Democracy and Class Struggle provides the inside story of US Presidential Elections in the 20th Century through the eyes of Welsh Mobster that fixed them.
Might be good reading if you are bored with Obama/Romney false dichotomy crap or should I say trap.
Written by Irvin Owen
– Owen was a prominent attorney in Shawnee –
One of the smartest and most successful gangsters who ever lived is buried with his wife half way between Tecumseh and Norman in an above ground cement crypt. It’s a few hundred yards south of Highway 9, 2 miles inside of the Cleveland County line. The name on the outside reads Brady – Humphrey – Brendle.
I learned of Murray, the Camel, of “Hump” Humphreys over 50 years ago and I’ve been in a position to learn more as time passed. It would be part of the folklore of this area and the actual facts make Alice in Wonderland look like a piker. Long time residents know part of the story, and those who enjoy gangster movies and read about organized crime will recognize some of the incidents related, or have personal knowledge of the geography involved.
I learned of Murray, the Camel, of “Hump” Humphreys over 50 years ago and I’ve been in a position to learn more as time passed. It would be part of the folklore of this area and the actual facts make Alice in Wonderland look like a piker. Long time residents know part of the story, and those who enjoy gangster movies and read about organized crime will recognize some of the incidents related, or have personal knowledge of the geography involved.
In September, 1937 I was almost broke but lacked one semester to finish Law School at Oklahoma University. My wife took a teaching job at Little Axe 15 miles east of Norman, Oklahoma. We lived in a small frame teacherage on the school premises, and I commuted to Law School.
The Little Axe School has since been moved a mile east on Highway 9 toward Tecumseh. Just 2 more miles east on the highway, there was a nice native stone home, a tree shaded lawn, well back from the road inside a chain link fence. This was the second home of Murray Humphreys and the school patrons discussed him, but always in hushed tones.
Later, in my Shawnee law office, different clients knew him and told of incidents. Carpenters who remodeled the original house told about hidden cupboards, and a plumber told of working at the home while armed men stood guard.
In 1985, a book, THE PRINCE OF CRIME was published. The author, John Morgan exhaustively reviewed the files of politicians and others who knew Murray Humphreys. In 1990 I had several lengthy interviews with Luella Brady, Humphrey’s only daughter. She talked fondly of her Dad and has boxes of pictures, films and clippings.
Luella was born in 1934, and at age 58 has to walk with an aluminum walker as the result of a stroke. She is poised and alert and apparently hasn’t soured.
On January 8, 1990 the Daily Oklahoman reported that a certain Norman Attorney was disbarred as a result of Mary losing over a million in pledged collateral to protect an interest in the Midway Downs.
The daughter is intelligent, and tells incredible stories without a trace of exaggeration. In careful cross-examination she was consistent and truthful.
The daughter showed me a 30-minute television documentary tape made by an English firm with exclusive rights in Wales. Richard Burton, the famous actor, was the principal stockholder. Hump Humphrey, born in this country of Welsh immigrant parents, was known in Wales as a result of gangster publicity.
The Hump grew up on the streets of Chicago, with little or no education. He sold papers, ran numbers and did jail time as a result of petty thefts.
The Hump grew up on the streets of Chicago, with little or no education. He sold papers, ran numbers and did jail time as a result of petty thefts.
In 1920 at age 20, young Humphreys was involved in a shooting and left Chicago. His brother had a music store in Oklahoma and concentrated in selling the old Victrola record players. The Hump took a portable model, with a hand crank, and killed time by demonstrating and selling the Victrola in the countryside.
At Brendle corners, 3 miles west of Pink and 2 miles inside Cleveland County on Highway 9, he met lovely Mary Brendle, half Irish and half Cherokee. After several sales calls, a romance flourished. They ran off to Dallas to get married. Soon after, the young couple set up house keeping in Chicago.
Young Humphreys was good looking, and a natty dresser, but could barely read or write. Mary, with 2 years at Oklahoma University, set out to teach him. With innate intelligence, and a good personality, the Hump was a willing student and soaked up knowledge like a sponge.
The Chicago newspapers and friend and foe alike referred to Humphreys as the “Hump”. He always carried $10,000 in cash at all times in order to make bond if arrested. Personal spending money was kept in a separate pocket.
Humphrey was a stand up guy, reared in Chicago Italian neighborhood. This led to a job as driver for Al Capone and thrust him within the inner circles of the mob as Capone rose to power.
Mary was a partner from the beginning and consistently taught him to keep a low profile and push others forward. His personality and negotiating gifts were considerable and he soon was a messenger and bag man for Capone.
The mob took over several large breweries in Chicago after prohibition. Soon there were hundreds of speakeasies in and around Chicago..
Murray was assigned the Labor Union rackets. With the help of Mary who had an amazing memory and total recall, the Hump built a labor organization, the fore runner of the Teamsters which ultimately reached a national scope.
Using Capone muscle, every Chicago occupation was organized into a Union. The Barber Shops raised prices and had uniform prices. If they held out, the shop would be bombed, and resistance subsided. Dry Cleaners were organized, and hold outs soon fell in line as concealed acid would be used to destroy entire loads of suits and dresses.
Public attention was focused on the beer during prohibition, but the labor racket under the Hump was equally profitable.
Mary taught the Hump it was better to use brains over brawn, but with judicious selection of the necessary pressure, putting others out in front, the Hump quietly became the Number 2 man in the Capone empire. The Chicago newspapers were aware of this but the wire services concentrated on Capone while the Hump maintained his low profile.
Capone rose to fame between 1921 at the start of prohibition, which lasted just beyond the St. Valentine Days massacre in 1929. In that year the Hump managed approximately 100 trade Unions, and about 25 Merchants Associations. His name was not on the roster of Officers anywhere. However, he was the negotiator who settled most of the disputes, and with an innate talent the Hump reached quick settlements. The employers always had to pay, but the workers got concessions, everyone saved face, and everyone survived.
Capones’ income reached 35 million a year. He was a heavy gambler, and lived the good life to the fullest.
The Hump was the bag man and fixer with the politicians and police, and soon handled delicate negotiations with Joseph Kennedy who was the Canadian distributor of several recognized brands of Scotch and English whiskey. The Hump met with him, and divided territory, and reached an understanding on their respective interest.
During the twenties, Chicago was the home of the motion picture producers. Carl Laemmic and Adolph Zukor had studios in Chicago. Stars such as Gloria Swanson, Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Tom Mix, and Edward Arnold lived in Chicago. The Unions organized the stage hands, projectionists and others, and the Hump had periodic sessions with the film makers which produced good revenue for Capone.
Finally, the movie makers moved to Hollywood under the pretext of having plenty of sunshine, but the move did lesson Union control, as will be explained later.
Mary and the Hump made frequent return visits to Oklahoma. Mother Brendle lived on the northeast corner, and Mary and the Hump remodeled and enlarged a home on the southwest corner.
When Highway 9 was hard surfaced years later, the road was moved about 200 feet north. At Brendle corners one has to get out of the car to glimpse the house through the trees. In 1937 it was on the highway. The book, PRINCE OF CRIME, talks of the house being among blackjack trees on red clay land, but it does not pinpoint the location.
During regular return visits to Oklahoma the Hump bought land around and south of the home, owning 6 or 7 full sections between 1922 and 1965. Different names were used to hold the title to the hunting preserve and cattle ranch. The Hump loved to hunt, and the land contained coyotes, deer and other game. At one point Humphreys bought cattle, and tried ranching. He bought his feed and supplies at Tecumseh, and was known there by the merchants. Mary Brendle, and later the daughter did business in Norman over many years.
The family was in and out of the Brendle area for 44 years while the Hump lived, and Mary Brendle was born and died at the home when 70 years of age.
In 1932 Capone went to prison for tax evasion. The following year Capone and the Hump were indicted together for murder and bombing. The Hump became a fugitive after being named Public Enemy Number 1 and with Mary retired to Mexico. It was 17 months later when a lawyer for the Hump reached a settlement on the criminal charges. Hump and Mary went to California where daughter Luella was born in 1934, and 2 weeks later Humphreys returned to Chicago and pled guilty to a reduced charge. Actual prison time was relatively brief.
