The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-25
Memphis Gas and Electric CO.


had a big heart and a sympathetic ma
ture, His most striking writings were
Of the tender side OF life. The was no
venom In him and there was no sting
In his pen,
He was born In Memphis on May 81,
lS72 and Memphis was his home all
his life. Hts parents were John D.
and Mary h HUM. Mr., HUM was
married On Aug, "a, 1916, to May Buc-
hanan Palmer. who survives. A sister,
Mrs, II, L. Rawlings, 1915 Harbert ave"
nue.. Is his only immediate relative,
\ MIR, HUM was the peer OF any dra-
matte critic In the United States, His
exceptional ability in this line was rec
ognized by the stage people and for
the past 10 years there has not been
a star upon the American stage that
friend.
Like most newspaper writer's Mr.,
Hluhn's finest articles were shrouded
In anonymity, His first statewide
fame was during the P~aterson-Car-
mack debates In 1908. He departed
from the customary fashion OF report
Ing speeches and wrote descriptive
stories of the events that were staged
In practically every town Of Importance
in Tennessee.
Many years ago he was sent to OK
ford, Miss, to report a hanging, IKE
cutions In those days were crude af-
fairs. The people went for miles and
gathered around the gAilows and ate
their dinners on the ground that they
might not miss the sight, HUM reached
oxford on an early train, The con
demned man was talking through he
bars Of his cell TO his wife and children
In the jail yard, The final goodbye's
were said and the woman and her
children trudged off up the road to
their cabin home, HUM wrote a long
story about the and the children
but those who read the story TO find
how far the man dropped, II HIS neclS
was broken and who cut him down,
were disappointed, for HUM only wrote
him by the neck until he was dead,
or course he didn't witness the exc
cution. He always wrote into his sto-
ries the things that the unimaginattve
could not see, II was the same when
he reported tho Patterson Carmack de-
bates. He rarely listened 70 the
speeches, One OF the best stories he
wrote OF tho campaign was at Tren-
ton, Tenn. He walked through the
crowd for an hour and dissected II.
Their he went to the place where the
speaking was staged, on a shady hill-
side. He got his c~oloring n then
he went to the station and. seated on
an empty box in the shade Of the de
pot, he wrote until the train came
HUM wns associated with a fine ar
ray OF newspaper men on that assign.
ment. The Tennessean had Jim Fin
ney, the Banner had Joseph r, Wilson,
the presidents. brother, The News
Scimitar had w, NJ. Clemens. and the
American had Charley Slack. The pa
pers were all bitterly partisan, Some
sharp things were written In that cam
paign, hut HUM never lost his pois,
and he never forgot that he was q
reporter writing for the public and not
an individual airing his personal opin'
ion.
4 few years x HUM was called
from his editorial desk to so into court
and write a descriptive story OF q mar
who had fallen from high estate e
the depths OF shame. Those who knew
his ability as a writer looked for q
great story, but those who knew Huhr
were not disappointed that he failed
He was a versatile writer, but he coult
not tear Ms fellow man TO shreds an,
make copy out Of another's misfor
tunes.
Hugh HUM was a lovahle character
His devotion TO his mother was strik
Ing No man ever said an unkin,
thing about him. He loved Memphis
and nc consideration could ever Undue,
: him to leave. Even as he loved tn,
stage and the arts, Broadway coul,
\ not persuade him to sever the ties o
n lifetime. New York newspa pers trie,
In vain to get him TO the metropolis
\ where the financial reward would hay
r been large and the field aluring,