1860: Ward 1, Jacob Knoop age 28, grocer, $2,000 Hanover,
John age 25 grocer.
1862 Jacob John Knoop grocery, Furman and Montegue.
1863 Jacob and John Knoop grocery, Furman and Montegue.
1866 tax record, Imlay and Commerce, Knoop, Jacob, retail dealer in liquor.
1866 licence Knoop, Jacob, cor.
Commerce and Imlay Streets
1869, 1871 Knoop, Jacob, Liquor, Commerce and Imlay,
1870 BE liquor dealer list, MISCELLANEOUS Knoop, J. (Jacob), Imlay and Commercial
1870 directory Knoop, Jacob, Imlay c Commerce
1870 census; Knope, Jacob, 41 ret liquor dealer, Hanover,
Wilhemina Napier 41, keeping house,
Fred Napier 8
On a Board of Excise list for 1866: Jacop Knoop, cor, Commerce and Imlay
Jacob Knoop appears to have died of natural caused sometime between Christmas 1872 and February 1873
at his two story frame house at the south-east corner of Imlay and Commerce Streets. His body,
which had been eaten by his dog and/or rats, was discovered in an upstairs bedroom.
His neighbors had not seen him for a couple of months but assumed he had left as his house was
about to be sold at a sheriff's sale.
John Miller had recently bought the house and was planning on renting it to James Carhoonan (or Conaughan).
Carhoonan had tried and failed to contact Jacob Knoop. After a four or five day search for Knoop
Carhoonan and John Miller broke into the house.
Knoop had been the original owner of the house,
valued at about $5,000, but there was a mortgage on it for about $2,500
of which John Miller held about
$1,000.
A water pipe had burst in the cellar and it was filled with frozen water.
The dog was shot after the discovery. Jacob had a sister and brother who had a lager beer saloon on 3rd ave
in Manhattan.
Jacob Knoop was said to have been a "hard drinker" who lived alone above
his liquor store, his only companion the large Newfoundland dog.
The dingy bar room was said to have been littered with empty bottles on the floor and counters.
His business was said to have been sparse.
Knopp had lived in the house for about 6 years. He was a member of the Order of Red men, Goethe Lodge, No. 152, Sons of Hermann, a
Masonic lodge, American Sharpshooters, and the Dutch Order of Hamburg.
Claus Mahnken, who had a lager beer saloon at the corner of
William and Van Brunt, had recently endorsed a note of Knoop. See Mahnken.
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.; A Human Body Devoured by a Dog in a Deserted House.
Some two months ago a German named Jacob Knoop, residing at the corner of Commerce and Imley streets,
South Brooklyn, where he also kept a dingy little whisky-shop, suddenly disappeared, but being unmarried and
without any family connections hero, his absence occasioned no remark.NYTimes, Feb 6, 1873
Brooklyn Union February 6 1873 : Knoop's residence and liquor store
at Imlay and Commerce was described as a "shanty". After the discovery of the body
by John Miller (who had bought the place in a foreclosure sale)
crowds of men, women and children gathered in the snow in front of
the "two story frame building." The building was all dark and bordered up
but had the "outward appearance of a
place ones used as a low liquor store". There was a front room which
had been the liquore store and
a back room
entered through a narrow hall. Both rooms were in chaos,
with empty demijohn, cigar boxes, and papers scattered all around.
There was a stove in the back room in which the policemen had built a fire.
A narrow flight of stairs let to the second floor which contained a bed room
furnished with a bedstand, a cot, a stove, a chest (with wearing apparel) and
a trunk (filled with books and pamphlets) and some other furnishings.
A clock, with the hands stopped at 5 o'clock, was on the mantelpiece.
Knoop had apparently
been a member of the Masons as
a Masonic chart was hanging on the wall. There were other indications that
he had been a member of the "Order of American Sharpshooters" and
of the "Dutch Order of Hungary (The New York Times article says Hamburg which makes more sence.) ."Among the books were the Bible,
Byron's Poetical Works, A City Directory, and several books in German.
A sword and a lady's parasol were
found in the closet.
The report included a rather graphic
description of the eaten face and body.
Knoop was reported to have owned the property for about six year. It was said
he was very reserved and did not
associate with his neighbors.
James Mooney was a keeper of a grocery store "a few yards away"
made some comments: Knoop had been in his liquor shop for about 6 years,
he was about 50 years old, lived alone, spoke English, lived as a miser,
"broke up house" about six months before, did very little business,
the place had been closed up all summer, was
addicted to drink,
had a bartender for a short while.
See Mooney
Mr. Henry Clifford who lived on the opposite corner also make some comments:
Knopps' letters and papers were left at Clifford's, he was a very reserved man and
kept to himself
The next morning several hundren people wer congregated in front of
the "shanty" the next morning discussing the
"affair".
The stock of the store was said to have been worth about $75.
A police officer remarked to the reporter that he had known Knoop for about 5 years and that for about three years he had kept a
liquor store at the corner of Montague and Furman streets was was "then of middling circumstances".
Other said that of late Knoop had been a very "hard drinker".
The police noted that Knoop had been arrested for intoxication
on the 9th of August the previous year.
At that time a he had come to court carrying a "slung shot"*. He was
given ten days in jail for intoxication and carrying a concealed weapon.
He had a brother George Knoop who lived at 25th and
Third Ave in Manhattan
The dog was shot.
*a striking weapon consisting of a small mass of metal or
stone fixed on a flexible handle or strap (Webster)
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.; A Human Body Devoured by a Dog in a Deserted House.
Some two months ago a German named Jacob Knoop, residing at the corner of Commerce and Imley streets,
South Brooklyn, where he also kept a dingy little whisky-shop, suddenly disappeared, but being
unmarried and without any family connections hero, his absence occasioned no remark
February 06, 1873, Thursday - (Feb 6, 1873 NYT)
The building was described as a two story frame on the south east corner of Imlay and Commerce. The Times article also
contains a rather graphic description of the mangled and eaten body.
New York Herald: Feb 8, 1873,
Another ghastly description of the
room and the deceased.
It was determined by a grand jury that
Knoop had died on natural causes, the precise nature unknown sometime between October 1872 and
February 1873. His brother claimed the remains.
Death: Knoop Jacob 12 y Feb 7 1873 1106 Kings
What is amazing is that the dog barked for two months and no one investigated or complained.