Charley Humes Succumbs After Valiant Battle

CHARLES L. HUMES . . . An institution and a legend. Charley Humes Succumbs After Valiant Battle Courier Columnist Fails to Recover From Operation By JAMES M. O'NEILL The great big guy with the great big heart isn't with us anymore. Charley Humes died Friday night at Hahnemann hospital in Philadelphia. And the "little people" of North Camden and all points north, east and south, whose names and little stories had paraded through the intimate lines of Charley's widely read Life Hereabouts, have lost their sturdiest champion. Death, which had hovered over Charley since he underwent a major operation last week, came at 7.20 p. m. Family at Bedside At his side were his wife, Nina C. Humes; their daughter, Mrs. (Continued on Page 2—Column 3) Charley Humes Succumbs After Valiant Battle (Continued from Page One) Shirley Running, and Howard Covington, Mrs. Humes' brother. Mrs. Running's husband, Russell, a World War II veteran and a Naval reservist, is enroute to Korea. But while only the members of his immediate family watched him lose a valiant fight against an inevitable death, many thousands were at his bedside—spiritually. Scores of buddies had volunteered to give him their blood to aid him in his fight; so, too, had scores of other "friends" who knew him only through his written word. And hundreds of others kept a daily barrage of telephone calls into the hospital and into the newsroom of the Courier-Post, where the legend that was Charlie Humes really began. Was 46 Years Old His death laid a pall of sorrow over South Jersey. First word of his untimely demise—he was only 46—was received in Camden at a dinner attended by many of his best friends . . . and spread like wildfire to all ends of the state. His closest friend and adviser—Frank H. Ryan, editor of the Courier-Post — received the saddening word. He had gone to the hospital at 5.30 p. m. upon receiving word that Charley had taken a turn for the worse. Even then Charley was conscious and making a brave fight of it. Ryan told Mrs. Humes he would return at 8 p. m., and he came back to Camden to attend the dinner being given to the Mooseheart and Camden Catholic high school football teams at Kenney's Restaurant. 'Charles Has Gone' The dinner had just ended and Coach Tom Kenney was telling Ryan his Camden Catholic gridsters would win today's game, for Charley, when the telephone call from Mrs. Humes was announced. "You won't have to come back," Mrs. Humes sobbed. "Charles has gone." " I have lost one of my closest and most loyal friends," Ryan told the saddened assemblage. Mrs. Humes later revealed that Charley would be buried Wednesday after a requiem high Mass at St. Joan of Arc Church, Fairview, at 9 a. m. Interment will be private. There will be a viewing Tuesday evening at the Charles Murray funeral parlor, 408 Cooper street. How to write a last testament for a friend who was as much of an institution within his profession as he was to the community in which he lived? Perhaps the best summation came from Nelson F. Stamler, of Elizabeth, the deputy attorney general who first met Charley Humes during the Camden county grand jury investigation in 1947 . . . "He was a big man with a big heart," said the state's ace crime prober, with an unashamed catch in his throat. "He was one of the greatest newspapermen I have ever known, and had more friends than anyone I have ever met. "What can I do?" Charley Humes came to the Courier-Post family 20 years ago, and during the intervening span of years became known as one of the profession's greatest "crime reporters" of all time. Competed With the Best He competed with, and more than held his own, against some of the best-known names in the newspaper world on the many unusual crime stories which fell to New Jersey's lot. He scored several sensational "beats" during the investigation of the Lindbergh baby kidnaping murder, earning the respect and friendship of such veteran crime reporters as the late Tom Cassidy of New York, and such famous "cops" as the late Burlington county detective chief Ellis H. Parker. He saw Richard Bruno Hauptmann die in the electric chair at Trenton in expiation of that crime. He investigated the murder of Bradway Brown in Riverton, first developing the holdup theory which unlocked the mystery surrounding that tragedy. He spent many months chasing fruitless clues down the labyrinth of trails following the Atlantic City murder of Mike Duffy, then South Jersey's racket overlord. He covered many investigations and murder trials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and was working on the investigation of the murder of Lorraine Hess in Millville when he was stricken ill. Had Many Facets During the interim he had been writing a daily column, "What Do You Think", but relinquished that to devote full time to reporting crime, courts and political activities, writing editorials and handicapping horses. Several years ago he again returned to the columnists' fold by writing a daily column. The title, "Life Hereabouts," was adopted by Charley with the express permission of Harry T. Saylor, nationally known newspaper editor who made that title a byword in South Jersey when he wrote it in the old Evening Courier. A North Camden boy, Charles L. Humes was the son of the late Police Inspector and Mrs. Charles T. Humes. Except for few years' residence in Pennsauken, he lived in this city all of his life, moving to Fairview several years ago. He resided at 2924 Constitution road, Fairview, at the time of his death. The name Humes was well known in Camden before Charley turned to the newspaper profession. The family was large and extremely popular. Charlie is survived by five aunts—Mrs. Bertha Burns, Miss Avalon Humes, Mrs. Ivy Humes, Mrs. Mae James and Mrs. Hattie Krouse—an uncle, John Humes, and numerous cousins. His father was an old-time two-fisted fighter both as an officer of the law and with the old Republican organization. "Cap" Humes also was a friend of the newspapermen, and indeed, it was his friendship with Ryan that drew Charley Humes into the newspaper profession. Charley, too, loved politics and often claimed and proved, he held the "balance of power" in the First Ward when he resided there. Well-known in Sports Before coming to the Courier-Post, Charley Humes was well known in the sporting world. He was a graduate of the Camden Commercial College, and played first base on Commercial's nine as well as for other teams. He developed and managed several championship baseball and basketball teams. He liked to boast of his young players, such as Eddie Brandt, Charley Sheets, Ed Lobley, Udge Quicksall, Ott Laxton, Toots Benedict, Joe Sheehan and Ham Hamilton, to mention only a few. He regarded Sheets as one of the best all-around athletes ever developed in Camden. In fact, Charley was quite a ball player, and loved to recount the episode of a home run he hit in the old ballpark at Third and Erie streets. When the ball sailed out of the park, his father jumped up and down so excitedly that his section of the temporary stands collapsed. He was active in many sports organizations, and was president of the Aaron Twilight League back in 1940. Charley also became a fight manager and handled a number of boxers, including Roxie Allen during the latter's nationwide fame as a clever lightweight. Reds Haines and Joe "Kid" Fisher. Nose for News After leaving school, Charley worked as a ticket-taker at the Market street ferryhouse for several years, and during that period the "nose for news" that is the mark of every great newspaperman began to show. Charley began calling the old Courier with many news "tips." He also was employed in the office of the late County Treasurer J. Wesley Sell before coming to the Courier-Post. The Courier-Post is the only newspaper he ever worked for. As the years passed, his quick wit and alertness not only won him fame but his unlimited love for children and his kindness to all who needed a lift endeared him to thousands. Of all children he knew, he loved his daughter most and bragged best about his grandchild, Charles Lawrence Running. Back in 1938, his friends of the First ward gave him a dinner that drew more than 200 persons who could call him one of their best friends. And last October, his friends arranged another testimonial dinner for him, and more than 500 persons in all walks of life—from congressmen to truck drivers—heaped accolades upon "our Charley." Charley had the committee which arranged the dinner turn over all proceeds to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital equipment fund. Through all of his activities, he was loyal to his paper and his friends, never letting them down. "The newspaper always came first with Charley," Frank Ryan wrote as an epitaph.