W. HOLT APGAR, Trenton, was born at Annandale, Hunterdon county, N. J., May 18, 1861, son of Henry F. Apgar and Hannah M. Apgar. The first Apgars in this country (two brothers) came from Germany about one hundred and fifty years ago. His mother was of German and Irish descent. He was graduated from the State Normal School at Trenton, and his law studies were conducted with Hon. John N. Voorhees, of Flemington, N. J., and with W. D. Holt, of Trenton. At the June term of the Supreme Court in 1884 he was admitted as an attorney, and as counselor at the February term in 1890.
Mr. Apgar held the office of assistant prosecutor of Mercer county from 1888 to 1894, and since 1891 has been and is now president of the Park Commission of Trenton. He has earned a leading position among the criminal lawyers of the State through his connection with many of the important trials of late years. He was connected with the Shann poisoning case; Koccis, Haddock, and Walwitz murder cases; Robinson vs. Hyde, a famous crim. con. case in Mercer county; McDermott vs. Barnum-Bailey show, for damages for death of a son of plaintiff by a blow stuck by an employee of the defendant. In every one of these cases, except the Shann murder case, the victory was on the side parties represented by Mr. Apgar. He did considerable newspaper work between 1882 and 1890, which included more or less service for the New York World and Times, the Philadelphia Press, and several New Jersey dailies. He was the successful nominee for State senator from Mercer county in 1892.
September 10, 1884, at Three Bridges, N. J., he was married to Rettie R. Higgins, daughter of Asher Higgins (deceased) and Anna C. Case Higgins, of Flemington, N. J.
Source: John Whitehead, The Judicial and Civil History of New Jersey (Boston: Boston History Co., 1897), Part II, p. 4.