by Joe Urschel
“mass media.” See publicity
massacre. See Kansas City massacre
master suspect list
Mathers, James
closing arguments of
as Kelly lawyer
Mathias, Vi
McAlester, OK
McClain, Scott and Sayers
McDonald, Michael
McLaughlin, Leo Patrick
Medal of Honor
Meek, Howard
Memorial Day prison escapees
Memphis, TN, Kelly in
mentors
Mexico
Michigan Tavern
Miler, Tom
Miller, Verne
as “Assassin of Assassins”
death of
as escapee from Sherone Apartments
as identified by Nash, Frances
as main suspect in massacre
massacre led by
Mathias girlfriend of
in Ottumwa robbery
Silverman killed by
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Journal
Moley, Raymond
Moore, E. W.
Moran, Bugs
Morgan, Edward G., (“Big ED”)
Muehlebach Hotel
Mulloy, Frank
Nash, Frances
Nash, Frank (“Jelly”)
as Al Spencer gang member
death during massacre
Hoover outrage at escape of
in Hot Springs
Katy-Limited robbery of
Kelly mentored by
Leavenworth escape of
Nash, Frances, wife of
Nathan, Harold (“Pop”)
national crime hotline
Nelson, George (“Baby Face”)
Nevada
New Deal
New Jersey State Police
New York Times
courts protect criminality in
Hoover death coverage of
Lindbergh kidnap in
Slick coverage by
Nichols, Lew
Nitti, Frank
Norman, OK
North Dakota School of Science
O’Connell, John
O’Connor, John
O’Connor System
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City police
Oklahoma News
Orteig Prize
Ottumwa, IA
outlawed goods
Palmer, A. Mitchell
Paradise, TX
Patterson, Eleanor
Payne, Whitey
Pearson, Drew
Peifer, Jack
Pendergast, Tom
Phillips, Sir Percival
police. See law enforcement
Pollard, H. L.
Post, Wiley
Prairie Oil and Gas Company
Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City
prison strength
prisoner
health of
Leavenworth transfer of
Missouri Pacific transfer of
Prohibition ends
The Public Enemy
Public Enemy Number One
publicity. See also specific newspapers
in Associated Press
editorials on Hoover positive in
Hoover machine for
in International News Service
Kelly tough-guy image due to
for “Lindbergh Tour”
“mass media” as
movies as
newsreels cheered as
as Urschel letter to press
We (Lindbergh) as
Purple Gang
Purvis, Melvin
as killer of Dillinger
as killer of Floyd
Michigan Tavern stakeout by
R & R
Raasch, Fred
Ramsey, Della
Ramsey, Geneva
Ramsey, George
Ramsey, George, Jr.
Ramsey, Langford
Rayner, William
“Red Scare”
Reed, Otto
Reppert, Eugene
Richetti, Adam
Riley, E. F.
Roberts, John
Rogers, Stanley
Roosevelt, Eleanor
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (“FDR”). See FDR
Roosevelt, Teddy
Rorer, William A.
Ruth, Annette
Ruth, Babe
Salter, Leslie
Saltillo, MS
San Antonio, TX
Sankey, Verne
Sawyer, Frank
Sawyer, Harry (“Dutch”)
as Alcatraz inmate
Green Lantern tavern of
kidnap of Hamm through
Willmar robbery of
Sayers, Sam
Scotland Yard
Scripps Howard
“Secret Six”
Seeligson, Arthur
Seeligson, Lamar
Shaffer, Charles B.
Shannon, Armon (“Potatoes”)
as captured by Jones
confession of
Kelly and Bates named by
Kelly deal for
sentence of
son of Shannon, R.
as Urschel guard
Urschel kidnap trial of
Shannon, Oleta
Shannon, Ora
as captured by Jones
confession of
death of
Kelly deal for
as Kit mother
life sentence of
release from prison of
Urschel kidnap trial of
West Virginia prison of
as wife of Shannon, R.
Shannon, Robert (“Boss”)
as captured by Jones
clemency for
Kelly deal for
as Kit stepfather
life sentence of
Paradise farm of
as Urschel guard
Urschel kidnap trial of
Shannon, Ruth
Shannon deal of Kelly
Sherone Apartments
Shields, Rome
Silverman, Sammy
Skelly, Clifford
Slick, OK
Slick, Thomas B.
as discover of Cushing oil field
as King of the Wildcatters
Kirkpatrick close friend of
New York Times on
Oklahoma City discovery of
as publicity averse
Urschel, B., widow of
Urschel, C., employed by
Slick, Tom Jr.
Smith, Frank
Smith, J. Earl
Smith, Sumpter
Snatch Racket. See kidnapping
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southwest Foundation for Research and Education
Spirit of St. Louis
Springtown, AR
St. Louis, MO
St. Paul, MN
bank robbing center of
criminal empire of
Dutch Green Lantern tavern in
Nash, Frank, intended hideout
Urschel ransom laundered in
wedding of Kit and Kelly in
St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul police
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
Steinhardt, Robert
Stinnett, Jack
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
Supreme Court, IL
Suydam, Hugh
Swinney, J. W.
Ten Thousand Public Enemies (Cooper)
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
Thorne, Charlie
Tichenor, Al
Tom Slick Oil Company
Touhy, Roger
Travis, T. A.
Tulsa, OK
Tulsa Tribune
U. S. Conference of State Executives
Underhill, Wilbur
Union Station, Kansas City, MO
Urschel.
See Urschel, Charles
Urschel, Berenice
Betty daughter of
death of
Jones with
kidnap report of
as publicity savvy
Seeligson, A. and L., brothers-in-law of
Slick, T., widow of
threats and false leads for
Urschel, C., wife of
Urschel, Charles
Bailey parole support from
Bates exchanged letters with
bodyguard fired by
business of
death of
fortune of
Frye, P., support from
inheritance from Slick for
Kelly letter to
kidnap fears of
Kirkpatrick close friend of
Kit notes fortune of
ransom recovery by
as resourceful
Urschel, Charles, kidnapping
Catlett go-between for
getaway cars seen in
Hoover assigns Colvin to
Jarrett identifies Kelly in
Jones lead Bureau agent for
Kirkpatrick ransom delivery man in
Moore kidnapper pseudonym in
Paradise, TX kidnappers lair in
publicity immediate on
publicity ruse in
ransom demands in
ransom divided in
ransom payment debrief in
ransom process in
release or kill Urschel debate in
Rogers and Stanley work with Colvin in
Seeligson, A., raised ransom for
talkative captor clues in
threats and false leads for
Urschel abduction in
Urschel death threat in
Urschel debrief post-release in
Urschel prisoner in
Urschel release in
Urschel, Charles, kidnapping, manhunt for
Arnold, G., Kelly hostage in
Arnold, L., arrested in
Bailey captured in
Bailey move to Oklahoma City
Bailey not part of
Bates captured in
Bureau lauded in
Hoover angry during
Hoover organizer of
indictments in
Kelly Coleman reunion in
Kelly disguised during
Kelly elusive during
Kelly hide at Coleman in
Kelly implicates Jarrett in
Kelly Memphis capture in
Kelly moved to Oklahoma City
Kelly threats in
Kellys blame each other
Kit blames in
manhunt nationwide in
Michigan Tavern stakeout in
Miller escape in
Nathan leads ground operations in
Paradise lair in
publicity on
ransom money
Rorer as Kelly captor in
Salter on grand jury for
Salter prosecutor in
Sayers as Kit lawyer in
secrecy need in
Shannon and Bailey to Dallas jail in
Shannon captured in
Shannon confessions in
Shannon deal in
Shannon to Oklahoma City in
Urschel identify Bates in
Urschel letter to press in
Vaught grand jury judge in
witness protection during
Urschel, Charles, kidnapping trial
Arnold, F., testimony in
Arnold, G., testimony in
Arnold, L., testimony in
Bates, Bailey, Shannon on trial in
Coleman family testimony in
Colvin testimony in
Hyde close in
Keenan close in
Kelly plead not guilty in
Kelly trial in
Kit testimony in
Mathers close in
media reports of
Rorer testimony in
Shannon testimony in
Urschel, C., testimony in
Vaught jury instructions in
Vaught sentencing in
Vaught, Edgar S.
jury instructions of
Kelly threats for
sentencing by
Shannon deal rejected by
as Urschel friend
Vetterli, Reed
Villa, Pancho
Waggoner, Guy
Wagnon, Hugh
Walsh, Thomas
“war on crime”
Alcatraz in
big arrests in
heightened priority of
“new deal” of
Washington Herald
Washington Post
Watts, John
We (Lindbergh)
wealthy
weapons
criminal superiority of
federal agents lack of
federal agents unfamiliarity with
high-powered rifles as
machine gun as
mounted guns as
pistols as
regulating sale of
sawed-off shotgun as
“war wagon” guns as
Weatherford, Ed
Weaver, Bill
western outlaws
Wheeler, Burton
White, James (“Doc”)
Willmar, MN
Winkler, Gus
Winstead, Charles
Wise County, TX
witness protection
Wood, William F.
Woodruff, Grady
Woolverton, Florence
Woolverton, Howard
Worlds Fair
Wright, Glenn Leroy
Young, Harry
Ziegler, George (“Shotgun”)
Effects of dust storms on Oklahoma farms.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
Union Station, scene of the Kansas City Massacre.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
The Urschel home, in Oklahoma City, where the kidnapping took place.
(COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN)
Berenice and Charles Urschel
(COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN)
J. Edgar Hoover
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
Hoover and Melvin Purvis, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau’s Chicago office.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
Joseph Keenan, head of the Department of Justice Criminal Division.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
Attorney General Homer Cummings leaves the White House after conferring with President Franklin Roosevelt.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
George “Machine Gun” Kelly under the guard of heavily armed law enforcement officers.
(COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN)
George and Kathryn Kelly during the trial.
(COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN)
Charles Urschel in court.
(COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN)
President Franklin Roosevelt addresses a conference on crime with Attorney General Homer Cummings in 1934.
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
Alcatraz
(LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOE URSCHEL is Executive Director of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C., where he previously was the Executive Director of the Newseum. Urschel is a former managing editor of USA Today, where he also served as a senior correspondent and columnist. He also worked for the Detroit Free Press as a reporter, critic, and editor. His journalism honors include awards from the National Association of Newspaper Columnists, the National Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, and an Emmy. He lives in Virginia. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Author’s Note
Introduction: The Call
Chapter 1: George and Kathryn Go to Work
Chapter 2: A Massacre in Kansas City
Chapter 3: The Kidnapping Scourge
Chapter 4: The Abduction
Chapter 5: Welcome to Paradise
Chapter 6: The Delivery
Chapter 7: The Manhunt
Chapter 8: Catching Kelly
Chapter 9: The Kellys’ Trial
Chapter 10: The G-men Take the Spotlight
Chapter 11: Alcatraz and the Irredeemables
Epilogue
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index
Photographs
About the Author
Copyright
THE YEAR OF FEAR. Copyright © 2015 by Joe Urschel. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Photo-illustration © Reginald Polynice
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-02079-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-02080-2 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250020802
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: September 2015