were as follows; Pres., David H. Bellamore;
Vice-Pres.,
William F. Dutton; Treasurer, Silas G. Cummings; Secretary &
Manager, David
G. Bellamore. The partners constructed a
prototype on a circa 1910 Autocar Type XXI forward control 1 ˝ ton
chassis with
a 97”wheelbase which was equipped with a 20-h.p. 2-cylinder engine. The
coachwork was completed during the summer
and photographs of the vehicle were first published in the November 3,
1910 issue
of The Automobile:
“Steel Bank Cars – Illustrating the
Bellamore Armored Motor
Car for use by Banks in the transfer of funds. Equipped with perfect
banking
facilities and protected by heavy bolts and locks.
“FUNDS must be transferred by banks, trusts
and express
companies by day and by night through all parts of congested cities,
and
heretofore it has been more or less of a serious problem with a
considerable
cost feature and a measure of safety that is barely up to the minimum
requirement, with here and there an attack and a contingent loss.
The Bellamore
armored car as here illustrated represents the latest endeavor in
the
direction of filling this want in a more efficacious way. The plan
takes into
account the mobility of automobiles, coupled with the carrying capacity
of an
automobile truck, thus making it possible to build and mount upon the
chassis a
form of armored steel body that will permit of the transfer
of funds
and valuables generally with the same safety that now surrounds money
as it
rests in the vaults of the banks.
“The new car is so designed as to possess
substantially all
the facilities of a first-class bank, with every safeguard against even
a
protracted effort on the part of those who prefer not to work for what
they
get. The windows, doors and other points of attack are protected by
electric
burglar alarms; the walls and roof are built of steel and the
construction
throughout is fireproof. It is anticipated that this new form of
traveling bank
will enlarge the field of bankers' operations, making it possible to
deliver
pay rolls under the most conservative conditions and to collect and
transfer
valuables, covering considerable distances, and doing all the work at a
lower
cost than that which is now suffered, counting, of course, the men who
must be
placed to guard those who are in charge of this character of
undertaking.
“The interior of the car has a banking room,
including a
large steel safe, the door of which is equipped with a heavy bolt-work
system,
with a Yale bank combination lock capable of 100,000,000 changes. A
desk, or
counter, extends for the full width of the car under the cashier's
window. To
the right and left underneath the desk is arranged a series of
compartments
which can be used for the storage of books and other articles necessary
in the
transaction of the business to which the car is devoted. The walls and
floors
are finished with polished hardwood. An electric lighting system is
used;
storage batteries provide the electric energy; the windows are fitted
with
bevel plate glass, and the doors are equipped with special duplicate
key latch
locks with alarm bells attached operated electrically from the
batteries.
“The driver occupies the customary position
at the front,
there being a separating wall between the driver's position and the
bank
proper, but, as the illustrations show, the driver is protected from
the
dangers of inclement weather by means of wind shields and side panels,
so that
while he is not expected to do more than drive the car, he is afforded
sufficient protection to render his lot reasonably comfortable.
“There are three distinct models of this
car, each being
designed for a particular service, and they range in price from $4,500
to
$6,000. The motor car bank idea was taken up abroad some time ago, and
it was
found to be a profitable equipment, broadening the activities of the
banks and
adding very materially to the safety of operations at the same time.
There is
no reason why this idea should not thrive in the American money
centers, and
the Bellamore Armored Car & Equipment Company, of 286 Fifth
avenue,
New York, is making preparation to enter this business in a substantial
way,
and it has excellent promise of support from important banks.”
Pictures accompanied by the following
descriptive text
appeared in the December, 1910 issue of The Commercial Vehicle:
“A further development of the bank motor
wagon is shown in
the accompanying view of a machine which has been designed by the
Bellamore
Armored Car Equipment Company of New York not only for the transfer of
valuables but for use as a traveling bank or pay car. The special body
is built
on a standard gas motor chassis and is of steel throughout. The
interior of the
vehicle is fitted up as a cashier's office and the equipment includes a
large
safe and a counter under a window which opens in the rear. There is a
covered extension
at the back of the vehicle so that a person can step up in front of the
window
and transact business. In front a cab and windshield protect the
driver. The
body is finely finished in hardwood inside and is lighted by
electricity.”
A significantly longer article appeared in
the December 1910
issue of Trust Companies:
“THE ARMORED MOTOR BANK CAR AND
ITS ADVANTAGES FOR
TRUST COMPANIES AND SAVINGS BANKS
“While there has been some talk about the
extravagance due
to the too general use of the automobile, yet it is a fact that the
motor
vehicle for commercial purposes has proven a great boon to all lines of
business. Not the least of these are the many advantages to banking,
and the
requirements in this field are such that a specially constructed motor
car has
been built, by the Bellamore Armored Car Co., of No. 286
Fifth
avenue, New York, that is certainly unique, as it contains all the
conveniences
of a banking room, with the necessary safeguards for handling large
sums of
money, securities, collecting deposits, delivering pay-rolls, etc., and
the
conveniences which this new banking adjunct discloses make it certain
that we
are on the eve of its general adoption.
“The need of independent banking facilities
actually
necessary or fancied has been a moving cause for the establishment of
thousands
of small banks throughout the United States. Local pride always
optimistic, is
particularly susceptible when agitation for a new bank is begun. It is
found,
however, in many cases that after the bank is started the need for it
was not so
great as had been imagined. Frequently such banks are organized for no
other
direct purpose than to afford commissions to promoters.
“There are scattered all over the country
small institutions
which not only fail to pay expenses, but which by inexperienced
management do
not add to its banking strength. In hundreds of instances one bank is
needed
where a dozen exist. In most of these cases lack of easy communication
with a
convenient center has brought about the establishment of banks which
have no
other excuse for organization.
“In the near future, however, this condition
will be changed
largely through the introduction of the bank on wheels, which will give
elasticity to the head office, enabling it to cover a large territory
and place
at the convenience of its customers at a distance a service equal to
that in
command of its clients who are within a stone s throw of the bank. In
other
words, the "bank on wheels" will act as a travelling branch bank.
“Not only will the armored motor
bank car be used
in rural communities, but it will be taken up by city institutions who
are
desirous of securing the deposits of factories and other centers of
industry,
delivering pay-rolls, collecting large deposits and securing the
savings of the
employees.
“The banks of the country will not give up
without a
struggle deposits which may otherwise be diverted to the coming postal
savings
institutions. This is an age of directness, frankness and simplicity in
business matters, those who want business must go after it frankly and
openly.
If the business will not come to the banks voluntarily they must be
prepared to
go where the business exists.
“The motor bank car will not only place the
bankers in a
position to secure this business, but will be the means of educating
the public
concerning the merits of their institutions, bringing them in closer
and more
intimate terms with their customers, at the same time giving them a
large and
continuous amount of publicity in a strong, conservative and dignified
manner.
“This is what the manufacturers say of
the Bellamore
armored motor bank car:
"The motor bank car is
an armored steel vehicle,
protected by a patented system of electric alarms. Should the car be
attacked
at any point, either by drilling, wedging, cutting or annealing the
steel
walls, or the steel grill work protecting the windows, a powerful alarm
is
instantly set in motion which can be heard at a great distance. This
electric
burglar alarm is constructed on the same lines and principles as the
electric
alarm protection used on the largest bank and safe deposit vaults in
this
country. Apart from the security given by the electric alarms, the
construction
of the car provides ample resistance from any burglarious attack. The
walls and
roof are built of steel, hardened insulating material and hard wood.
The body
is also fireproof and would not burn in any fire that may occur in a
garage,
etc.
“The car body is an enclosed structure
divided into two
distinct sections, the front compartment for the driver and a
passenger, the
rear containing the banking room. A door on the right hand side opening
outwardly gives access to this section. This door is suspended on heavy
steel
spring hinges which automatically close and lock the door. At the rear
of the
car a handsomely designed vestibule is found, which serves to give
privacy and
protection to the customers while transacting business. The windows of
the
banking room are equipped with electrified steel grill work, also the
dividing
partition between the two sections.
“The interior arrangement of the banking
room includes a
large steel safe, the door being equipped with a heavy bolt work
system,
checked by a Yale bank combination lock, capable of 100,000,000
changes. A desk
or counter extending the full width of the car under the cashier's
window,
contains the money drawers. To the right and left underneath is
arranged a
series of compartments. An electric storage battery lighting system is
part of
the equipment, and there is a system of electric signals, so that the
messenger
can communicate with the driver without leaving his seat.
“The cashier's window is located at the back
of the car at a
convenient height from the floor. Steel shutters electrically protected
cover
the window on the outside, opening and closing automatically by means
of a
device operated from the inside of the car. Electric gongs proclaim any
attempt
to tamper with the car. These devices permit of the car standing
without
attendance, for the moment the vehicle is tampered with the electric
alarms are
set going.
“In addition to the above, the company
manufactures a car of
the limousine type, possessing the same safety features and
combination. This
car is finished equal to the highest class private car, with a seating
capacity
for five passengers if desired. The safe extends across the front of
the
interior of the car, and is covered with mahogany, to match the
interior
fittings. Thus the top of the safe forms a convenient desk for the use
of the
officer in charge of the car.
“Bank cars are being used with success in
Great Britain,
where it is said the banks realize the advantages to be gained from the
use of
such a car."
In The Hub’s review of the Madison Square
Garden Automobile
Show published in the February 1911 issue the mentioned the Bellamore,
which
was built upon an Autocar cab over engine (COE)chassis:
“In the Autocar exhibit was shown the
Bellamore armored
motor bank car, something quite novel in the way of a pay car. The
Autocars
proper were of some variety of body design. The stated claims are: By
the
location of the driver's set over the motor, a maximum body platform
with a
minimum wheel base is attained. This arrangement insures greater
accessibility
of the power plant the complete seat structure being hinged for easy
access to
motor. We emphasize the fact that the cars described are in no sense
adaptations of pleasure cars but are special both in design and
material with
the single end in view of continuously meeting with the utmost economy
in fuel
and maintenance the hard service that will be exacted.”
Apparently the prototype remained unsold for
close to a
year, its sale formally announced in the following article taken from
the December,
1911 issue of Banker’s Magazine:
“The Uses of an Armored Bank Car
“Reproduced herewith is an illustration
showing in detail
the interior construction of the armored bank car built for the First
Mortgage
Guarantee & Trust Company of Philadelphia, Leslie M. Shaw
president, by the
Bellamore Armored Car & Equipment Company of 286 Fifth Avenue, New
York.
“The interior arrangement of the banking
room includes a
large steel safe which can be built to suit the uses of the bank
operating it.
A desk or counter extending the full width of the car under the
cashier's window
contains the money drawers. To the right and left underneath is
arranged a
series of compartments which can be used for the storage of books and
other
articles necessary in the transaction of the business which will be
conducted
from the car.
“The vestibule is so designed as to allow
but one person on it
at a time Folding gates opening inwardly are provided at the rear. The
platform
is approximately fourteen inches from the ground bringing the customers
within
easy reach of the cashier's window. The roof of the car extends over
this
vestibule giving protection from the weather and lending symmetry to
the
general design of the car.
“As shown in the illustration, the cashier's
window is
located at the back of the car at a convenient height from the floor.
Steel
shutters electrically protected cover the window on the outside opening
and
closing automatically by means of a device operated from the inside of
the car.
A steel grille is fitted into the window opening leaving a space of
four inches
at the lower part through which business transactions and the handling
of money
can be made.
“Nothing has been overlooked for the perfect
protection and
safety of the car its contents and of those who are in charge of the
vehicle.
The body structure of the car is completely and thoroughly protected by
a
patent system of electric alarms. Should the car be attacked at any
point,
either by drilling, wedging, cutting or annealing the steel walls or
the steel
grille work protecting the windows and partitions etc., a powerful
alarm gong
is instantly set in motion which can be heard at a great distance.
“The frame work is made of armored wood
re-enforced with a
finishing plate of hard wood on the inside. The linings constructed of
alternate layers of tempered steel hardened insulating material and
electrified
plates are attached to the armored frame. The sides dividing partition
between
the two compartments back and roof are all constructed in this manner
giving
absolute protection and great strength. The floor of the banking room
is
further re enforced with a heavy tempered steel plate lending stability
and
rigidness to the car. Over this plate is a flooring of hard wood.
“The steel grille work protecting the
windows and dividing
partition between the driver's and banking compartment is of a special
construction which insures absolute protection instantaneously giving
warning
of an attack either by cutting bending or burning.
“The car affords the banker the same degree
of security as
can be found in the strongest burglar proof vaults built. One of the
many
devices is an arrangement whereby the car can be locked up and left
standing
without attendance and should a person other than those in charge of
the
vehicle attempt to “tamper with or operate it. He would not only fail
to gain
entrance but immediately set the alarms and warn the owners and the
surrounding
neighborhood. Such a car may be used for the collection of heavy
deposits, the
delivery of pay roll money to factories, the delivery of large sums of
money to
customers, the transportation of bullion, the carrying of money and
securities
between branch institutions and the collection and delivery of
valuables for
safe deposit.”
Bellamore’s directors were eager to put the
armored car into
series production and in January 1912 they entered into negotiations
with the
receiver of the Bridgeport Vehicle Co., a manufacturer of production
Locomobile
bodies whose factory was located at the corner of Fairfield and Holland
Avenues,
in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The June, 1912 issue of Banker’s Magazine
reported
on the culmination of the talks:
“THE BELLAMORE BANK AUTOMOBILES
“The Bellamore Armored Car and Equipment
Co., Fifth av., New
York, has recently purchased a complete factory at Bridgeport, Conn., a
cut of
which is shown herewith, in which it will manufacture its armored cars
for
banks besides bodies of all kinds for automobiles. The Bellamore Co.
has
recently sent one of its armored cars to the Spanish Bank of Cuba and
will
install several more cars for use by the Havana banks at an early date.
The car
purchased by the First Mortgage Guarantee and Trust Co of Philadelphia
has
given complete satisfaction and has resulted in a large increase in the
business of that institution.”
Although
the preceding article seems to
contradict earlier
histories of the firm that state only a single armored truck was
completed, no
pictures of the ‘armored cars’ sent to Cuba have been located, so their
appearance can only be guessed at. The photographs displayed to the
right show the same Autocar-chassised vehicle with numerous bank names
added by a photo retoucher somtime after the vehiclke was opriginally
photographed.
The firm's literature stated the vehicles were
available on a choice of either a 20-h.p. or 40-h.p. chassis, although
no manufacturer was given for either the chassis or the engine.
Nomenclature was confusing with models including the Type I, Type
II, Type III and Type IV. Within Types there were distinct options, all
available on either the 20- or 40-h.p. chassis.
The suffux V.C. as in 20-h.p. Type II V.C.
referred to a Vestibule Car, a bank car outfitted with a
vestibule-style walk-up banking window. It inlcuded a covered rear
platform upon which the customer would interact with the teller located
inside the secure rear compartment.
The suffix B.L. as in 20-h.p. Type II B.L.
referred
to Bank Limousine, whose totally enclosed rear compartment was used
solely for the transportation of money and/or bank officials from one
banking location to another.
No more
mention
of the firm appeared during 1912, save for the following mention in the
Commercial Car Journal:
“Bellamore Armored Car and Equipment
Co. so that it
might have greater facilities for building bodies, is moving into the
new
building.”
It
is believed that under Bellamore's control the Bridgeport factory
continued to porduce production bodies for Locomobile, although
confirmation is lacking. Although the firm's armored car was well
publicized at the time of its creation, the publicity failed to bring
in additional orders, in late February of 1913 the receivers were
called ini, the March 1, 1913 issue of Automobile Topics
rerporting:
“Armored Car in Hands of Receiver
“Upon application of three of its smaller
creditors, whose
claims aggregate less than $600, Judge Hand, of the United States
District
Court, on Wednesday, February 26, appointed Job E. Hedges receiver for
the Bellamore Armored Car & Equipment Co., of Bridgeport,
Conn.
The company has offices at 258 Fifth avenue, New York City. Its assets
are
given as $147,813, but a considerable part of this amount is said to be
of only
nominal value; the liabilities are said to be in excess of $150,000,
the exact
amount being unknown. The assets include the factory at Bridgeport,
assessed at
$64,000; machinery and plant, $19,950; tools and equipment, $4,828;
lumber and
other raw materials, $31,498; merchandise in process of manufacture,
$14,890;
accounts, $12,000, some of which are doubtful or uncollectable; and
office
furniture. $647. The receiver is under a bond of $20,000, and has
authority to
continue the business for sixty days and to borrow $3,000 on receiver's
certificates to pay current expenses.
“The Bellamore Armored Car &
Equipment Co. was
incorporated under Delaware laws in July, 1910, with a capital stock of
$100,000; it never was rated in Bradstreet's or Dun's. Its product
consisted of
steel armored motor cars for banks and paymasters, the
chassis for
these cars being made for the company by several of the automobile
companies.
It took over the plant of the Bridgeport Vehicle Co. and for a time
seemed to
have a bright future. Litigation over mortgages on the factory,
however, and
lack of sufficient working capital hampered its production to such an
extent as
to cause its present embarrassment. David H. Bellamore is
president, and
David G. Bellamore, treasurer.”
The “Minor Business Troubles” column of the
April 10, 1913
issue of Motor Age provided the dollar amounts the firm included in its
filing:
“The Bellamore
Armored Car & Equipment Co., of New York City and Bridgeport,
Conn., which
was the object of a petition in bankruptcy last month, has filed its
schedules
in the Federal court in New York City. They show liabilities of
$103,020 and
nominal assets of $217,658. Among the creditors are: Bronx National
Bank, of
New York City, $19,286; City Savings Bank, of Bridgeport, $24,000; H.
D.
Miller, trustee, $7,500; Horton & Terry, $5,000; Standard Oil Co.,
of
Bridgeport, $281.”
The April 26, 1913 issue of Automobile
Topics reported on the
results of a meeting of the firm’s creditors:
“Bellamore Creditors Hold Meeting
“At the meeting of the creditors of the
Bellamore Armored
Car & Equipment Co., of 258 Fifth avenue, New York City and
Bridgeport Conn.,
the liabilities of the company were stated to be $103,020 and the
assets
$217,658. Job E. Hedges who had been appointed receiver has been
elected
trustee under a bond of $15,000.”
A concurrent issue (April 1913) of the
Automobile Trade
Journal stated the former Bellamore plant already been sold:
“Bellamore Armored Car & Equipment
Company's plant
at Fairfield and Holland Avenues, Bridgeport, Conn., has been purchased
by the
Blue Ribbon Auto & Garage Company. The new owners will take
possession
September 1st, when a large addition will be erected.”
Harry D. Miller, the founder and president
of the Bridgeport
Vehicle Co., the former occupants of the Bridgeport plant, filed suit
against its
new owners, the September 10, 1913 issue of the Horseless Age reporting:
“Details of Bridgeport Vehicle Co. Law Suit.
“In our issue of August 27, under head of
"Sues
Bankrupt Concern for Note," we reported the institution of a suit
against
the Bridgeport Vehicle Co. and the Blue Ribbon Auto and Carriage Co.
Fearing
that the headline might cause someone to infer that they were bankrupt
the Blue
Ribbon Auto and Carriage Co. have sent us the following details
regarding their
connection with the suit, which we are glad to publish:
“The Bridgeport Vehicle Co. was in
bankruptcy and receivers'
hands some time in 1910 and 1911, and sold all their rights, title and
interest, in their factory, plant and property of every description to
the Bellamore Armored Car and Equipment Company in January,
1912.
The Bellamore Company conducted the business for about a
year, and
sometime in February, 1913, they were adjudicated as bankrupt, and Job
E.
Hedges, of New York, was appointed trustee. Sometime in June, 1913, the
United
States District Court, with the confirmation of all the creditors, sold
the
equity in this property through Trustee Hedges to the Blue Ribbon Auto
and
Carriage Co. for cash, they assuming all liens against the property,
but not
including any unsecured claims. Since taking possession, the Blue
Ribbon
Company have paid off one mortgage of about eight thousand dollars and
paid up
back interest and taxes. The mortgage in question had been in dispute
by the
officials of the former Bridgeport Vehicle Company for some time prior
to the
transfer of the property. The Blue Ribbon Company stand ready to pay
this
mortgage, and have the money in the bank for that purpose, as soon as
the
courts decide the exact amount, if any, is due.”
The Bridgeport Body Co. resumed the
manufacture of
Locomobile bodies and remained profitable into the late teens. Harry D.
Miller,
Bridgeport Vehicle’s former president, remained convinced that there
was money
to be found, and according to the May 18, 1918 issue of the Bridgeport
Telegram,
once again sued to recover his lost assets:
“Miller Again Acts to Get Receiver for
Vehicle Firm; Claims
Right to Have Stock Appraised — Decision Is Reserved.
“On the ground that he is entitled to have
the value of his
stock in the Bridgeport Vehicle company appraised, Harry D. Miller,
former
president of the concern, asked Judge Kellogg in the Civil Superior
court
yesterday to appoint a receiver for the concern. He was represented by
Attorney
Thomas M. Cullinan, who contended that Miller, as a minority
stockholder, was
entitled to have his interests protected.
“Other Receivers Discharged.
“Attorney James A. Marr, representing the
Vehicle company,
said Miller had previously brought numerous suits because of the
company's tangled
affairs and that none of these actions had resulted in victory for
Miller. He
said that Miller and John T. King had acted at various times as
receivers for
the company. Both had been discharged and Attorney Marr contended there
was no
need for a new receiver.
“The Bridgeport Vehicle company was located
in 1911 at
Fairfield and Holland avenues but when it went into the hands of a
receiver in
1912 the company's assets were sold to the Bellamore Armored Car and
Equipment company of New York. Although there has been a great deal
of litigation
regarding the Vehicle company, its affairs have never been wound up. So
it
still exists in name, if in nothing else. Judge Kellogg reserved
decision on
the motion.”
David H. Bellamore held no similar grudges,
and on September
25, 1913 founded another automobile-related firm, the Bellamore Toomey
Co. ‘to
deal in motor cars etc.’ Capitalized at $30,000 under New York laws,
its officers
and stockholders included David G. and David H. Bellamore both of 29
Clairmont
avenue, and Thomas H. Toomey of 3020 Broadway, New York, New York.
The formation of the firm was announced in
the September 27,
1913 issue of Automobile Topics:
“Bellamore Forms Car Export Firm
“D.G. Bellamore, formerly manager of the
Bellamore Armored
Car Co., has formed the Bellamore, Toomey Co., Inc., and opened offices
at 10
Bridge street, New York City. According to the letterhead of the
company it
plans to export pleasure and commercial cars.”
No additional news concerning the Bellamore
Toomey Company
was forthcoming and Polk’s 1915 New York co-partnership and corporation
directory lists the Bellamore, Toomey Co., Inc., as ‘inoperative’.
During the entire Bridgeport fiasco, David
H. Bellamore
remained in the employ of the Mosler brothers and in 1915 the trio
formed a
partnership to manufacture munitions called the Standard Ordinance
Corp. Polk’s 1915 New York co-partnership
and
corporation directory list the firm as follows:
“The Standard Ordinance Corporation, N.Y. Moses
Mosler, Pres.; David H. Bellamore, Sec.
Capital $5.000 Directors: Moses Mosler & William Mosler, David H.
Bellamore;
377 B’way Rm. 1104.”
In the years immediately preceding the
country’s involvement
in the First World War, Mosler’s Hamilton, Ohio factory manufactured
massive
gun carriages and other implements of war.
In 1917 Bellamore’s former partner, Thomas
H. Toomey formed another
export business, their listing in Polk’s 1917 directory follows:
“The Bourne-Toomey Co., 50 Broad Street, New
York.
Established 1917; President, Thomas H. Toomey; Secretary, Charles A.
Burr;
Treasurer, Thomas H. Bourne. Export auto trucks, foodstuffs and general
merchandise.”
In 1917 David H. Bellamore took a hiatus
from the Mosler Co.
to serve as export sale manager for the Otto Armleder Company of
Cincinnati,
Ohio a well-known manufacturer of heavy duty wagons, trailers and motor
trucks,
his appointment announced in the November 14, 1917 issue of Motor
World:
“David H. Bellamore has been appointed
manager of
export sales by the O. Armleder Co., Cincinnati.”
The position was short lived and by 1921 he
returned to the
Mosler Safe & Lock Co., serving as the firm’s Secretary. His
marriage to
Muriel Kendall was dissolved in Reno, Nevada on December 10, 1932, and
in 1934
he was appointed general export manager of the Republic Steel Co.,
whose
general offices were located in Manhattan’s Chrysler Building.
The November 22, 1955 Massillon (Ohio)
Evening Independent
announced his appointment as director of Republic’s International
Projects
Division:
“New Republic Division Aids Foreign Firms
“The formation by Republic Steel Corp. of an
International
Projects Division to handle increasing demands from foreign industries
for
technical, engineering and manufacturing know-how was announced by
Norman W.
Foy, Republic's sales vice-president.
“The new division will have as its director
David H.
Bellamore; who will be in charge of its operations through its offices
in the
Chrysler building, New York City. Bellamore has been Republic's general
export
manager in charge of export business since the department was formed in
1934.”
The January 3, 1961 issue of the same
newspaper (Massillon Evening
Independent) announced his retirement:
Republic Steel Corp. and its Berger division
in Canton today
announced two appointments. Harold R. Stephan was appointed managing
director
of the corporation's international projects division and David A.
Bordner was
named Detroit sales representative for the Berger division. Stephan’s
appointment was announced by T. F. Fatten, president and chief
executive
officer of Republic. He succeeds David H. Bellamore, who has been
manager of
the division since its inception in 1956 and prior to that served as
general
export manager of the company.”
During his working career Bellamore was
awarded 14 US
Patents, which are listed below:
US Pat. 1027978, Automobile Bank-Vehicle -
Filed Aug 30,
1910 - Issued May 28, 1912
US Pat. 1182885, Portable Bank Safe - Filed
Oct 16, 1909 -
Issued May 16, 1916
US Pat. 1182886, Armored Protector for Motor
Vehicle
Radiators - Filed Mar 17, 1915 - Issued May 16, 1916
US Pat. 1203962, Armored Vehicle - Filed Oct
24, 1914 -
Issued Nov 7, 1916
US Pat. 1385357, Method of Making Piston
Pins - Filed Aug
22, 1919 - Issued Jul 26, 1921
US Pat. 1410986, Disk Wheel - Filed Nov 10,
1921 - Issued
Mar 28, 1922
US Pat. 1422408, Improved Rim Construction
for Steel Wheels -
Filed Aug 22, 1919 - Issued Jul 11, 1922
US Pat. 1423747, Method of Making Pressed
Steel Vehicle
Wheels - Filed Sep 15, 1919 - Issued Jul 25, 1922
US Pat. 1485360, Improvements in Metallic
Structures (Safes)
- Filed Jul 7, 1921 - Issued Mar 4, 1924
US Pat. 1485363, Safe Construction – Filed
May 16, 1922 -
Issued Mar 4, 1924
US Pat. 1547720, Construction of Safes, Safe
Cabinets -
Filed Jun 7, 1923 - Issued Jul 28, 1925
US Pat. 1558458, Pressed Steel Wheel - Filed
Aug 22, 1919 -
Issued Oct 27, 1925
US Pat. 1623155, Metallic Structure (Safe) -
Filed Jul 14,
1923 - Issued Apr 5, 1927
US Pat. 1846079, Disk Wheel - Filed Oct 19,
1926 - Issued
Feb 23, 1932
David H. Bellmore passed away in New York
City on January 12,
1969 at the age of 84.
© 2012 Mark Theobald - Coachbuilt.com
Appendix
On October 30, 1908, David H. Bellamore’s
sister Muriel
married Lieutenant Harry Cahoon, of the Thirteenth United States
infantry.
Unbeknownst to her, Lt. Cahoon was a known philanderer, and their happy
home
was soon disrupted by scandal, as reported in the Saturday, May 10,
1913 edition
of the (NY) Evening Telegram:
“Left Bride Hour After Marriage — Army
Officer's Wife Says
He Spent Evening with Divorcee— She Gets Decree.
“After hearing her story of how her husband,
Lieutenant
Harry Cahoon, of the Thirteenth United States infantry, left her side
an hour
or so after they were married to spend the
evening with some friends, including a fair divorcee.
Justice Guy,
in the Supreme Court, to-day awarded a final decree of divorce to Mrs.
Muriel Bellamore
Cahoon. The woman she named was Mrs. Beatrice McGregor. His excuse when
he
appeared before his bride the next morning was that some army friends
had ‘kidnapped’
him. The bride believed this for several
weeks.
“Mrs. Cahoon is a handsome young woman. She
said that about
two years ago, just after she left school at Twickenham, England, she
met
Lieutenant Cahoon, who then was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
They were
married some time later.
“Almost immediately after the ceremony she
says, her husband
left her to see some friends. She waited in vain all night and was
almost
distracted. When the lieutenant appeared he told how his army friends
had ‘kidnapped’
him and kept him away from his bride. He was forgiven and had luncheon
with his
bride. He told her he had a great 'business opportunity’ if he started
at once
for Havana, and if it was as good as he thought he would resign from
the Army. After luncheon, she says, he
raised some money
and started for Cuba at once. For a month or so she got a letter in
every mail
north. Then she started South and on arriving in Havana, she says,
found that
he and an American girl had been living together in a house in one of
the
suburbs.
“In the meantime her father, who is
President of the
Bellamore Armored Car and Equipment Company, at No. 288 Fifth Avenue,
had been investigating
the ‘kidnapping’ and had learned about the divorcee.
“Lieutenant Cahoon denied that he had given
his bride any
cause for divorce, but after a year she brought a suit, which was
uncontested.”
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