Document text
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT: GEORGE "MACHINE GUN]: KELLY
SUMMARY
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
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I.C. - OCTOBER 15, 1935
_ -; _ arvxsro MAY, 1984!
ssonca "MACHINE sun" KELLY, ET AL:
KIDNAPING or CHARLES F. unscssrI.
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On 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, 1933, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles F. Urschel, one of Oklahoma's wealthiest couples, were
playing bridge with their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Jarrett,
on a screened porch of the Urschel residence at Oklahoma City.
Twofmen, one armed with a machine gun and the other with a
pistol, opened the screen door and inquired which of the two
men was Mr. Urschel. Receiving no reply, they remarked "Well,
we will take both of them." After warning the women against
calling for help, they marched Urschel and Jarrett to where they
had driven their oar, put them into the back of the Chevrolet
sedan, and drove rapidly away.
Mrs. Urschel, in accordance with the Attorney General's
advice to the public, immediately telephoned J. Edgar Hoover,
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States
Department of Justice. Special Agents were sent to Oklahoma
City, where an extensive investigation commenced.
At 1:00 a.m., Sunday, July 23, 1933, Jarrett made
his way back to the Urschel residence. The victims had been =
driven to the outskirts of the city, where they had turned right
on a dirt road parallel to the 23rd Street Highway and had proceeded
northeast to a point about twelve miles from the city. After
crossing a small bridge and arriving at an intersection, they had
put Jarrett out of the car after they had identified him and had
taken $50 which he had in his wallet, warning him not to tell
the direction the kidnapers had gone. He stated that after
he was released the car proceeded south.
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92 j?After the kidnaping became known, numerous letters,
telephone calls, and other leads were received, many of which
I u _ were anonymous, indicating possible leads. All had to be followed,
§:,,mQ:: although few were of value. Leads of this nature were developeds»A»ws__-simultaneously in all parts of the United States.
Alli Din: :' rvl /3 "
' ' _#: n . Several days elapsed before word was received from theCplnn, Inv. _._Z.-.na.____.kidnapers.'_0n July 26, J. G. Catlett, a wealthy oil man of Tulsa,
|n oklahona, and an intimate friend of Urschel, received a package
uh through Western Union. It contained a letter written to him
n,m~r__.by Ursbhel requesting Catlett to act as an intermediaryfa?j$ for hisreleasez a personal letter from Urschel to his wife;
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and a typewritten note directed to Mr. Catlett demanding that he
proceed to Oklahoma City immediately and not communicate by telephone
or otherwise with the Urschel family from Tulsa. The packagenalso
contained a typewritten letter addressed to Mr. E. E. Kirkpatrick U
_ of Qklahona City, which read in part: - ,_ U
Box H807, was received. It was from Joplin, Missouri."Immediately upon receipt of this letter you willproceed to obtain the sum of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND *
DOLLARS $200,000.00! in GENUINE USED FEDERAL RESERVE
CURRENCY in the denomination of TWENTY DOLLAR $20.00!
Bills.
It will be useless for you to attempt taking notes -
of SERIAL NUMBERS MAKING UP DUMMY PACKAGE, OR ANYTHING
ELSE IN THE LINE OF ATTEMPTED DOUBLE CROSS. BEAR
THIS IN MIND, CHARLES F. URSCHEL WILL REMAIN IN OUR
CUSTODY UNTIL_MONEY HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND EXCHANGED
AND FURTHERMORB WILL BE AT THE SCENE OF CONTACT FOR
PAYOFF AND IF THERE SHOULD BE ANY ATTEMPT AT ANY
DOUBLE XX IT WILL BE HE THAT SUFFERS THE CONSEQUENCE.
RUN THIS AD FOR ONE WEEK IN DAILY OKLAHOMAN.
FOR SALE- -160 Acres Land, good five room house,
deep well. Also Cows, Tools, Tractor, Corn and Hay.
$3750.00 for quick sale..TERMS.. BOX#-"
You will hear from us as soon as convenient after
insertion of AD."
The ad was inserted.
On July 28, an envelope addressed to the Daily Oklahoman,"
A letter
to Kirkpatrick read in part: '
-nréuz"...Y0u will pack TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
$200,000.00! in USED GENUINE FEDERAL RESERVE
NOTES OF TWENTY DOLLAR DENOMINATION in a suitn
able LIGHT COLORED LEATHER BAG and have someone
purchase transportation for you, including berth,
aboard Train #28 The Sooner! which departs at
10:10 p.m. via the M. K. & T. Lines for Kansas
City, Mo.
You will ride on the OBSERVATION PLATFORM
where you may be observed by someone at some
Station along the Line between Okla. City and
K.C. Mo. If indication are alright, somewhere
along the Right-ofWay you will observe a Fire
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on the Right Side of
is bound! that first
be prepared to throw
- after passing SECONDas Q
Track Facing direction train
Fire will be your Cue to
BAG to Track immediately ~
FIRE.
REMEMBER THIS*~IF ANY TRICKERY IS ATTEMPTED
YOU WILL FIND THE REMAINS OF URSCHEL AND
INSTEAD OF JOY THERE WILL BE DOUBLE GRIEF--FOR,
SOME-ONE VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO THE URSCHEL
i FAMILY IS UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLAINCE AND WILL
LIKEWISE SUFFER FOR YOUR ERROR.
"If there is the slightest HITCH in these
PLANS for any reason whatsoever, not your
fault, you will proceed on into Kansas City,
Mo. and register at the Muehlebach Hotel
under the name of E. E. Kincaid of Little Rock,
Arkansas and await further instructions there.
THE MAIN 'rnn~:c IS no NOT DIVULGE TIIE
conssnws or THIS LETTER TO ANY LAW AUTHORITIES
FOR savgjsgp _I§JT_EI§§IQIi or gFuR'I§s13,cQM1~1uuIcA'1;_1o_1g .
YOU ARE TO MAKE THIS TRIP SATURDAY JULY 29TH
1933. . ."
The Bureau's first concern in all kidnaping cases is
the safe return of the kidnaped victim. Accordingly, no effort was
made on the part of the Bureau to identify the writer of these
letters or to interfere in any way with the negotiations until
after Urschel was returned.
As a result of the above letters, $200,000 in used
$20 notes of the Federal Reserve Bank, Tenth District, was
obtained and the serial numbers recorded. They were placed in
a new, light~colored leather Gladstone bag. At the same time
another identical bag was purchased and filled with old magazines,
fearing an attempt at hijacking. As a precaution, it was decided
that Catlett would accompany Kirkpatrick to Kansas City. By pre
arrangement, Catlett sat just inside the rear end of the observation
car, while Kirkpatrick sat on the observation platform with the
bag containing the magazines. Kirkpatrick remained on the
observation platform all night, riding there all the way to
Kansas City, but no signals were observed.
Upon arrival at Kansas City Kirkpatrick and Catlett
proceeded to the Muehlebach Hotel. Kirkpatrick registered under
the name of E. E. Kincaid and waited in his room, where he
received a telegram from Tulsa, Oklahoma, as follows:
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"Owing to unavoidable incident unable to keep
appointment. Will phone you about six.
Signed, C. H. Moore." ' - _
__ About 5:30 p.m., on Sunday, July 30, Kirkpatrick
received a telephone call from a party who asked if this was
"Mr. Kincaid," and upon being advised that it was stated This
is Moore. You got my telegram?" to which Kirkpatrick replied
in the affirmative. Kirkpatrick was then instructed to leave
the Muehlebach Hotel in a taxicab and proceed to the Lasalle
Hotel and walk west a block or two. He requested permission
to be accompanied by a friend, which request was curtly refused.
Accordingly, Kirkpatrick took the bag containing the $200,000,
arriving at the LaSalle Hotel at about 6 p.m. He walked
west. After proceeding no more than half a block he observed
a man approaching him who, upon reaching Kirkpatrick, said
"Mr. Kincaid, I will take that bag," and reached out and took
it. kirpatrick then stated, "I want some instructions. l must
telephone someone who is very interested immediately. The man
who had taken the bag told Kirkpatrick to return to the hotel
and Urschel would be returned within the specified time.
Kirkpatrick then returned to the hotel and from there proceeded
to Oklahoma City. Catlett returned to Tulsa.
_UR5CH_EL- RFLTUBNS ' F0343
Urschel arrived home exhausted at about 11:30 p.m.,
July 3l, stating that he had been able to sleep but very little
during the nine days he had been held in captivity. As soon as
he recovered from the shock and regained his strength he was
interviewed by FBI Special Agents. A detailed statement was
obtained including every movement and action taken by himself,
the kidnapers, and those with whom they came in contact during
his period of captivity.
Urschel's statement concerning the kidnaping and
transactions which occurred immediately thereafter was substan
tially the same as Jarretts recollection. Urschel stated that
immediately after Jarretts release one of the men produced
some cotton, a short bandage, adhesive tape, and he was blind-
folded. Approximately one hour after being blindfolded the car
passed through either two small oil fields or the end of two
large fields approximately thirty minutes driving time apart;
that he could smell the gas and hear the oil pumps working. The
first stop was made about 3:30 a.m., when he was taken from the
car by one of the abductors into the brush, and that the other
man was gone approximately fifteen minutes after gasoline. About
one hour later a stop was made to open a gate and approximately
three minutes later another stop was made and another gate opened
Within a minute after the last gate, the car drove into what he
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1 1 - 0 - -1| 92 I-I-ul l_'l_toot to oe a garage. in this building the men, Irum t air movements
and actions, transferred license plates rom the Chevrolet sedan
to a larger car, which Urschel believed to be a sevenpassenger
_Cadillac or Buick. A berth had been made up in the back of this
car and he was told to lie on this bunk. They left this place-
immediately and after a drive of two or three hours a stop was
made at a jilling station, where a woman attendant filled the ~ -
the car with gas. Urschel overheard one of the men asking the
woman about crop conditions and she replied that The crops _
around here are burned up, although we may make some broom corn. __. c____. !___'-_ rd-I1
-< Urschel stated that about 9 or 10 a.m. it rained
and the road became very slippery, to the extent that on one
occasion one of the men was compelled to alight and push the car.
In his opinion at no time on this trip did they drive on pavement.
At the next stop the car was driven directly into what he considered
a garage, and at this point he asked one of the men the time and
he replied it was 2:30 p.m. They remained in this building until
dark, when he was taken outside, passed through a narrow gate
and proceeded on a board walk. He was led into a house and
into a room where he was told there were two beds. The bed he
occupied was apparently an iron cot and one of the men occupied
the other. Shortly after entering this house he heard the voice
of a man and a woman in an adjoining room. He stated that his
ears were filled with cotton and adhesive tape was placed over
them .
Urschel stated that he stayed in this house until the
next day July 24th when he was taken in an automobile
by the two men to a house about 15 minutes driving distance.
While in the first house he ate from a small table and he heard
barnyard animals outside.,
Upon entering the second house he was led into a room
where he was told to lie upon some blankets in a corner of the
room. He also heard voices of a man and a woman in the adjoining
room which did not resemble the voice of either of the two men
who abducted him, and that shortly thereafter this man and woma.
left the place. '
Urschel stated that on the first night at the second
house a handcuff was placed on one of his wrists and attached to
a chair. Next morning the two men brought up the matter of a
contact. They asked Urschel if he had a friend who could be
trusted in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he suggested the name of John G.
Catlett. The men instructed him to write a letter to Catlett
and he did.
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In addition to the two men who had kidnaped him, Urschel
was guarded by an old man and a younger man. Urschel stated
that during the time he was held in captivity one of his two~~- _
kidnapers discussed freely With him the fact that he had been
stealing for twentyfive years, mentioning Bonnie and Clyde, -
referring to them as "Just a couple of cheap filling station
and car thieves," and stating that his group did not deal _
in anything cheap. He also discussed freely a number of
bank robberies, advising that he and his friend had been
invited to participate in a bank robbery at Clinton, Iowa,
but after making a survey of the place they did not take
part in the robbery because the chances of making a "getaway
were unfavorable. o
Urschel stated that one of the two kidnapers returned
to the house on Friday and brought with him a chain; that there-
after this chain was used to attach to his handcuffs, which
enabled him to move about to some extent. He was satisfied
there were chickens, cows, and hogs around the place, and he
was advised by one of the guards that he had four milk cows.
Urschel stated that he was given water in an old tin cup.
The well from which this water was obtained was northwest of
the house, and the water was obtained from the well by a
rope and bucket on a pulley, which made considerable noise.
He stated that each morning and evening a plane passed regularly
over the house; that he managed to get a look at his watch and
determined that the morning plane would always pass at approximately
9:45 and the evening plane would pass at approximately 5:45; and
that on Sunday, July 30, when it rained very hard, the morning
plane did not pass. A
Urschel stated that on Monday, July 31, at about
2:00 p.m., one of his kidnapers returned and told him that he
was going to be released, that they had to leave at a certain
time, and that another car was going ahead as a pilot car. He
was then driven to a point near Norman, Oklahoma, where he
was given $10 and released.
_I_IlV113§_T_IS5FiT_L0N
While no effort was made by the Bureau to apprehend
the kidnapers until after the release of Urschel, extensive
investigation was being conducted throughout the United States.
As early as July 24, two days after Urschel was kidnaped,
information was obtained at Fort Worth, Texas, indicating the
probability that George R. and Kathryn Thorne Kelly were '
involved in this crime. Consequently, an exhaustive investiga
tion was commenced concerning the history and whereabouts of
these individuals. It disclosed that Kathryn Thorns Kelly was
the daughter of James Emory Brooks and Mrs. Ora L. Shannon; g
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that Kathryn's mother had divorced Brooks and later married
Robert G. Shannon of Paradise, Texas; that Kathryn married
Lonnie Fry at Asher, Oklahoma, and had a daughter, Pau1ine_Fry,
now fourteen y ars of age; that Kathryn and Fry were divorced
soon after their marriage and she married Charlie Thorns of
Coleman, Texas; that Thorne was later found dead under mysterious '
circumstances pronounced "suicide" by the coroner; and that after _
Thorne's death a note was found which read, "I cannot live with
her or without her," The investigation also disclosed that
a£ter_Thorne's death Kathryn married George Kelly Barnes, under
the name of George R. Kelly. He had served a sentenced in the '
New Mexico State Prison and was known to be enjoying many luxuries,
including highpowered automobiles and expensive jewelry, without
any visible means of support. '
Kelly was born in Tennessee in 1897 and spent his
early years in modest surroundings. He attended public schools
before becoming a salesman and, later, a bootlegger. He married
Kathryn Thorne in 1927. She encouraged Kelly to become deeply
involved in a life of crime, bought him a machine gun, and gave
him the nickname Machine Gun." He concentrated on running illegal
alcohol and also robbed some banks prior to the Urschel kidnaping.
After Urschel was debriefed, the Bureau's activities
centered on locating the houses in which Urschel was held and
bringing about the apprehension and conviction of the kidnapers.
It appeared from the information submitted by Urschel that the
best possible clue as to the location of these houses was his
statement concerning the weather conditions and the fact that
airplanes flew over one of the houses at approximately 9:45 a.m.
and 5:45 p.m. daily.
Accordingly, a review was made of all airplane schedules
within a radius of 600 miles of Oklahoma City. A check of the
Fort Worth-Amarillo Line of the American Airways disclosed that
a plane left Fort Worth daily at 9:15 a.m. and Amarillo, Texas,
at 3:30 p.m. From this information, it was determined that these
two planes would be in the vicinity of Paradise, Texas, between
9:40 and 9:45 a.m. and between 5:40 and 5:45 p.m. The daily reports
concerning the movements of these planes indicated that from
July 23 until July 29 they lew according to schedule; that there
was no rain recorded over the route during that period; and that
on Sunday, July 30, the plane left Fort Worth at 11:45 a.m, after
being detained by a storm, and took an extreme northerly course
to avoid the storm.
The records of the meteorologist of the United States
Weather Bureau of Dallas, Texas, were consulted and disclosed
that rain was recorded at and in the vicinity of Paradise, Texas,
on July 30, 1933; that Paradise and vicinity had an exceedingly
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dry season; that the first real rain since May 20 in this vicinity
was that on July 30; and that the corn began to burn in June.ea
-- It will be recalled that the airplane schedules and y
the weather conditions of Paradise, Texas, corresponded with
the weather conditions and airplane schedules Mr. Urschel had
noted during his period of captivity. From this information a
check of the suspects who had been under investigation by the
Bureau since the kidnaping of Mr. Urschel disclosed that
Mrs. Shannon, Kathryn Kelly's mother, lived near Paradise.
A closer look at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. R. G.
Shannon was needed. Accordingly, a Bureau Agent, under a pretext,
visited the Shannon residence on August 10, and while there noted
the similarity of the house and surroundings with that as described
by Urschel. It was also determined that R. G. Shannon's son,
Armon Shannon, lived on a ranch about a mile and a half from that
of his father. An inspection of this house was also made which
disclosed a well, a water bucket, a tin cup, a baby's chair, and
general surroundings substantially the same as described by Urschel
Further investigation disclosed that Kathryn and George Kelly had
been seen in the vicinity during the period in question.
After obtaining the above information it was decided
to raid the Shannon residence on the early morning_of August 12.
Arrested was Harvey J. Bailey, a notorious criminal and gunman,
who had escaped from the Kansas State Penitentiary at Lansing,
Kansas, on May 30, 1933, where he was serving a sentence of l0 to
SO years on a charge of robbing a bank at Fort Scott, Kansas.
He also was wanted in connection with the murder of three police
officers, a FBI Special Agent, and their prisoner, Frank Nash, at
Kansas City on June 17, 1933. Robert G. Shannon, his wife, Ora L.
Shannon, and Armon Shannon were also taken into custody. Bailey
had beside him at the time of his arrest a machine gun and two
automatic pistols. He was captured before he had an opportunity
to use any of these arms. On his person was discovered $1,100
$700 of which was promptly identified as the money used in the
payment of ransom for Urschel's release. Subsequent investigation'
developed that this machine gun had-previously been purchased
at Fort Worth, Texas, by Kathryn Kelly. '
Urschel viewed the residence of the Shannons and immediately
identified the house of R. G. Shannon as the house in which he
was first held and that of Armon Shannon as the house in which.
he was held until his release. Urschel also identified R. G. Shannon
and his son, Armon Shannon, as the individuals who stood guard
over him during the absence of the two kidnapers.' He was able
to identify many things, including the men by their voices and
the residences by the number of steps which he had taken to enter
same, the baby's chair, the galvanized bucket, tin cup, sgueakingf
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well, the mineral taste of the water, the fowls and animals
around the houses, and the chain to which he had been handcutfed. W
- The Shannons were questioned thoroughly-and readily i_ W
admitted that Urschel had been held at their residences and that
they stood guard over him, and advised that he was kidnaped by f
George Kelly and Albert L. Bates.
, _- Bates, a hardened criminal with a lengthy criminal
record, was taken into custody at Denver, Colorado, on August 12,
1933, on a local charge. At the time of his arrest had in his
possession $650, later identified by Bureau Agents as part oi
the Urschel ransom money. He also had a machine gun.
The serial numbers of the ransom bills had been circulated
to banks throughout the United States and a number of these bills
had been exchanged at the ennepin State Bank at Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Investigation there disclosed that Sam Frederick, a
truck driver of the Wolk Transfer Company, had presented $1,000
of the ransom money to that bank. Frederick was immediately
located and revealed that on August 5, 1933, his boss, Charles wolk,
requested him to accompany two unknown men to the bank, where he
obtained a cashier's check under the name of S. H. Peters in the
amount of $1,800, which he immediately gave to the two unknown
individuals.
Wolk, upon interview, stated that on August 5 he received
a telephone call from a person known to him as "Barney" who
requested him to get a cashier's check from a bank for $1,800:
that subsequent to this call "Barney with an unknown individual
came to his office and requested that he accompany them to the
bank for the purpose of obtaining a cashier's check; and that he
did not go with them but sent his driver, Sam Frederick.
It later developed that the cashier's check had been
presented for payment by Peter Valder, who upon interview, advised
that he was well acquainted with Barney Berman and that on August 2
Berman gave him a check for $1,000 drawn on a bank in Fargo, North
Dakota, with the request that he cash the same, which he did; that
on August 5 the First National Bank.and Trust Company of Minneapolis
called him and advised that this check had been returned marked
insufficient funds." He then advised Berman and he gave him a
cashier's check drawn to the order of S. H. Peters on the Hennepin
State Bank of Minneapolis in the amount of $1,800 and requested
him to take out the $1,000 check which had been marked insufficient
funds and to get the balance of $800 in $100 bills. _
It was also discovered that on August 7, 1933, $500
of the Urschel ransom money was deposited in the First National
Bank at Minneapolis by Sam Kronick. He was later located and 1
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and advised that he obtained this money from his cousin, Sam Kozberg,
on August 5. Sam Kozberg was later taken into custody and advised
that
F-Iva
ha.»
that
name
and that
who sold
in bills,
had been
admittedat his request, gave him the~twenty,_
which he had deposited.on August S Barney Berman
$20 bills, totaling $5U0,
was later interviewed and advised
on August 3, 1933, he was approached by a man who gave his ,
as "Collins" and stated that he wanted to buy some liquor,
he, Barman, referred him to his associate, "Kid" Cann,
Collins 125 cases of whiskey for $5,500 which was paid
a number of which were of the $20 denomination and which
identified as part of the Urschel ransom money. Berman
that he had accompanied Sam Frederick to the HennepinH dward Barney Berman
State Bank and purchased the cashiers check for $l,800 and stated
he was accompanied by Clifford Skelly.
Bermans associate, referred to as "Kid" Cann, was later
identified as Isadore Blumenfeld, who advised that on August 3,
1933, a man came into their office at the West Hotel in Minneapolis
and talked to Barney Berman, who referred this individual, known
as Collins, to him; that he consumated the deal for 125 cases
of whiskey for $5,500 with Collins; and that he turned over the
money to another associate, Clifford Skelly. Skelly, upon interview,
toldthe same story as that of Blumenfeld and Berman.
The abovenamed individuals, together with the parties
arrested at Paradise, Texas, Ahbert Bates, George R. and Kathryn
Thorne Kelly, were indicted at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on August 23,
1933, on a charge of conspiracy to kidnap Charles F. Urschel.
All were in custody except the Kellys. On September 30 the jury
returned verdict of guilty against R. G. Shannon, Ora L. Shannon,
Armon Shannon, Albert L. Bates, Harvey J. Bailey, Clifford Skelly,
and Barney Barman. and a verdict of not guilty against Isadore
Blumenfeld, Sam Kozberg, and Sam Kronick. Peter Valder and Charles
Albert Wolk had previously been discharged by virtue of a demurrer
to the indictment against them being sustained. On October 7, 1933,
Harvey J. Bailey, Albert L. Bates, R. G. Shannon, and Ora L. Shannon
WQIGeach sentenced to life imprisonment, Armon Shannon to 10years probation and Edward Barney Berman and Clifford skelley '
we IQeach sentenced to serve five years.
On September 4, 1933, Harvey J. Bailey, arrested on the
Shannon ranch on August 12 and who had previously escaped from the
Kansas State Penitentiary, escaped from the Dallas County Jail at
about 7:10 a.m. An examination of Bailey's cell, located on the
tenth floorsof the jail, disclosed that he had escaped by removing
three bars from his cell by means of hacksaws which had beene
smuggled to him together with a revolver. Bailey's freedom,
however, was short as he was taken into custody on the afternoon
of the same day of escape at Ardmore, Oklahoma. <_ _
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Investigation disclosed that the hncksaws and revolver
were smuggled in to Bailey by Thomas L. Manion, a deputy sheriff F
" and jailer at the Dallas county Jail, and that one Groover C. Bevill
of Dallas? Texas, had purchased the hacksaws and assisted Manion in
making it possible for Bailey to escape. For this offense Manion'
and Bevill were indicted at Oallas, Texas, on September 25, 1933,
and tried and convicted on October S. Manion was sentenced on
October 7 to pay a fine'of $10,000 and to serve two years in the
United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, and Bevill was sentenced
to serve 14 months in the same institution.
While the Bureau was collecting evidence for the trial
of Harvey J. Bailey, et al, at Oklahoma City, and for the trial
of Manion and Bevill at Dallas, Texas, it was also pursuing
efforts to apprehend George and Kathryn Kelly. During the trial
at Oklahoma City, they sent a number of threatening letters to
Urschel and Joseph B. Keeyan, Assistant Attorney General, who was
in charge of the prosecution at Oklahoma City, threatening their
lives and intimidating Government witnesses.
?HE F3¥L¥§ ARE QAPFURED I
An investigation conducted at Memphis disclosed that the
Kellys were living at the residence of J. C. Tichenor. Special Agents
from Birmingham, Alabama, were immediately dispatched to Memphis,
where, in the early morning hours of September 26, 1933, a raid was .
conducted and George and Kathryn Kelly taken into custody by FBI '
Agents and Memphis police. Caught without a weapon, George
Kelly cried, "D0nt't shoot, GMen! D0n't shoot Gehenl" as
he surrendered to FBI Agents. The term, which had applied
to all Federal investigators, became synonymous with FBI Agents.
The couple was immediately removed to Oklahoma City.
On October 12, 1933, George and Kathryn Kelly were
convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. -
Investigation at Coleman, Texas, disclosed that the
Kellys had been housed and protected by Cassey Earl Coleman and
will Casey, and that Coleman had assisted George Kelly in storing
$73,250 of the Urschel ransom money on his ranch. This money was
located by Bureau Agents in the early morning hours of September 27
in a cotton patch on Coleman's ranch. They were both indicted at _
Dallas, Texas, on October 4, 1933, charged with harbcring a fugitive
and conspiracy, and on October l7, 1933, Coleman, after entering a -
plea of guilty, was sentenced to serve one year and one day, and
Casey, after trial and conviction, was sentenced to serve two years
in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas.'ph _4,§g£;;g§$
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J. C. Tichenor and Langford Ramsey were indicted at
Jackson, Tennessee, on charges of conspiracy and harboring
and concealing a fugitive for their part in concealing the~-~-
Kellys at Memphis, Tennessee. On October 21, 1933, they were
eaohsentenced to serve two years and six months"imprisonment.-
Investigation has also disclosed that while the Kellys
were in Chicago, Illinois, they were shielded by Abe and Charles
Kaplan.
During the time in which Urschel was being held a kidnap
victim, Kathryn Kelly maintained a residence at Fort Worth, Texas.
She had been living with Louise Magness._ Shortly after the payment
of the ransom money, and in response to a telegram, Louise Magness
flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, where she joined
George and Kathryn Kelly. She then drove the Kellys to Brownwood,
Texas, and posing as the sister of George Kelly, purchased for
Kelly and his wife a 1928 Chevrolet sedan.
On February 22, 1934, Magness was indicted at Fort
Texas, charged harboring George and Kathryn Kelly. On April
1934, she entered a plea of guilty to serve one year and one
in the Federal Industrial Institution for Women at Alderson,
West Virginia.Worth,
30,
day
Investigation disclosed that Albert Bates had married
Mrs. Clara Feldman, who had a son, Edward George Feldman. Clara
Feldman had a brotherinlaw, Alvin H. Scott, who was also a close
associate of the abovementioned parties. After the Urschel kidnapin
Bates joined Clara and Edward Feldman in Denver, Colorado, and later
visited relatives in Portland, Oregon. Bates then returned to
Denver, Colorado, where he was arrested shortly thereafter.
Clara and Edward Feldman had no knowledge of Bates
arrest until a prisoner, who had recently been released from the
county jail in Denver, left at the Feldman apartment a message to
the effect that Bates was in custody and that Clara Feldman should
"l0Ok in the Suitcase." The suitcase was found to be filled with $20
bills. Clara and Edward Feldman then proceeded to Cheyenne, Wyoming,
where they buried this money.
Shortly thereafter Ben Laska, a Denver Attorney, comun
icated with the Feldmans, advised them that he was defending Bates,
and that he would get in touch with them when he needed some money.
Laska then took from Edward Feldman all identifying papers and
told Feldman to use the fictitious name of Axel C. Johnson. Laska -
advised Edward and Clara Feldman to go east and live in large cities
where their identities would not become known. Thereafter, at
Laska's request, Clara and Edward Feldman paid Laska $8,000 of this
ransom money to cover his expenses in the defense of Bates. , _ E;
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Laska then asked for a diagram of the place where the remaining
ransom money was buried. Edward Feldman furnished him with a
fictitious diagram. -r-_H
_ ~ - Laska subsequently demanded of Edward Feldman an 0 _
additional $2,000. By prearrangement Edward Feldman met Laska
at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the $2,000 of the Urschel ransommoney was delivered to Laska. "
__ On December 5, 1934,.C1ara Feldman advised Special Agents
of the location of additional ransom currency in the sum of $38,460
which had been cached away. On November 2, 1934, Alvin H. Scott,
a brother-inlaw of Clara Feldman was seriously injured in an auto-
mobile accident at Roseburg, Oregon. At the time of this accident,
Scott had in his possession $1,360 in Urschel ransom money. A
search of the premises of Alvin Scott disclosed the location of
the additional sum of $6,140 in Urschel ransom money. Clara Feldman
and Edward Feldman were taken into custody at Dunsmuir, California,
November 9, 1934, $1,100 in ransom currency being recovered from
their possession. Imediate questioning of them by Special Agents
disclosed the location of $1,520 additional ransom currency which
these parties had cached at a point near Woodland, Washington. Con-
tinued questioning of Alvin h. Scott disclosed the location of
additional ransom money in the sum of $5,000. '
On December 14, 1934, the following persons were indicted
by a Federal Grand Jury at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, charging them
with conspiracy to violate the Kidnaping Statute: Ben B. Laska,
James C. Mathers, Clara Feldman, Edward Feldman, and Alvin H. Scott.
Accordingly, Clara and Edward Feldman and Alvin Scott were removed.
to Oklahoma City. On December 17, 1934, Ben Laska was taken into '
custody by Agents in Oklahoma City. It was alleged that Mathers
had accepted from Laska $2,000 of the Urschel ransom money, with
knowledge of the character of the money.
On December 17, 1934, Clara Feldman entered a plea of
guilty to the indictment. Edward Feldman and Alvin Scott pleaded
guilty on January 2, 1935. Alvin Scott, Clara Feldman, and Edward
Feldman were sentenced on June 15, 1935, to serve five years each
in a Federal penitientiary. These sentences were suspended for
five years, and each placed on probation.
James C. Mathers and Ben Laska were tried in Federal
Court at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the trial commencing on June 10,
1935. On June 14, 1935, Mathers was acquitted by a directed
verdict. On June 15, 1935, Laska was sentenced to serve ten years
in a Federal penitentiary.
Laska was released on a $10,000 bond pending an appeal.
The U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit at
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at Denver, Colorado, on March 27, 1936, rendered a decision
affirming the District Court at Oklahoma City Oklahoma. Laska
surrendered to the U. S. Marshal at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,ion
August l, 1936, and was removed to the U. S. Penitentiary at Leaven*"
worth, Kansas, on the same date. . ,_ Z
1.
Mrs. Mollie 0. Bert, a Denver, Colorado, attorney, furnished
some untruthful testimony during the trial of Laska. As a result
of this testimony, a complaint was filed against Mrs. Bert at Oklahoma.
CityL_Ok1ahoma,.on June 15, 1936, charging her with perjury. She
was released on a $5,000 bond after a plea of not guilty.
On October 1, 1936, Mrs. Bert withdrew her plea of not
guilty and entered a plea of nolle contenders and was sentenced
on the same date to serve one year and one day imprisonment, which
sentence was suspended during good behavior for one year.
Twenty~one persons were convicted in this case, the sentences
to date being: six life sentences and other sentences totaling 58
years, two months, and three days.
George Machine Gun" Kelly died of a heart attack at the
Federal Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, on July l7,_l954.
Kathryn Kelly was released from prison in Cincinnati in 1958; she
was last known to be residing in Oklahoma.
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