Cerro Gordo County IA Archives Obituaries.....Hayden, Charles M. "Slip" 1939
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Kay Ehlers k.ehlers@earthlink.net July 9, 2005, 9:05 am

Globe-Globe Gazette Apr. 1939
Mason Cityan, Operator of Walkathons, Slain
HAYDEN KILLED IN CHICAGO BY MACHINE GUNS
Local Man Voiced Premonition of His Fate to Friends
   A premonition he had often expressed to friends here cam true for Charles M.
“Slip” Hayden, Mason City walkathon operator, when he was slain in Chicago at
about 6 o’clock Sunday morning as he walked from his business establishment at
the Park Casino ballroom to the Midwest Athletic club where he made his home.
   Hayden, who had sent his 8 year old daughter, Ann, to relatives in San Diego,
Cal., for fear she might be kidnaped [sic} by racketeers openly envious of his
successful business enterprise, was felled by three shots from machine guns
fired in his back by tow gunmen who had apparently been waiting for the local man.
	Lives for 30 Minutes
   Among the first to reach the dying man were a Chicago newspaper man and
Charles Caponi, associated with Hayden.  Caponi, who had been in the athletic
club at the time of the shooting, thought it was a backfire of a car, he told
friends here by telephone Sunday.  He looked outside, saw Hayden lying on the
street, and thought the walkathon operator had been slugged.  As he ran to him,
however, he saw the bullet holes and blood gushing from them.  Hayden gasped,
“Take me to a doctor.”  The gangster victim died in a hospital. 
	Victim Carried Gun
   Hayden recently began carrying a gun, but was unarmed when slain.  He emerged
from the casino at 5:45 a.m. with Ralph Olson, 2637 North Narragansett avenue,
and Miss Christine Jumes, 23, of 4713 North Keating avenue, cashier at the casino.
   As Hayden crossed the street to the Midwest Athletic club, where he lived
with his wife, Olga, two men stepped from the shadows and fired three bullets,
all of which struck Hayden, one passing through his abdomen.  The men fled in a
dark sedan. Olson and Miss Jumes drove Hayden to Garfield Park hospital.
   Police said Hayden supplied details a few minutes before he succumbed to the
bullet wounds.
  “I had left the ballroom after saying goodnight to the doorman,” Hayden told
them, “and was walking away when a green sedan pulled up at the curb.  It
contained two or three men.  One of them got out of the car and started walking
toward me, and then started shooting.  I don’t know what it was –an attempted
stickup or what.”
   In his pockets was $14.31.  A valuable ring was on one finger.
   A son, Charles, 28 is acting as a floor judge at the walkathon.
   After the fusillade, the hoodlums escaped in a black sedan and have not been
seen since, according to the chief of detectives in Chicago, who informed Deputy
Sheriff Cal Dwan of the shooting Sunday.
   The inquest was continued to April 25 after Hayden’s son Charles, 31, and
brother, Earl, who came from San Diego by airplane said they could give no
reason for the killing.
	Had Been Threatened
   Hayden’s partner, Verne Kirk, was held up and robbed of $2,800 when they
operated a walkathon in St. Louis, Mo. A few years ago, and according to friends
here, Hayden had told that they racketeers there had insisted on a slice of the
profits, “or else.”  He was threatened repeatedly in Chicago, by the same element.
When Hayden was in Mason City recently, he told friends that Al Capone,
Chicago’s vice czar now in a federal prison in California after serving time at
Alcatraz for income tax evasion, is still the head man of the Windy City’s
underworld, operating through lieutenants.  Hayden also is said to have told
friends that he was “Paying off” to the racketeers.  Hence it was believed
locally that the actual slaying was probably done by a gang of hijacking
gangsters who wanted to “cut in” on the Capone mob’s profits.
   Hayden was promoting a walkathon in partnership with Leo Nemerovsky of
Chicago.  Nemerovski [sic] told police he knew no reason for the killing.
   Chicago police believed that Hayden was a victim of assassins hired by
someone who was attempting to “muscle in” on the walkathon promotion.
	Had Met Opposition
    Authorities recalled that a walkathon promoted by Hayden in Chicago four
years ago had been subjected to vandalism and that only recently Hayden had made
an unsuccessful attempt to start a walkathon in another part of Chicago.
   Police Capt. Louis Klatzco said he had opposed their operating in his
district, and had warned them of arrest if they lacked the proper licenses. 
Klatzco said the men then obtained a temporary injunction, which soon was
dissolved, from Judge Cornelius J. Harrington in circuit court restraining
police from interfering.
   Capt. Klatzco explained that he objected to the walkathon because he
considered it injurious to the contestants’ health.
   Abut 18 couples, most of whom make their living at walkathons and follow the
promoters around the country, were on the floor when news of Hayden’s death was
given them.  Some of the girls wept, but they continued to walk.
   Police recalled that Ray Dunlap, Hayden’s close friend, was kidnaped [sic]
and slugged while operating a walkathon at the Rainbow Gardens, Clark street and
Lawrence avenue, last fall.
   Hayden, together with Kirk, had operated his walkathon at the Park Casino for
about three months.  Prior to that they had operated in Mason City, Los Angeles
and San Francisco, Cal., Vancouver, B. C., St. Joseph and St. Louis, Mo., La
Crosse, Wis., Sioux City and Peoria, Ill.
	Born Near Mason City
   Mr. Hayden was married twice. His first wife was Mae Lyons of Mason City.  He
is also survived by his second wife, a son, Charles, Jr., who was associated
with him in the walkathon, and his daughter, Ann, who is now in San Diego, Cal,
where he had a home; also a brother, Earl, of San Diego, and a sister, also of
San Diego.  A brother, formerly an attorney here, died at Bisbee, Ariz., years
ago.  His parents also preceded him in death.
   The walkathon operator was born on a farm near Mason City 52 years ago, and
attended country school, then the old Central school which was destroyed by fire
12 years ago.  He was agent for the Adams Express company in 1907-08-09.  In
April of 1910 he was succeeded by Richard Hyde. For a time he sold flags in
North Iowa, and in Milwaukee, Wis.
	Served Overseas 8 Months
   When the trouble with Mexico occurred in 1916, he joined the army and saw
service on the Mexican border as a sergeant.  Following the settlement of that
dispute, he returned to Mason City.  Shortly after, the United States entered
the World war and Hayden again enlisted.  He went in Camp Cody in Demning, N.
Mex.  Ironically he was a member of the machine gun batallion [sic], the 125th,
of the 34th division.  He was in Co. A.
   The local man was sent to an officers’ school in Texas, and there received
the commission of second-lieutenant.  He served overseas for eight months.
   Upon his discharge from the army following the end of the World war, he was
interested in several enterprises, including carnivals.  For the past few years,
however, he had interested himself exclusively in the operation of walkathons. 
When in Mason City he made his home at the Park Inn hotel.  He was last here
about one month ago, according to W. R. McBee, owner of the hotel.  He had real
estate near Mason City and Cedar Rapids.
   He entered the race for sheriff in 1924, and was defeated by G. E. Cress, now
of Colorado.
   First information of his death was received here by R. C. Patrick, fourth
district commander of the American Legion, who was notified by telephone by Mr.
Capone [sic].  Mr. Patrick was once identified with Mr. Hayden in the operation
of a walkathon at the Mason City armory, under the sponsorship of the “40 and 8.”
   He was a member of both the American Legion and 40 and 8.    – Mason City
Globe Gazette, Monday, April 10, 1939, p. 1, col. 8 through p. 2, cols. 1-3,
with photo on page 1 of site of killing, and photo on page 2 of Charles M.
“Slip” Hayden.   Copyright Globe-Gazette. Used with permission.


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