Milton K. Stanley
MILTON K. STANLEY was the son of Arthur Stanley, who retired as a captain on the Camden Police Department in 1916. Arthur Stanley was a veteran of the Civil War who was appointed to the Camden Police Department in 1898, and was made Captain of the Second District.
Milton K. Stanley was born in Camden, New Jersey around 1872 to Arthur Stanley and his wife, the former Frances Irene Kirby. It appears that Frances Stanley passed away by the time of the 1880 Census. Arthur Stanley is listed at 929 Newton Avenue in Camden City Directories from 1874 through 1881, along with Milton, his sister Mrs. Louisa Vennell and her daughter Clara. Arthur Stanley and family moved in with James Stanley, Milton’s grandfather, at 428 Line Street by 1883, and stayed at that address through at least January of 1910.
Milton K. Stanley left home at the age of fourteen to join a circus, and was successful. He toured Europe and the United States, had a long career in vaudeville, ran a theater in Louisville, Kentucky and a theatrical booking agency in Newark, New Jersey. In 1909 he was offered a job with the Camden Police Department. In 1914 he joined the Camden County Prosecutor’s office as a detective. In 1926 he went to work as a detective for the U.S. Government as a Prohibition agent and as a narcotics investigator. He also organized the Police Carnival shows at the old armory at Haddon Avenue and Mickle Street, known in years after his death as Convention Hall.
Milton K. Stanley died on October 21, 1945. He had been ill for several months. He was survived by his wife Alice, sons Charles M. and Arthur, and a daughter, Frances. Milton K. Stanley’s last address was 45 North 35th Street.
Police Carnival Was a Gigantic Success
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Considered one of the most successful events ever given in Camden, the second annual industrial show and carnival of the Camden Police Beneficial Association came to a close in the Third Regiment Armory Saturday night with the “crowning of the queen.” Miss Margaret Rudolph, daughter of Chas. Rudolph, of Master street, was accorded that honor. It is estimated that during the week more than 50,000 persons visited the armory and participated in the festivities.
The committee that had charge of the affair included Milton Stanley, Captain Edward Hyde, Sergeant E. B. McClong, Frank Crawford, Peter Gondolf, William Lyons, Harry Miller, Arthur Colsey, Thomas Reed, William Potter, Tabor Quinn, Charles Whaland, George Anderson, Albert Shaw, Sergeant Horner and Thomas Cunningham.
Jail Entry Succeeds
Philadelphia Public Ledger —
An attempt to break into a Camden jail by John Carney, of 211 Benson street, proved more successful today than he expected. Recorder Stackhouse gave him four months, but in another jail.
Detective Stanley caught the man trying to take the keys of the Camden “pickery” from the watchman. The pickery is a place where prisoners are sent to sort paper.
Several of Carney’s friends were sent to the place a few days ago, the police say, and he is accused of trying to release them.
Philadelphia Inquirer — May 27, 1918
50 TAKEN IN VICE RAIDS
Camden Determined to Get Rid of “Undesirables”
A big haul in one of the biggest number of raids were made in several parts of South Camden during yesterday morning. In the dragnet the police and detectives caught old and young, white and blacks. Police officials stated that it was another move toward ridding Camden of undesirables. Just about the time Captain of Police Lewis Stehr and other officers failed the alleged disorderly house at Louis Jackson, a years old, 811 Kossuth Street, City Detective Stanley and officers raided the home of a colored woman, at 731 Baxter Street, Sergeant Snow and officers raid Etta Shorts on Joint Alley and Robert Fish-olds at 754 on 7th Street. City Detectives Moffett and Murray arrested Mary Peoples, the old, in a raid on her house at 219 Joint Alley. More than this men and women were arrested in the raids and ordered held as prisoners for their appearance before Recorder Stackhouse this morning.
Changes Ordered in Camden Police
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Following an extended conference, the police committee of Camden City Council yesterday directed Solicitor Bleakly to prepare an ordinance for a partial reorganization of the Police Department. The new ordinance will provide for one captain and three lieutenants to direct the work of the three districts. There are six captains in the department now. Two of these — John Golden, of the First district, and William E. Albert, of the Third district — will retire on December 15. The titles of three of the four remaining captains will be changed to lieutenants, with one in charge of each of the three districts.
Seven members of the department who have reached the age limit of 65 years will be retired on pension. They are: John Painter, Charles Fitzsimons, Thomas Brothers, Frank Matlack, Edwin Thomas, Richard Golden and William Lyons. No new appointments will be made as detectives, inasmuch as Milton Stanley and Howard Smith, now in the county service, will return to the city detective department when Prosecutor Wolverton goes out of office in March.
It was intimated yesterday that Captain James E. Tatem, now a headquarters man attached to the Mayor’s office, will be the sole captain under the reorganization plan. He will be transferred to Chief Hyde’s office and will have supervision of the three districts.
Note: This story erred in reporting, as retirement at age 65 was NOT mandatory at the time. William E. Albert, Richard Golden, Frank Matlack, and Edwin Thomas did retire. John Golden, John Painter, Charles Fitzsimmons, Thomas Brothers, and William Lyons continued to work in the Police Department. John Golden was eventually promoted to Chief of Police.
Revue Planned to Aid St. Wilfrid’s
Camden Courier-Post —
Rehearsals are being held for the 1938 Revue to be presented for the benefit of St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church, Westfield Avenue and Dudley Street, on February 24 and 25.
Milton K. Stanley, former county detective, is directing the play. Electrical effects and scenery are under the direction of Ellsworth Marcoe. The women of the church are preparing new wardrobes for the cast. Jimmy Lang and his band will provide music for the show.
300 at Guild Hall See ‘Review of 1938’
Camden Courier-Post —
Parishioners of St. Wilfrid’s Church Present Varied Features in Show
Three hundred greeted the initial production of the “Revue of 1938” last night in the Guild Hall of St. Wilfrid’s Church, Dudley Street and Westfield Avenue.
The program, which will be repeated tonight, opens with a minstrel show. The show includes vaudeville acts and a comedy presentation of an amateur hour radio broadcast, entitled “Major Shows His Amateur Hour.”
Robert Burgy is interlocutor of the minstrel show. The end men are Jimmie Jones, Bud Ashton, Joe Hamilton, old time minstrel man, and Milton K. Stanley, former county detective, who directed the show.
Frances Allen, Maurice Atger, Mrs. Irma Weller, Mrs. Alice Stanley, George Braunwarth, Jr., Jones, Frances Stanley and Doris Gray are soloists in the minstrel troupe. Miss Weller does a novelty dance and Miss Kray a monologue. Jimmy Lang and his orchestra provide music. Florence Geragussi’s Sophisticated High Steppers and Dorothy and Charles Ganter give song and dance specialties.
Marcus Matthias takes the role of Major Show. In the “broadcast,” Harry Riley, Charles Pelouze and Robert Shoemaker appear as Tennessee Hill Billies. Florence Donahue, Elizabeth Martin, June Daryman and Freda Nuss are sunshine girls. Other characters are George Wysocki, “Signor Tomato;” Atger, “Rollo Winesap;” Mary Riley, “Mrs. Winesap;” Braunwarth, “Epsom Salts;” Ellsworth Marcoe Jr., “Ferdinand Squidge;” Lillian Petit, “Mlle. Fefi Flitters;” Miss Weller, “Madame Coco;” Pelouze and Edward Mortimer, “Pluto, the Trained Mule,” and Babe Shoemaker, “life of the party.”
The above also appear in the general ensemble together with Doris Dodd, Dorothy Schmidt, Eleanor Dryer, Vern Burgy, Marie Dodd, Florence Feick, Robert Burgy, Theodore Tessier, Jerry Nicholson, David Lacy and Bud Ashton.
M. K. Stanley Dies; Ex-City Detective
Camden Courier-Post —
Milton K. Stanley, former city and county detective, circus acrobat and showman, died yesterday in Cooper hospital after several months illness.
Mr. Stanley, who was 73, had been in ill health since July 1. He was taken to the hospital Thursday. An autopsy will be performed today to ascertain cause of death. Surviving are his widow, Alice; two sons, Arthur, and Charles M., the latter with the Army, and a daughter, Frances. Arrangements for the funeral have not been completed. He lived at 45 North Thirty-fifth street.
Mr. Stanley was the son of the late Capt. Arthur Stanley, who was in command of the Second Police district for years. He started his career as a showman, first as a circus acrobat, and winding up as a theatre owner and promoter of medicine shows. Among his outstanding achievements after he left the road to become a Camden policeman were the carnivals staged in the Third Regiment armory for the Camden Police Beneficial Association.
Made Important Arrests
Retiring as a county detective in 1926, after making several important arrests in both the city and county service, he spent the remainder of his life as an investigator. Before taking up this work, he served for a time as a U. S. narcotic investigator and as a prohibition agent.
Mr. Stanley ran away from home at the age of 14 to join a circus. He said he got the urge to go into show business from attending Ma Drew’s Theatre on Arch Street, Philadelphia. She was the grandmother of John, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore. He said he and his boyhood pals would watch the acrobatic stunts at the theatre and then go to a Camden stable and practice them in a hay mound.
His first venture in show business was to join the Pawnee Bill Wild West show, which sailed in a few days for Europe. George W. Childs, who owned the old Public Ledger, backed the show. He met Harry Wieble two and one-half days out to sea. He was a schoolmate of Mr. Stanley’s and was doing a “rubber” act with the show. They teamed up.
After a 21 week tour of England and continental Europe, Mr. Stanley jumped into vaudeville. He took as partner Jim West, brother of Billy West, famous minstrel man. They returned to this country the following Christmas.
During his colorful career, in which he became a personal friend of Buffalo Bill, he leased the old Buckingham theatre in Louisville. He operated it for three years, putting many miles on it at the time, he said. Once he was injured in a Erie Railroad train wreck at Meadville, Pa., and was in a hospital 19 weeks.
While he conducted a theatrical booking agency at Newark his father wired him after 23 years of wandering to come home, which he did. But it was not long before he got the itch again for show business, as he put it, and formed a team with another Camden groomer, Milton Scott, who was a contortionist.
Offered Police Job
They were on the road at Altoona, Pa., when he got a telegram from Caleb Williams, then Fourth ward Republican leader, that he had arranged a job for him on the police force. The next Saturday night he became a patrolman. A short time later a policeman was killed and the Police Beneficial Association wanted to give the widow some money. Mr. Stanley suggested a show at the armory and they began the first carnival staged each Fall for several years, with the old showman as director.
He became a patrolman in 1909 and it was in 1914 when he was appointed a county detective. He was a county detective 12 years.