NY NY - Charles Gazzam Hurd, 32, New York City, 18 Feb 1937

[Richard]

This man's disappearance has remained unsolved for 75 years.

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Charles Gazzam Hurd, 32, Missing 18 Feb 1937 from New York City, NY

Charles Gazzam Hurd
Missing since February 18, 1937 from New York City, New York
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics:

Date Of Birth: September 21, 1904
Age at Time of Disappearance: 32 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'10"; 180 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; blue-grey eyes.
Clothing: A gray overcoat, tan shoes and a gray fedora.
Dentals: Not available

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Charles G. Hurd, a member of a well-known New York family, vanished without a trace on February 18, 1937.

At the time, he was separated from his wife, and living at the Kenmore Hall Hotel, at 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City.

He was a Manager of the real estate and mortgage department of Dows Estates, Inc., 15 William Street, NY. Hurd had gone to work on February 18, 1937, and left at the close of business. He had dinner at a restaurant and night club on East 54th Street, leaving sometime before 21:00, after cashing a small check.

He was seen getting into his car, a Ford convertible coupe, New Jersey license plate I-E 65231, NJ. Around 21:00, he crashed his car into a pillar of an elevated railway structure at 3rd Avenue and 37th Street, but appeared to have suffered only minor injuries. He drove away, but was never seen or heard from again.

Investigators:

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

New York Police Department
Missing Persons Bureau
Acting Cpt. John G. Stein
1-212-694-7781

Source Information:

Amy Hurd Fetchko
The Doe Network: Case File 1775DMNY

LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1775dmny.html

 

[Robin Hood]

From LDS, 1920 Census https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJBP-5C9

Name: Charles Gazzan Hurd
Residence: , New York, New York
Estimated Birth Year: 1905
Age: 15
Birthplace: New York
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Gender: Male
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: New York
Mother's Birthplace: Alabama
Film Number: 1821213
Digital Folder Number: 4313936
Image Number: 00735
Sheet Number: 16
Household Gender Age
Parent George Arthur Hurd M 50y
Parent Emily Gazzan Hurd F 43y
Arthur Walenethin Hurd M 21y
Katherine Hurd F 17y
Charles Gazzan Hurd M 15y
Clarissa Hurd F 15y
Margaret Conner F 42y
Rose Imhoff F 37y
Olga Olson F 26y

And 1930 Census https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4NX-NW6

Name: Charles G Hurd
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Summit, Union, New Jersey
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: New York
Estimated Birth Year: 1905
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: United States
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Enumeration District Number: 0154
Family Number: 336
Sheet Number and Letter: 15B
Line Number: 90
NARA Publication: T626, roll 1389
Film Number: 2341124
Digital Folder Number: 4662325
Image Number: 00949
Household Gender Age
Charles G Hurd M 25
Spouse Marie L Hurd F 22
Child Charles G Hurd M 1

Two things strike me, first the different spelling of 'Gassan' and the fact the news of the day carried very little about this prominent man going AWOL. I wonder if maybe the family reported it as a missing person but they didn't pursue it too much for one reason or another. IMO it should have been all over the news.
Just my opinion.
.
.

 

[Richard]

"Gazzan" was most likely his mother's maiden name. Great information from the Census. I wonder what other information is available. Back in the 1930"s a lot of folks moved away for various reasons and seemed to "disappear".

Whole families packed up during the depression and Dust bowl days and moved.

This guy, however, seems to have come from a well-to-do family with the means to afford a serious search - or at least get his name in the papers.

 

[Robin Hood]

Yes Richard, very much so, people were moving for work to feed their families but this guy was different.
He was working in the financial district, his car was top of the range and he was living from one of the most extravagant hotels in the area. The hotel was turned into private appartments (over 22 floors) during the 1990's.
I tried to find his family grave site but wasn't able to, I'm sure it should be quite large and opulent if the rest is anything to go by.
Surely a family with money would employ, at any cost the best folk to investigate and keep it in the news but it's strange they didn't.
If anybody can find his son there might be living relatives that either know what happened and/or can shed more light on it.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

If anyone is interested, this thread was started last year.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=253476&st=0

 

[Tulessa]

Is this a picture of him for sale on EBay?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BS-PHOTO-bpe-101-Charles-G-Hurd-Missing-Person-NYC-1937-/390637607699

 

[Graham Clayton]

This man's disappearance has remained unsolved for 75 years.
Around 21:00, he crashed his car into a pillar of an elevated railway structure at 3rd Avenue and 37th Street, but appeared to have suffered only minor injuries. He drove away, but was never seen or heard from again.

Seeing that he crashed his car into a solid structure, I would think that he wouldn't have travelled too far in a damaged vehicle. Could he have abandoned the car and disappeared while walking?

 

[Stella]

http://www.walkscore.com/score/3rd-ave-and-e-37th-st-new-york-ny-10016

Looks like the pillar and elevated railway structure he hit is long gone; I can't find it on this street view from any angle. ETA-He was about 3 or so blocks from the East River. I wonder if he became disoriented and drove right into it and drowned? Did the police or Coast Guard make a search of this area?

 

[madamx]

Charles G. Hurd. 32 years old, a Yale man and member of a wellknown New York family, has been missing since Feb. 18, following a night-club visit-and an automobile accident, the Missing Persons Bureau disclosed yesterday.

U. G. HUKD ISSING; SOUGHT IN 8 STATES; Alarm Sent Out for Realty Man Who Vanished Feb. 18 After an Auto Crash

 

[Richard]

Charles Gazzam Hurd

• 

Hurd, circa 1937

• Missing Since 02/18/1937
• Missing From Manhattan, New York
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 09/21/1904 (115)
• Age 32 years old
• Height and Weight 5'10, 180 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A gray overcoat, a gray fedora and tan shoes.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue/gray eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Hurd was last seen in the New York City borough of Manhattan on February 18, 1937. He was employed as the manager of the real estate and mortgage department of Dows Estates, Inc. in the 10 block of Williams Street.

Hurd went to work as usual and left at closing time. He had dinner at a restaurant and nightclub on east 54th Street, cashed a small check, and left.

At 9:00 p.m., he crashed his Ford convertible coupe with the New Jersey license plate number I-E 65231 into the pillar of an elevated railway structure at 3rd Avenue and 37th Street. He appeared to have suffered only minor injuries and was able to drive away.

Hurd has not been seen or heard from since. He was separated from his wife at the time of his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

• New York Police Department

Source Information

• The Doe Network

LINK:
Charles Gazzam Hurd – The Charley Project

 

[Richard]

1937 Ford Convertible Coupe

 

[MaryG12]

Has his car been designated as missing too?

If it had damage to it from the point of contact with that pillar I would think that might be evident in the search for his whereabouts.

His car probably looked like this if it was a '37 model:

 

[Pseudonymph]

I would presume he and his car are at the bottom of the river.

 

[MaryG12]

I wonder if East River has been searched for his car where 37th St and FDR Dr. meet?

 

[AZ Native Cat]

I wonder if East River has been searched for his car where 37th St and FDR Dr. meet?

You would think so. Also the car wouldn’t have traveled very far into the river plus that car would have weighed a ton so I would think it would be relatively easy to find.

 

[Richard]

86 years missing...

 

[Diane Redfern]

I wonder if East River has been searched for his car where 37th St and FDR Dr. meet?

In fact, there was a search a year ago; in this case they were looking for the car of an FBI informant who, apparently, was killed by a mobster. They found the frame of the car.
Found Remains of Mobster Car Dumped In River by FBI Informant
If they could only find parts of vehicle dumped in the river in 1974, the recovery of Charles' car is very unlikely.

 

[Richard]

Next month will mark the 88 year anniversary of Charles Gazzam Hurd's disappearance.

 

[DD Byrd]

I'm guessing he was in Manhattan for dinner and the bank, but was at Brooklyn's 37th and 3rd (rather than Murray Hill) when he crashed into the pillar. If someone was around to say he had "minor injuries" they might have seen whether the car had only minor injuries as well, whether there was a passenger with him, and in which direction he drove off (if he didn't walk away). I don't see that we know for certain he was headed "home" to his hotel...could he have been making his way to Staten Island, NJ via SI, or somewhere else?

If so, could he have been slightly disoriented (and/or drunk) and drove himself a half mile right into the upper Bay?

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[cenazoic]

The link @JusticeWillBeServed posted back in 2014 is still probably the best resource for this case:

The disappearance of Charles Gazzam Hurd.

The main researcher there, petermattson, devoted several (9) episodes of his podcast to the case in 2021:

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 1 — Life’s Rich Pageant by S. I. F. T.

An introduction to the story of Charles Gazzam Hurd, who disappeared February 18, 1937.

creators.spotify.com

(~6mins, family/early life)

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/siftpod/episodes/The-Ghost-Gatsby-Episode-2--Seattle-Gold-Rush-eql1t

(~7 mins, family business/background)

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 3 — The Man in Manhattan by S. I. F. T.

A pair of night clubs may hold clues about the Charles Hurd mystery.

creators.spotify.com

(~7.30 mins, El Morocco nightclub, likely location last seen, gambling, local politics)

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 4 — American Phalanx by S. I. F. T.

Uncle Richard was a man of means. Did he have the means to help find Charles? Or was he somehow involved?

creators.spotify.com

(~9.30 mins, uncle’s connections to Teddy Roosevelt, “American Defense Society” (anti-German group founded in wake of WWI), influence in NY)

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 5 — A History of Disappearances by S. I. F. T.

Modern and contemporary disappearances are explored in relation to Charles.

creators.spotify.com

(~9 mins, Brian Schaeffer, Maura Murray, contemporary NY disappearances to Charles: Judge Crater (1930), Andrew Carnegie Whitfield (1938), similarities )

—-
All of the above is scene-setting, background, some slender threads to CGH directly, possibilities.

Below, we start getting into more direct info on CGH:

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 6 — Business or Pleasure? by S. I. F. T.

Charles worked for Dows Estates at the time of his disappearance. Is there a business connection? Or was it his gambling habit? Some combination of the two?

creators.spotify.com

(~6 mins, Dows’ Estates (Charles’ employer), Mount Desert Island (ME), missing business records, CGH gambling, wife’s affair/subsequent marriage)

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 7 — Family Talks by S. I. F. T.

I spoke with Charles’s granddaughter Amy about her memories growing up and stories she’s heard from family members.

creators.spotify.com

(~42 mins, interview with CGH’s granddaughter, family stories, theories)

If you only listen to one episode, this is the one! The granddaughter is a really compelling family-storyteller, and has done a lot of her own research into CGH’s disappearance.

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 8 — Four Theories by S. I. F. T.

A look at the 4 most likely theories and a hint at an entirely bizarre twist.

creators.spotify.com

(~8 mins, overview of prevailing theories)

The Ghost Gatsby Episode 9 — The Unknown Man by S. I. F. T.

The curiously coincidental case of the Unknown Man and how it lines up with Charles.

creators.spotify.com

(~16 mins, theory about possibility of CGH being Somerton Man/Talman Shud case (no, identified in 2022)


Overall review: Peter Mattson has obviously done a ton of research into the place, times, and family of Charles Gazzam Hurd. He’s not a ‘slick’ podcaster, ( most of his other pods are sports related), but this is obviously a passion project for him. I wish he’d edited the interview with AHF more expertly, (and I would have loved a link to an unedited version) , and that some of the earlier episodes made their relevance to CGH more apparent, but overall I think this was an awesome effort with plenty of ‘door knobs’ for possible future research.