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V4 2001 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 4, Number 49, December 2, 2001, Article 11 URSCHEL KIDNAPPING - "MACHINE GUN KELLY" On July 22, 1933, Charles F. Urschel, "a millionaire oilman who had married the widow of legendary oil magnate Tom Slick" was kidnapped by Machine Gun Kelly and his gang: "... Harvey Bailey had shown up at the Shannon ranch. He borrowed Kelly's machine gun, used it to rob a bank in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on August 9, then returned to the ranch. After splitting the $200,000 ransom, Kelly and Bates each gave Bailey $500 of the ransom bills, in payment of Kelly's old debt, and advised him to "beat it" as the place was "hot." His two companions left, as did the Kellys and Bates, but Bailey, suffering from a leg wound sustained during his recent prison break, elected to remain a while. The Kellys and Bates headed for Minneapolis, where they split up, after selling part of the ransom. George and Kathryn left the Twin Cities on August 5. The Urschel bills, whose serial numbers had been recorded, had drawn the FBI to the area. On the same day, Isidore "Kid Cann" Blumenfeld, Minneapolis crime boss, and his men Sam Kronick, Sam Kozberg, Edward "Barney" Berman and Clifford Skelly were arrested for passing ransom money. Only Berman and Skelly would be convicted of this. On August 12, the Shannon ranch was raided. A party of FBI agents, Dallas and Fort Worth officers, including Weatherford and Swinney, and Charles Urschel himself, swooped in and arrested Robert and Ora Shannon, Armon and Oleta Shannon and Harvey Bailey. Bailey was caught sleeping on a porch, with a .351 Winchester, a .45 automatic and Kelly's Thompson at his side, by Special Agent Gus Jones, who headed the investigations of both the Urschel kidnapping and the Kansas City Massacre. Jones considered Bailey a prime suspect in both. $700 of the Urschel money was taken from Bailey." [Urschel was released unharmed. -Editor] http://www.oklahombres.org/kelly.htm

Wayne Homren, Editor

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