Ralph
A.
Bakley

RALPH A. BAKLEY was born in New Jersey on January 10, 1881 to Clara and Ridgeway Bakley. He was the youngest of three sons, being born after Lewis and David Bakley. The family was living on York Street just before he was born. They had moved to 213 North 9th Street by 1887, and by 1890 to 582 Pine Street. When the Census was taken in 1900 the family lived at 583 South 6th Street. The elder Bakley then worked as a day laborer. Ralph Bakley grew up and remained in this neighborhood through at least 1929.

As a young man Ralph Bakley was well known locally as an athlete, excelling in baseball and basketball. In a column published in the Camden Courier Post, Dan McConnell wrote in November, 1939: 

"This department has been advised by Lewis A. Lee, chief clerk of the city health bureau, that Winfield Clark, aide to Frank B. Luker, was in error when he gave the names of several players on the old Camden Wheelmen baseball team.

Mr. Lee says those guys played on the Camden City team, Lew admitting that he covered first base for the Wheelmen. And he also told us that Acting Police Chief Ralph Bakley once aspired to be a professional pugilist, but he gave up that idea when another fighter gave him a fistic shellacking in a scrap at the old Globe A. C. in Philadelphia many years ago.

Bakley was a stellar outfielder in his younger days. Mr. Lee informed us. We can say that Bakley has done a fine job as one of the better liked police executives of Our Town."

Ralph Bakley was married in 1903 to Caroline, also known as "Carrie". The 1906 City Directory lists Ralph Bakley at 641 Line Street, working as a metalworker. 1910 Census and 1914 Directory lists Ralph Bakley at the same address with his wife Carrie. No children by 1910. He was then a foreman. A court officer, W. Frank Garrison lived just two doors down, and may have, in time, helped Ralph Bakley secure his appointment to the police department. A daughter, Clara Bakley was born around 1912. On June 1, 1915 Ralph Bakley was appointed to the Camden Police force by Mayor Charles Ellis. In 1916 another child, Sarah Bakley, was born. 

When he registered for the draft in September of 1918, Ralph Bakley was living at 544 South 6th Street. By 1920 and through at least 1924 he and his family lived at 542 South 6th Street. Sadly it appears that Carrie Bakley died around 1926, leaving Ralph Bakley to take care of his two daughters. The 1927 and 1929 City Directories show that he had relocated to 602 Clinton Street. The 1930 Census shows that he, his daughters and his widowed mother were at that address. Ralph Bakley did in time, however remarry.

The 1920s were good professionally to Ralph Bakley. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1922 by then-Mayor Frank S. Van Hart, and at the end of the decade he was in line for a promotion to Lieutenant, which came through in January of 1930 from the office of Commissioner Dr. David S. Rhone. 

On July 1, 1939 Commissioner Mary Walsh Kobus promoted Ralph Bakley to the rank of Acting Captain. Unexpectedly, Chief of Police Arthur Colsey died in his sleep of a heart attack on September 15, 1939. He was buried at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken NJ on September 18, 1939. Captain Ralph Bakley was named Acting Chief of Police a few days later by Commissioner Mary Kobus, Camden's Director of Public Safety. A few months later, the New Jersey State Civil Service Commission called for a test for the Chief's position. Ralph Bakley scored third, with George Frost getting the top score. Chief Bakley continued to serve in the position of Acting Chief until March of 1942, when Chief Frost was confirmed in the position. Ralph Bakley retired  few days later.

Acting Chief Bakley had lived in the 1930s and 1940s with his second wife, Josie, on North 31st Street. Upon retirement he moved to Somers Point, New Jersey, where he died in December of 1945.

Ralph Bakley
John Peace
Smith Forney
O. Glen Stackhouse
South 8th Street

John Golden
William Dolan
Rox Saponare
Frank Truax
Anson Kelley
Ralph Bakley
John Potter
John Skolski
William Whaland
James Clay

Camden Courier-Post * January 25, 1930

Walter Welch

Ralph Bakley

Charles Laib

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 11, 1930

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

Camden Evening Courier
December 12, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr  - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson
Arthur Colsey - Donald Swissler - Clarence Phifer
George A. Ward - John Kowal  - 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 Courier-Post * April 3, 1931

...continued...

Camden Courier-Post - October 21, 1931

Camden Courier-Post * June 6, 1932

Camden Courier-Post * June 6, 1932

Camden Courier Post
June 7, 1932

Roy R. Stewart - Charles T. Humes
Herbert Anderson - George Ward
Ralph Bakley - Edward Hahn
John Garrity - George Jefferis
James Wilson - Edward Carroll
John Skolski - Stiles Whitaker

Camden Courier Post
June 7, 1932

Ralph Bakley
Samuel Aronow
Louis Bader 
Herman Weintraub
Anna Weintraub
Kaighn Avenue

Camden Courier-Post
June 7, 1932

Garfield S. Pancoast - East Camden
George Thomas - Clinton Street
Ralph Bakley - James Williams
John B. DiSimone - South 2nd Street
Carrie Becker - North 33rd Street
Edward Marshman - Morse Street

Camden Courier-Post * June 8, 1932

Garfield Pancoast
Dominick Ravieri
Thurman Street
George Burrell
Division Street
Ralph Bakley
West Jersey Hospital

Camden Courier-Post
June 9, 1932

Ralph Bakley - Thomas Cheesman
George A. Ward
North 2nd Street - Kaighn Avenue
Stevens Street

Joseph Connors - Max Aronson - Tony Miller - Leonard winner
The other names and addresses appear to have been fictitious

Camden Courier-Post * June 10, 1932

POLICEMAN SUSPENDED ON DRUNKEN CHARGE

A Camden policeman was suspended indefinitely and relieved of his badge yesterday on a charge of drunkenness on duty. 

The patrolman is Alfred Trusty, colored, of 1858 South Ninth Street. He is attached to the Second police district. 

Chief of Police John W. Golden ordered the suspension after he had received telephone calls informing him there was "a drunken policeman raising cain downtown." 

Golden ordered Lieutenant Ralph Bakely, commander of the district, to investigate. Trusty was brought into the station house by Sergeant Mattison. He has been ordered to appear before Golden today.

ABOVE LEFT: Police Chief Arthur Colsey and detectives leaving the house at 242 Sycamore Street, where Detective William T. Fietz was slain. The place, police said, was operated as a disorderly house by Mrs. Emma Heisler, 38, who is under arrest as a material witness. INSET: Detective William T. Feitz

Police officials at the funeral service of Detective William Feitz. 
Left to right: 
Lt. Herbert Anderson,
Chief of Police Arthur Colsey,
Lt. Ralph Bakley, 
E. Howard Broome,
secretary to Mayor Roy R. Stewart,
Lt. George A. Ward

Click on Image to Enlarge

Camden Courier-Post
Evening Courier - September 10, 1934

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POLICE FORCE POLITICS BANNED COMMISSIONER KOBUS DECLARES
Calls for 100% Efficiency and Promises Square Deal for All in Talk to Commanders;
Stresses Fact Colsey is Chief

 “I want 100% efficient police department and not a political machine.”

 Commissioner Mary W. Kobus, new director of public safety, made that declaration yesterday afternoon at a joint police-press conference in her office at city hall before she was served with a writ restraining her from taking that office.

 Commissioner Kobus was the kindly mother talking to her “boys” for the most of the conference- but at times she became the stern parent-  with the birchrod in the cupboard- as she instructed the police heads to “divorce themselves from politics.”

 “For many years I have nursed in my heart a desire to see Camden with a 100% efficient police department”, the commissioner said. “Now that time is at hand.”

 “I have known all of you men for many years,” she told the assembled commanders, “and I don’t care what your respective political affiliations might be. You have a right to you opinions, but I want the police department to divorce itself from politics.

 . “You must know what is going on in your city and you must let me know. I must have 100 percent cooperation if I am to succeed in this new undertaking. 

“If you have any complaints, don’t go around and growl, undermining the department. Lay your cards on the table, I guarantee you a fair deal.

 “Chief Colsey is head of the police department and not in name only. You others in the rank you occupy are also commanders in fact and not in name. It is up to you.”

 The commissioner urged a closer co-operation between police and the press and concluded by saying she wanted her “family” to be honest-to-goodness policemen “because there is no room in the department for those who are not.”

 Attending the conference was Chief Arthur Colsey, Lieutenant Herbert Anderson, chief clerk of the bureau; Lieutenants George Frost, Ralph Bakley, Walter Welch, Samuel E. Johnson and George Ward.

Camden Courier-Post * March 17, 1937

Camden Courier-Post * December 13, 1939

George Clayton - Edward Middleton - William Dolan - John B. Stanton - George Frost - Edward Carroll
Walter S. Mattison - Albert Cornog - Ralph Bakley - John Garrity - Joseph Mardino
Herbert Bott - Edward P. Leonard Sr.

In front of Convention Hall - About 1940

     Late 1930s photo of Camden Police Department vehicles lined up on Argonne Street in front of Convention Hall, along with police and officials from Camden's city government.   

Click on Image to Enlarge

Click Here to Supersize Image

Photo courtesy of the
Lillian Colsey Slomick family 

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Camden Courier-Post
March 15, 1941

John S. McTaggart
Betty Sullivan
Labor Temple
Convention Hall
Ralph Bakley
Edward Carroll
John Garrity
Harold G. Hoffman

Camden Courier-Post
March 7, 1942

Ralph Bakley
Daniel Smith

Camden Courier-Post * March 7, 1942