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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