Charles
V.
Dickinson

CHARLES V. DICKINSON was born July 26, 1891 to Lewis and Anna Dickinson. A veteran of World War I, by 1925 he had attained the rank of Major in the New Jersey National Guard, serving with the Headquarters Company of Second Battalion, 112th Field Artillery Regiment, which was stationed in the armory on Wright Avenue. 

The 1920 Census shows the family living at 570 Mount Vernon Street in South Camden. Besides Charles and his parents, the family included a brother, Mauroce Dickinson and sisters Lillian, Edna May, and Charlotte. Also residing at 570 Mount Vernon Street was brother-in-law Chester J. Andrus, who would go onto a long career with the Camden Fire Department.  

Charles V. Dickinson married Lillian Hanson at the age of 22. When the census was taken in April of 1930, Charles V. Dickinson, wife Lillian and daughter Charlotte were living with his parents at 570 Mount Vernon Street in Camden. Also living there was his sister Edna, her husband Chester J. Andrus, and Chester Jr., their son. Charles V. Dickinson was still with the National Guard at that point and was working as a foreman with the State Highway Department. He was named Public Safety Director for the City of Camden not long afterwards. This position took on added responsibilities as Chief of Police Lewis Stehr Jr. suffered a heart attack at the end of April and another on Thanksgiving. Chief Stehr died on December 10, 1930.

Charles V. Dickinson served as the acting chief of the Camden Police Department, succeeding Chief Lewis Stehr Jr., as it was decided that a permanent chief would not be named until after the May 1931 election to decided Camden's mayor and city commissioners. He was succeeded in turn by Acting Chief John Golden. Charles V. Dickinson was still serving in a law enforcement role in Camden as late as October of 1932. He later moved to Palmyra, New Jersey where he served as Mayor for a time. He was later elected to the Burlington County Board of Freeholders.

When the New Jersey National Guard was mobilized in 1940, Charles V. Dickinson was recalled to active duty. He was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he served as inspector general. He had been promoted to full Colonel by war's end.

Charles V. Dickinson was Director of the Burlington County Board of freeholders when he died in October of 1957. He was survived by his wife, daughter Mrs. Charlotte Snow, brother Maurice E., sister Mrs. Edna  Andrus, and three grandchildren.

Camden Evening Courier - December 3, 1930

Ralph Bakley - Charles V. Dickinson - George Frost
Charles T. Humes - Lewis H. Stehr - George Ward - Walter Welch  
Charles Laib - Clarence Thorn

Camden Evening Courier - December 5, 1930

Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Charles T. Humes
Mahlon Allenbach

Camden Evening Courier - December 6, 1930

Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Theodore Guthrie
James Paradise - Clarence Bunker - Howard Smith - Clarence Arthur
Henry Lutz - Clarence Thorn - John Kowal - Lewis H. Stehr  

Camden Evening Courier - December 10, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Frank B. Hanna - Dr. H. S. Riddle - Lewis H. Stehr Sr.
Chestnut Street - Cooper Hospital

Camden Morning Post
December 11, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr  - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Frank B. Hanna - Dr. H. S. Riddle -  Clay W. Reesman
Clifford A. Baldwin - Winfield S. Price - Arthur Colsey
Chestnut Street - Cooper Hospital
Sixth Ward Republican Club

Camden Evening Courier
December 11, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr  - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Arthur Colsey - George A. Ward - John Kowal  - Donald Swissler
Clarence Phifer - Archie Reiss - John Skolski - Herbert Anderson
Thomas Cheeseman - Harry Kyler -  George Nowrey - Frank Truax
Ralph Bakley -  Clay W. Reesman - Clifford A. Baldwin
Winfield S. Price - Clifford A. Flennard
Camden Local No. 35, P.B.A. - Cooper Hospital
  B.C. Schroeder - Broadway - Royden Street

Camden Morning Post * December 12, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr  - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Arthur Colsey - George A. Ward - John Kowal  - Donald Swissler
Clarence Phifer - Archie Reiss - John Skolski - Herbert Anderson
Thomas Cheeseman - Harry Kyler -  George Nowrey
Frank Truax - Ralph Bakley   - John J. Breslin 
Cooper Hospital - Rev. Edward T. Weeks
Union Methodist Episcopal Church
  B.C. Schroeder - Broadway - Royden Street
Sixth Ward Republican Club

Camden Morning - December 12, 1930

Camden
Morning Post
December 13, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr  - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Clarence Thorn - Rev. Edward T. Weeks - B.C. Schroeder
Union Methodist Episcopal Church - Cooper Hospital
  Broadway - Royden Street - Kaighn Avenue - Haddon Avenue

Camden Courier-Post * December 13, 1930

Camden Morning Post
December 13, 1930
Click on Image to Enlarge

Camden Evening Courier - December 13, 1930

Lawrence T. Doran - Charles V. Dickinson - Clifford A. Baldwin - Walter Mattison
Howard Smith - George A. Ward - Jeff Kay - Alfred Shires - Harry Kyler
Archie Riess - Walter Smith - Harry Cattell - Earl Rider - Charles F. Smith
Charles H. Smith - John Toal - John Taylor - Frank Carle - Oscar Thompson
Highland Worsted Mills - North Camden - State Street 
Moore Street - Chestnut Street

Camden Courier-Post
April 10, 1931

Reino A. Thompson
Linden Street
Clifford A. Baldwin
Fern Street
Kimber Street
Todd Rooney
William Moll
Clifford Carr
Anson Kelley
John Golden
Charles V. Dickinson
Melvin Cain
Francis Zoll
Herbert Townsend

George Ward
Roy R. Stewart
Charles V. Dickinson
Market Street
John V. Wilkie

Camden Courier-Post - October 21, 1931

WILKIE THREATENED BY EIGHT MEN IN AUTO

Search for a maroon-colored touring car believed by John V. Wilkie, Camden's
notebook cop," to contain eight beer runners was made yesterday after Wilkie had
been threatened by an occupant of the automobile while in his traffic booth at Baird
and Wilson boulevards.

The car containing the eight men, three in the front and five in the rear, was 
proceeding northwest on Admiral Wilson boulevard when one of the occupants 
uttered the threat against Wilkie. 

"Come on out and fight; you ____” the stranger shouted. Wilkie said he placed
the light at amber and sought to learn the license number of the automobile. The 
plates however, were indistinguishable, he said, or had been either smeared or 
turned around to be unrecognizable.

Wilkie said he reported to police headquarters and that Major Charles V. Dickinson, deputy director of public safety, and Motorcycle Police Sergeant Jeff Kay and Policeman Nathan Wine searched and waited for hours for the return of the mysterious car without avail.

Camden Courier-Post - October 31, 1931

G.O.P. IS CHARGED WITH ‘CROOKEDNESS’
Baird Supporters Resorting to Contemptible Tactics, Miss Kelly Says

"Realizing the utter futility of their efforts to elect David Baird to the governorship, the Republican party in Camden County is resorting to every contemptible means at its com­mand to intimidate the voters."

This declaration was made last night by Miss Marie V. Kelly, former jury commissioner, at a meeting of 200 voters in the Fourth Ward Democratic Club, 455 Berkley Street.

"At a meeting of election officers," Miss Kelly said, "William E. A. King, a member of the county board of elections sworn to preserve the sanctity of the ballot box, told these officers that the Republican party has promised Baird a 50,000 majority in Camden County and that they were to get the votes no matter how they got them and that they would be protected. He told them if the Democrats interfered that the Republican police would take care of the Democrats.

"Today Major Dickinson, deputy director of public safety, raised a false howl of gunmen to come here to make a rough house of the city. We know that this is weak propaganda to cover what the Republicans intend to do.”

Points to Murder

"Mr. Dickinson has evidently forgotten the murder committed at Third and Benson Streets on the eve of the city election in May by gunmen imported by the Republican workers to intimidate the voters of that ward- gunmen who remain uncaught and unpunished to this day.

“The most flagrant act on the part of the Republican Party is the removal of the polling place yesterday from the fourth district of the fourth ward from the E. A. Stevens School on Fourth Street to a private residence on Berkley Street. The polling place has been in the school for a number of years and no complaints had been made by Democratic members of the elections board. This change has been made without a meeting of the county elections board.'

"Frank Albright, city clerk, took it upon himself to make the change, basing his action on the statement the school was totally unfit for the board to sit in for a day to conduct the business of election.”

'Refreshment' cited

"However, school children are forced to use this building every day of the school year. The residence to which the polling place has been transferred was reconditioned so that it could be used. The real reason for this change was that it will be much easier to dispense liquid refreshment in a private home than in a public school.

"It is a. fine state of affairs when the people are called on to build a $10,000,000 city hall within six blocks of a school where children are forced to occupy a school which the city clerk says is in a horrible condition and totally unfit for use.

"I urge the people in the third and fourth wards of Camden to rise in revolt against the Republican organization that is trying by every means to prevent an honest exercise of the franchise at the polls on Tuesday. The protest must be registered by marking every blank on the ballot under the Democratic column".

Camden Courier-Post
June 1, 1932

Arthur "Gyp" Del Duca
Richard Powers
David Hickman
Austin Swackhammer
Anthony Fields
Clifford A. Baldwin
Charles V. Dickinson
George W. Frost
Fairview Street
John Kowal

Camden Courier-Post - June 4, 1932

Philip Attardi
Vernon Jones - Thomas Cheeseman
Charles V. Dickinson - Broadway - Line Street

Camden Courier-Post * June 6, 1932

Camden Courier-Post * June 8, 1932

Camden Courier-Post * June 17, 1932

Camden Courier-Post - February 2, 1933

Suspended Jail Sentence is Given Operator
 Where 17 Were Taken in Raid

Pleading non vult to charge of operating a "numbers" headquarters raided by the police last July, Dominic Olivette, 28, of 444 Royden street, was fined $100 and given a suspended sentence of six months in criminal court yesterday.

Olivette was arrested by a detail of police led by former Director of Public Safety Charles V. Dickinson and Lieutenant George Frost when they captured 17 men in the Royden street house.

In police court the day following the raid Olivette was fined $100 by Judge Garfield Pancoast on charges of violating Section 422 of the city ordinances prohibiting disorderly persons from congregating in a building.

Olivette paid the fine and was later indicted by the grand jury following an investigation by Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin. Judge Shay, in imposing the fine, refused Olivette's plea that he be allowed to pay the sum on installments.

One other man charged with "numbers' writing was fined $100 with the privilege of paying at a $2 weekly rate. He is Herbert Lantry, 35, of 519 Ray street, arrested by Lieutenant Herbert Anderson November 26. He was held for the grand jury by Judge Pancoast when arraigned in police court.

Camden Courier-Post - August 15, 1945

PUBLIC FILLS CITY CHURCHES FOR V PRAYERS
Victory Services to Be Held at Roosevelt Plaza This Afternoon
MANY FIRMS CLOSED TODAY, TOMORROW

Sharing the joy of a world again at peace, Camden awoke today after a night of jubilant celebration that a war of three years, eight months and seven days was ended.

In sober response to the magnitude of Victory Day thousands early today wended their way to churches to offer prayers of thanksgiving as the dawn of a new era broke over the land.

Mayor Brunner announced the city's planned celebration of Victory Day will be held today at 2.30 p. in. at Roosevelt plaza, and urged that citizens gather their to share in prayers and inspirational ceremonies.

Many Places Closed

All banks, federal, state, county and municipal offices were closed today.

No mail deliveries are scheduled and postal authorities here awaited orders from Washington on the question of resuming service tomorrow.

War industries abandoned work in compliance with President Truman's proclamation of a two-day holiday for all personnel except those required for maintenance and other essential jobs.

Many stores are also closed for the entire day

New York Shipyard officials announced the yard and offices will be closed today and tomorrow, and will reopen Friday morning at the usual time. Payday has been se for Friday, a spokesman said.

Radio Condenser Company will be closed today and will resume work at the regular hour tomorrow, a spokesman for that firm announced.

John Trumpy & Sons shipyard at· Gloucester will abandon work schedules today and tomorrow.

Big Plants on Holiday

RCA Victor Division of the Radio Corporation of America announced all offices and plants were closed today and will be closed tomorrow.

The Campbell Soup Company is closing its plants today and tomorrow. The company issued this statement:

'In order, to safeguard any loss of food, however, and to cooperate fully with farmers who grow tomatoes, the company announced arrangements have been made to receive any tomatoes delivered on the two days during the regular delivery hours.

"It is expected that the farmers will want to enjoy the celebration of Victory and will probably defer, as far as possible, the picking and delivery of the crop until Friday, when the, plants will reopen."

Saloons Closed Half Day

By decree of Governor Edge, taprooms and package stores were ordered to close at eight o'clock last night and remain closed until noon. ABC Commissioner Driscoll issued a statewide proclamation following the governor's declaration.

Last night's celebration broke spontaneously shortly after 7 o’c1ock, following announcement by the President that Japan had accepted the Potsdam declaration.

An anxious citizenry had waited since Friday morning, when first word of the. Jap surrender offer was announced. On Sunday there were false reports that Japan had capitulated and again yesterday conflicting announcements kept the public confused.

Tears of Joy and Sorrow

Already strained nerves broke with the world stirring news and not since Armistice Day closing War I was such wild celebration observed.

Amid tears and shouts of joy, men and women hugged each other and many wept. To thousands it meant their loved ones soon would be home. To many others it re opened wounds of memory and sorrow for the sons and husbands who would not be returning, ever.

Every locomotive whistle on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines began blasting at once shortly after 7 p. m. This was followed by every factory whistle being tied down. Then followed shrieks of the air raid warden signals over the city fire houses

Signal for Jubilation

That was the call for real jubilation. Thousands poured into the streets within a few minutes. Hundreds of shouting children, waving flags and blowing horns, ran through the streets.

It seemed as though Broadway was the mecca for the shouting throngs. All the people seemed to surge to City Hall. Every motorist, bus and truck driver was blowing the horn of his vehicle. Thousands milled on the sidewalks, cheering, laughing, blowing horns.

Thousands more went into the churches to thank Almighty God for the greatest victory of all time. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed in the Catholic churches by the direction of Bishop Eustace. Prayers were offered for the repose of the heroic dead, who made the supreme sacrifice that the Allies should triumph over the Nazis and Japanese warlords

Church Bells Toll

The chimes of old St. Mary's church, Gloucester, and First Methodist in Camden tolled. They played sacred and patriotic selections. Special thanksgiving services were held in the First and the Parkside Methodist churches.

Although Camden streets were packed with noisy, boisterous throngs, Police Chief Frost reported no disorder after several tours of the city. He ordered all taprooms closed at 8 p. m. At the same hour Philadelphia clamped the lid down on the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Frost opened temporary head quarters in the City Hall basement. Every patrolman was called to duty. Auxiliary police organized during the early days of civilian defense augmented the local force. Thirty Military. Police reported for duty to Frost. The Shore Patrol also sent 26 men from Eleventh and Winter streets police station, Philadelphia, to help keep order among jubilant servicemen.

City Hall Lights Aglow

For the first time since war was declared in 1941 the lights on the City Hall beamed. When they went on with the lights all over the world a great cheer went up from the thousands milling on Broadway between the Camden bridge plaza and Mickle Street.

A huge cross was formed by lights in windows facing Roosevelt Plaza. Windows were lighted from the eleventh to the sixteenth floors. The cross bar was formed from three windows on the fourteenth floor.

All main roads leading into Camden were clogged, with traffic heading for the City Hall and Broadway. Admiral Wilson Boulevard, Haddon Avenue, Kaighn Avenue, Market and Federal Streets were jammed with buses, trucks and automobiles with gaily singing and cheering crowds. All but the buses were headed for the Broadway parade.

Mayor Brunner announced that today was a holiday for all city employees, while Freeholder J. McCarthy, speaking for the freeholders, announced it was a holiday for all county employees, excepting those engaged in essential services.

"This is the hour of victory for which we have waited with patient hearts for three years," said Mayor Brunner. "The sacrifice and tears are over for most of us. Let us celebrate the end of bloodshed, and remember with an undying, gratitude those who gave their lives,

"It is now up to us to resolve that these men have not died in vain. As we fought the war, so let us fight to establish an America of full employment, a city, state and nation of the Four Freedoms which our late President Franklin D. Roosevelt left us as an heritage to light the way on the path of freedom for all peoples.

"Let us go forward in the faith that undying principles for the right and just is the best character builder that any American can possess. If, we are as, patient in peace as we were in war, we shall have much to offer to those homecoming men who fought our battle on foreign shores."

Lt. Col. Charles V. Dickinson, who left Camden with the New Jersey National Guard in 1940 and served as inspector general at Fort Sill, said last night that the agreement of Japan to surrender was great news for the general public but sad for those who lost their sons or loved ones as their loss can never be made up. Colonel Dickinson, who was former deputy director of public safety, participated in exercises last night marking the presentation of medals to war heroes in the City Commission chamber.

Flags were waved from cars.

Hirohito was hanged in effigy from the front of automobiles.

Camden Courier-Post * June 17, 1932

Trenton Evening Times
October 4, 1957