Harvey Bailey
Encyclopedia
Harvey John Bailey called "The Dean of American Bank Robbers", had a long criminal career. One of the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s, walking off with over $1 million during that time, Bailey is almost forgotten today.
, Bailey robbed his first bank circa 1920 and his last in Kingfisher, Oklahoma
on September 9, 1933. He was incarcerated in the Kansas State Prison on July 8, 1932 until he escaped on June 1, 1933 during a breakout in which the warden was kidnapped and used as a human shield. He was recaptured and found guilty of complicity in the Urschel Kidnapping and was sentenced to life in prison on October 7, 1933. Originally sent to Leavenworth, he was transferred to Alcatraz
on September 1, 1934. He was returned to Leavenworth in 1946 and transferred in 1960 to Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution in Texas, where he remained until he was released on March 30, 1964.
One of the many possible suspects listed as one of the four assassins in the St. Valentines Day Massacre is Fred "Killer" Burke. In his 1973 autobiography, however, Bailey insisted that he and Burke were planning a bank robbery together in Calumet City, Illinois
, about 20 miles south of the massacre site, at the time the massacre took place.
Harvey Bailey died peacefully in Joplin, Missouri
on March 1, 1979 at the age of 91.
His career
Born in West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Bailey robbed his first bank circa 1920 and his last in Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Kingfisher is a city in and the county seat of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,380 at the 2000 census. It is the former home and namesake of Kingfisher College.-History:...
on September 9, 1933. He was incarcerated in the Kansas State Prison on July 8, 1932 until he escaped on June 1, 1933 during a breakout in which the warden was kidnapped and used as a human shield. He was recaptured and found guilty of complicity in the Urschel Kidnapping and was sentenced to life in prison on October 7, 1933. Originally sent to Leavenworth, he was transferred to Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
on September 1, 1934. He was returned to Leavenworth in 1946 and transferred in 1960 to Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution in Texas, where he remained until he was released on March 30, 1964.
One of the many possible suspects listed as one of the four assassins in the St. Valentines Day Massacre is Fred "Killer" Burke. In his 1973 autobiography, however, Bailey insisted that he and Burke were planning a bank robbery together in Calumet City, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, about 20 miles south of the massacre site, at the time the massacre took place.
Harvey Bailey died peacefully in Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
on March 1, 1979 at the age of 91.
Further reading
- Breuer, William B. J. Edgar Hoover and His G-Men. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0-275-94990-7
External links
- Harvey Bailey at Find-A-Grave