September 22, 1933, will be etched in the memories of Chicagoans as a day of bloodshed and brazen thievery. An army of police, directed by radio, launched a manhunt for five gangsters who pulled off a daring heist in the heart of the city, leaving a trail of destruction and death in their wake. The gang, believed to be members of the notorious Harvey Bailey gang, struck at 1:30 pm when they robbed two Federal Reserve Bank messengers in the Loop, making off with currency and negotiable paper.
But the true horror of the heist unfolded when police tried to apprehend the gang. A policeman was shot to death in the ensuing chaos, as the gangsters fled through the downtown streets behind a smoke screen created by their specially built automobile. The getaway car was abandoned, but police found three or four bags of registered mail still tied to the vehicle. It wasn’t long before detectives discovered well-thumbed road maps of Oklahoma and Kansas beneath the seats, hinting at the gang’s true intentions.
The investigation led police to suspect that the gang was linked to the Harvey Bailey gang, responsible for the kidnaping of Charles F. Urschel, an Oklahoma oil millionaire. As the gang fled, they changed automobiles frequently, commandeering those of passing motorists to evade capture. Police from 72 towns in the area were called in to aid in the manhunt.
The list of suspects included George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, a notorious Southwestern bad man who had threatened the lives of Urschel and federal prosecutors in a letter postmarked from Chicago. The letter, sent to the Oklahoma City trial, sent shivers down the spines of law enforcement officials, who knew they were dealing with a ruthless and cunning adversary.
As the manhunt continues, one thing is clear: the Bailey gang will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Their brazen heist in Chicago is a stark reminder of the dangers of organized crime and the lengths to which these gangs will go to get what they want. The people of Chicago demand justice, and it’s up to the police to deliver.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Organized Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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