When Steve Buscemi's Grandfather Sent A Suicide Note From The Milton Island

Actor Steve Buscemi stands on the Milton Island, the spot where researchers speculate his grandfather may have stood to toss a bottle containing a suicide note, into the river.

In 2011, Buscemi stopped at Lisa's Milltown Deli, along with an NBC Crew. According to an interview Lisa Showers, owner of the deli, gave to the local paper, "“They had lunch here and they interviewed (Buscemi) for the series,” she said. “It was very exciting. He was very nice. He was very polite.”

Among genealogists, it is known as one of the worst episodes of Who Do You Think You Are ever to be filmed, due largely to haphazard research, wild guesses and assumptions. The episode aired Friday March 25th, 2011.

The ancestor the show traced to Milton was  Ralph Boyle Montgomery.  He was found in the 1860 census as a grocer.    Earlier he was listed in the tax records of Milton, as a dentist.

 

Name: R B Montgomery

Age: 26   Birth Year: abt 1834

Gender: Male     Birth Place: Pennsylvania

Home in 1860: Milton, Northumberland, Pennsylvania

Post Office: Milton   Dwelling Number: 1385

Family Number: 1381

Occupation: Grocer

Personal Estate Value: 175

Household Members Age

R B Montgomery 26

Margaret Montgomery 23

Harry Montgomery 1

Ralph Montgomery 1/12

Mary Moser 

William Imbody 12

Here's a short recap of the Milton scene from the show, from a professional genealogist, who was not impressed with how the research was presented:

"Buscemi found a short item on November 28 titled "Supposed Suicide" that discussed the discovery of what appeared to be a suicide note signed by Montgomery, found in a bottle in or near the Susquehanna River.  Because Montgomery was known to have lived after this date, the assumption was made that he threw the bottle in and then changed his mind about jumping, and that he suffered from depression.  I'm sorry, but knowing that Montgomery had another family later, my first thought was that he had left the suicide note as a ruse and then had deserted his family in Pennsylvania.  Either idea is a hypothesis that needs to be tested, however, not a proven fact."

Pennsylvania Daily Telegraph Nov 28th 1860 Page 3

Note - Safe Harbor is near Lancaster Pa, approximately 2 hours south of Milton.

"Buscemi went out to the Susquehanna [specifically, Milton Sate Park], theoretically in the area where the suicide note was found [This is incorrect, it was theoretically the area where the bottle was thrown.  It was found down river, near Lancaster] , and mused about how Montgomery must have suffered from depression and felt so badly about how his life was going that he contemplated suicide.  I think this is assuming a lot based on just a tiny bit of information. "  

 "McWilliams met Buscemi by the river and delivered copies of some court records he had found.  The first page detailed an 1857 "grand inquest" (maybe the same as a grand jury?) against Montgomery and another man in the matter of the beating of a third man.  A second document showed that the case was dropped in 1859. "

I was not able to find any record of the fight in local newspapers.  The victim was Samuel Rhule, and the other man named was John McMuthrie [Spelling unclear, see docket record below].  A Samuel Rhule appears in the listing of those who won awards at the Northumberland County Fair in 1856.

November 27th 1859, two years later, the suit was dropped.  In the show, Buscemi states "although the suit was dropped, the damage was done" -making the assumption that Montgomery was no longer a dentist due to these charges.  

 From these ensued a discussion of how this case would have had a negative impact on Montgomery's dentistry practice and could have been a contributing factor to his becoming a grocer.  As these documents were used to bolster the argument that Montgomery was suffering from depression, it would have made more sense to reveal them before Buscemi's musings.  Maybe it was just poor film editing."

http://www.ancestraldiscoveries.com/2011/03/who-do-you-think-you-are-steve-buscemi.html

Montgomery was again listed as a dentist in 1878 in Camden NJ, where he lived with his second wife, Julia.   Margaret, Ralph's first wife, had no idea what had happened to him, and presumed him to be dead, in 1890.  He was, in fact deceased by then, having died of tuberculosis in 1878.  But Margaret appears to have been unaware that he had moved to New Jersey and had a second family there.  Also in the 1890 Veterans Census, Julia, Ralphs Second wife, is listed - but she is listed as the widow of Charles Brandenburg, her second husband.  

It's interesting to note that the Milton Island was at one time called "Montgomery's Island Park".  After Riverside Amusement Park closed in Milton, Milton but great effort into building a new park, to continue to bring people to the area.  The land they intended for the park was owned by Mr & Mrs Bryson Montgomery, who offered the borough a very generous rental agreement. The borough would pay a nominal rental fee for up to ten years, but once they made any improvements to the grounds, the 20 acre (the entire island is 82 acres)  would then become the property of the borough.  In exchange, the island would be known as Montgomery Park.    Read more about the island here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/montgomerys-island-park-today-milton.html  I do not know if Ralph was related to the Montgomerys who owned the land on the island.

In the show they mention that Ralph is gone from the tax records in Milton by 1861.  His military records show that he had enlisted in the Union Army in November of 1861, at Philadelphia.

In 1890, Margaret Montgomery was living in the Home For The Friendless, in Williamsport Pa. She was listed as the widow of Ralph Boyle Montgomery, who served in the 91st Penna.  A note on the veterans schedule states that she has no idea what has happened to her husband, but she presumes him to be dead.

Buscemi has appeared in  many movies & tv shows including: Lonesome Dove, Pulp Fiction, Spy Kids, ER, The Sopranos, & 30 Rock.  He won a golden globe for his role in Boardwalk Empire.

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A Death Certificate for John Montgomery, born May 26th 1860, lists his parents as Ralph Montgomery and Margaret Stolden 

A Biography of Ralph Boyle Montgomery, of Camden Pa, makes no mention of his first wife Margaret, whom he deserted.

RALPH BOYLE MONTGOMERY was born in Milton, Pennsylvania around 1834 to John and Jane Montgomery. Married to Julia Vanderhoof, he was the father of five children, George, Jane, Mary, Lillian, and Ralph Bradford Montgomery.  [The Philadelphia Inquirer Dec 2 1880 mentions Ralph Jr - "A lad, fourteen years of age, named Ralph Montgomery, was yesterday held by the mayor of Camden on a charge of robbery. His mother informed the mayor that her son had got beyond her control. He has been arrested several times for larceny. The lad was held to await the action of the courts."]

A veteran of the Civil War, Ralph Boyle Montgomery enlisted in Company F, 91st Pennsylvania Volunteers. He fought in the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He also served during the Gettysburg Campaign as part of the 20th Cavalry, Pennsylvania Emergency Militia.

Ralph B. Montgomery was living in Philadelphia in 1867 when his son Ralph Bradford Montgomery was born. He later moved across the river to Camden, New Jersey.

The 1878-1879 Camden City Directory indicates that Ralph B. Montgomery practiced dentistry in Camden. He lived at 207 Arch Street. His wife also worked as a dressmaker. 

Ralph Boyle Montgomery passed away on July 14, 1878 at the age of 44, a victim of tuberculosis. He was buried in Camden. 

Ralph Boyle Montgomery is the great-great-grandfather of actor Steve Buscemi.

http://www.dvrbs.com/people/CamdenPeople-RalphBMontgomery.htm

After Ralphs death, Julia Vander Hoof married Charles Brandenburg.

Ralph Boyle Montgomery's Military Service:

• He enlisted and was mustered into service on 6 November 1861  He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Lieutenant Parsons . He was mustered into service as a private, in company F 
• He was promoted to corporal on 19 January 1862 
• He was reduced to the ranks on 13 May 1862 .
• He deserted on 11 June 1862, from Alexandria, Virginia. He returned to duty on 22 August 1862 
• On 16 May 1863, General Tyler sent him (with Charles Thomson) to Appnia Creek to guard his private Baggage . He had not returned to the regiment on 8 September 1863, and was reported as "loafing around town" 
• He deserted again on 2 September 1863 from Alexandria, Virginia (1, 4, 6).
• According to the regimental records, he was at Camp Convalescent, Alexandria, Virginia, on 8 September 1863, when Lieutenant Colonel Sinex asked for his return 
• He was dropped as a deserter on 12 March 1864. He was a private, in company F