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From: Jeffrey Schoonmaker <>
Subject: Re: [USCONVIC]Arthur Cox-Boston
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 00:35:31 -0700
References: <20020826.195827.-1019237.0.marvels4@juno.com>


Sharon: I live on the left coast, in Northern California. My curiosity got the
better of me when I read your first message on the subject. I have some free time, I
enjoy the research, so I thought I'd take a shot at helping. (Without a great deal
of help from others, my own family history research would have suffered
immeasurably.) Arthur's status as an inmate almost guarantees that many records were
created to cover his case. (My grandfather's younger brother was murdered in Sing
Sing Prison in New York in 1931. Official records on him covering the years leading
up to his incarceration and following his death were created in many courts, and
were just sitting around waiting for me to find them.) Anyway, I think you'll find a
great deal on Arthur as soon as find out where he was incarcerated. Ancestry.com, of
which I'm a member in good standing, includes information on an Arthur Cox in the
Social Security Death Index: "ARTHUR COX, SSN: 012-03-9849, Residence:
Massachusetts, Born: 30 Oct 1889, Last Benefit: _, Died: Mar 1963, Issued: MA
(Before 1951)." The dates don't exactly match the ones you cited, but they're close
enough to warrant further inspection. To obtain more information about him, you must
write a letter to the Social Security Administration. Here's some information about
the SSA, and a sample letter, all taken from the Ancestry.com web site. (Following
these instructions and using the generated letter, I have obtained information on
dozens of ancestors and relatives.)


Writing a letter to the Social Security Administration

(Click here to generate letter)

When you find your ancestors in the Social Security Death Index (also known as the
Death Master File), you may want a copy of your ancestor's original Social Security
application. This application has valuable additional information and can serve as
documentation for your own records. The Social Security Administration makes copies
of the original Social Security application
form (the SS-5) available to third parties who request information on a deceased
individual.

The application form (SS-5) contains the following information:

Full name
Full name at birth (including maiden name)
Present mailing address
Age at last birthday
Date of birth
Place of birth (City, county, state)
Father's full name "regardless of whether living or dead"
Mother's full name, including maiden name, "regardless of whether living or dead"
Sex and race
Ever applied for SS number/Railroad Retirement before? Yes/No
Current employer's name and address
Date signed
Applicant's signature

A standard letter to the Social Security Administration is available with the search
results on the Ancestry.com Social Security Death Index. This letter may be printed
and mailed to the Social Security Administration to request a copy of your
ancestor's SS-5 form. The Social Security Administration now charges $27.00 for each
individual copy (an abbreviated NUMIDENT printout is available for $16.00).

(Click here to generate letter)

Note: Not everyone who has, or has had, a Social Security card will appear on the
Social Security Death Index (SSDI). The SSDI lists only those individuals for whom a
lump sum death benefit was paid. Many other enrolled persons are not listed either
because their death was not reported or they are still living. If you haven't found
your deceased ancestor on the SSDI, but he or she was likely enrolled with the
Social Security system, it may still be possible to get a photocopy of his or her
original SS-5.

To request this information, you will need to send the name and Social Security
number of the person you're researching. You might be able to locate the person's
Social Security number in the following places:

personal papers
death certificate
funeral home records
records held by financial institutions
voter registration rolls at county courthouse
former employers of the individual

If those sources don't produce the number, you may request a "records search" with
the Social Security Administration. To request this service you must send $29 and
provide the following information: full name, state of birth, and date of birth to:

Freedom of Information Officer
4-H-8 Annex Building
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21235

Providing names of parents are also helpful, especially with common surnames. Be
sure also to provide proof of death, as the records of living individuals are not
publicly available.

[The letter. Print and cut.]





Social Security Administration
Office of Earnings Operations
FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Greene Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Freedom of Information Officer,

I am writing this request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. Section
552. I hereby request a copy of the SS-5, Application for Social Security Card, or a
corresponding NUMIDENT printout (see below) for the following individual:

COX, ARTHUR
012-03-9849
Birth: 30 Oct 1889
Death: Mar 1963

This individual is deceased, having been listed in the Social Security
Administration's Death Master File. I understand the fee for this service is $27 for
copy of original SS-5 application OR $16 for copy of an abbreviated NUMIDENT
printout when the Social Security Number is provided. I am requesting a (circle one:
SS-5 copy OR Numident printout) Included is a check for $______ made out to the
Social Security Administration to cover any administrative costs required by this
request.

Please respond to my request upon receipt of this initial correspondence. Thank you
for your attention and assistance.

Sincerely,




Address:

Daytime Phone Number:





If this seems reasonable, opt for the copy of the original SS-5 application ($27)
rather than the copy of an abbreviated NUMIDENT printout ($16). In my cases, the
copy of the original usually proved to be more useful than the printout (I often
ordered both). In the meantime, I'll keep looking. Please try to follow the advice I
sent in my previous e-mail message; I think one of those repositories will be able
to provide all the information on Arthur Cox. Take care. -jeffs.






sharon e marvel wrote:

> That's nice of you to offer to help me. Do you live near Boston? Here
> are some details of what I have done:
>
> I have a letter from the Dept. of Correction, Commonwealth of Mass, dated
> March 20, 2002, stating they have checked their files and have nothing on
> him. They advised me to write to the State Archive Center, which I did
> on 3/25/02. I believe that woman called me and said they didn't have
> anything, or maybe they just didn't respond at all (I have no letter in
> my file). I believe I checked with the city of Boston, and they said if
> he committed murder, he would be in a Federal Prison. I was just looking
> through some unfiled papers, and apparently I called a woman at the
> archives, and she said they didn't have anything. She suggested I call
> Bridgewater State Hospital, because he might have been civilly committed
> (whatever that is). I just called an left a message there.
>
> Arthur Cox was born October 1, 1891 in Duquesne,Pennsylvania near
> Pittsburgh). He was married to Martha, they were divorced probably in
> the 1930s. He was a "religious fanatic" who went around with a
> speakerphone on his car preaching. Apparently, he went up to some guy
> who was working in his garage, and they must have gotten in some
> disagreement, and my grandpa shot him. Don't ask me why he had a gun --
> interesting religion, huh? Anyway, that's all I know, this information
> from my mother. (Arthur was my dad's father). Apparently, they were
> willing to let him out of prison if someone would sponsor him. My dad
> wanted him to come and live with them. I was a baby or toddler at the
> time, and my mom didn't want him there. My parents were divorced in
> 1961, so it had to be sometime between Jan. 1958 (my birth) and April,
> 1961 (divorce). Apparently, not long after that, Arthur hung himself in
> prison. He was an old man, and probably not too healthy. So, that's
> what I know.
>
> Although I am rather curious about the crime, my main reason for
> searching for the records, is that they may have something about his
> father, Albert Cox. I'm at a brick wall, here. Cannot find Albert's
> death certificate, as I have no idea where he lived when he died. Last
> known address was Jamestown, NY, around 1927, but apparently they (He and
> wife Ada) left there and went who knows where. I figured they would do a
> pretty extensive background check on a murderer, but maybe I'm wrong. It
> would be very helpful to know where Albert was born (somewhere in
> England)
>
> I work full time and have two young boys, so don't have a lot of time to
> do genealogy. Also, I am working on about 6 other sides of my family at
> the same time, so I'm a bit scattered. I will try to contact some of the
> places you suggested at some time in the future.
>
> On Thu, 22 Aug 2002 10:02:37 -0700 Jeffrey Schoonmaker
> <> writes:
> > Sharon: A large, old, established city such as Boston must have many
> > repositories
> > for all sorts of records, including libraries and historical and
> > genealogical
> > societies. Perhaps a letter or telephone call to one of them might
> > produce more
> > leads. If your grandfather committed a crime, he was probably
> > indicted, tried,
> > convicted, and sentenced. Records of these actions must exist
> > somewhere, unless a
> > fire or flood consumed the building housing them. Keep looking. I
> > have some free
> > time; I'll start looking for Arthur Cox too. Got any other
> > information on him?
> > -jeff.
> >
> >
> > sharon e marvel wrote:
> >
> > > Thanks for replying. If I knew when he died, it would definitely
> > be
> > > easier. I only have a span of a couple years, maybe 1961-1963.
> > > Newspapers do not have obituaries back that far. I have no idea
> > when he
> > > committed the crime (1940s or 1950s) so it is hard to look up
> > newspaper
> > > articles. As I said, the Feds don't have any record of him. I
> > first
> > > looked in the State, they said if he committed a murder, he would
> > be in a
> > > federal prison, but they don't have any record of him either.
> > (people in
> > > my family do not like to talk about it, for obvious reasons)
> > >
> > > On Wed, 14 Aug 2002 16:23:03 -0700 Jeffrey Schoonmaker
> > > <> writes:
> > > > Death certificate? Autopsy records? Cemetery records?
> > Newspapers?
> > > > Federal courts?
> > > > Federal penitentiary?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > sharon e marvel wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Have been trying to find information on my grandfather, Arthur
> > > > Cox, who
> > > > > was in Prison in Boston in the 1950s, apparently died there in
> > > > early
> > > > > 60's. Have not been able to get information from County or
> > State.
> > > > They
> > > > > all say they don't have information on him. Anybody have any
> > > > ideas?
> > > > >
> > > > > ==== US-CONVICT-ANCESTORS Mailing List ====
> > > > > Sandy is your List mom
> > > > > To contact Sandy send email to
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================
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> > genealogy
> > > > records, go to:
> > > > >
> > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
> > > >
> > > >
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> > > > records, go to:
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> > > >
> > >
> > > ==== US-CONVICT-ANCESTORS Mailing List ====
> > > Sandy is your List mom
> > > To contact Sandy send email to
> >
> > >
> > > ==============================
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> > records, go to:
> > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
> >
> >
> > ==== US-CONVICT-ANCESTORS Mailing List ====
> > ~*~*~*~
> > Welcome...
> > Searching the convictions of our ancestors
> >
> > ==============================
> > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy
> > records, go to:
> > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
> >
>
> ==== US-CONVICT-ANCESTORS Mailing List ====
> ~*~*~*~
> Welcome...
> Searching the convictions of our ancestors
>
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