Theft Of Jersey Devil Statue Leads Down A Road Through History

By Stephanie Faughnan

PINE BARRENS

– The recent theft of a prized Jersey Devil statue from an Ocean County restaurant has reignited a wave of interest in the history of the legendary creature.

Accounts of sightings of the “real” Jersey Devil have persisted for well over two centuries. The allure of capturing the elusive creature has even led to rewards being offered, and at one point, claims that it was caught and on public display.

According to popular folklore regarding the Jersey Devil, the story begins with Mother Leeds, a woman who lived in a part of Galloway outside Smithville. She became quite upset after she learned she was pregnant for the thirteenth time. On a stormy night in 1735, Mother Leeds was surrounded by her concerned friends as she entered labor.

During a 2014 presentation given to the Colonel pics at the age of 65 and he took home gold, silver and bronze medals for running and swimming. He eventually qualified for the National Senior Olympics.

“I had so many GIs - some in uniform - come up to me and greet me out on a highway, throw their arm around me and say thank you. I say ‘Not me, pal, thank you!’ That is what it is all about,” said Placente in an interview with The Toms River Times in 2021.

Richard Somers Chapter, New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Kean University professor Dr. Brian Regal provided more of the details associated with the legend.

“It was a difficult birth, and she screamed out, ‘Let this one be the devil,’” said Regal. “Rather than a normal baby coming out, a kind of horselike thing with wings came out. It yelps at the astonished family, flies up the chimney, and disappears off into the Pine Barrens.”

“It then spends the next several centuries accosting anyone unfortunate enough to encounter it,” Regal continued.

A visit to Leeds Point confirms that a Leeds family were prominent members of the local area. However, the road leading to their home is now private property. Others have reported that the Leeds house itself burned to the ground in 1952, and only its foundation still exists.

The chief said that Placente was born in 1933 – the year that the police department was started. Because of how active he is in the community, he was able to identify some officers in historic photos. The station recently redesigned some areas in the front of the police station to make them into a museum celebrating the history of the department. Displays show different eras of the department through the years. Screens cycle through old photos.

Kenneth Sooy, Sr., who has worked as Galloway’s Town Historian, said his wife is a Leeds, which further prompted his interest in the story of the Jersey Devil. He opined that a child born with deformities may have started the captivating legend.

“The child maybe occasionally got loose and ran through the yards,” said Sooy. “There was no television and no radio. People would just be sitting in the yard at dusk because it would be a hot night…Something goes scurrying through the brush; they might think it’s anything.”

Sooy said he believed the folk tale was actually attributed to Japhet and Deborah Leeds, but only because they had twelve children. However, the dates don’t work out according to Sooy. The couple were also highly regarded in the community, involved in the church, and not participating in witchcraft.

A Historical Perspective

Regal suggested that the legend of Mother Leeds giving birth to the Jersey Devil may have little to (Jersey Devil - See Page 14)

Installations show uniforms, weapons, gear, and more artifacts.

The public got its first look at the improvements following a walk-out ceremony for retired officers recently. On an officer’s last shift before retiring, many other officers will walk out with them. Some didn’t get a chance to have that ceremony, so they were invited back to have one long walk-out together, which served as a kind of parade.