Evening star., 1933-09-20
machine Gun" Kelly Sends
Note to Assistant U. S.
Attorney General.
URSCHEL TAKES STAND
IN SPITE OF WARNING
Federal Prosecutor Undaunted by
Fingerprinted Letter From
Chicago.
BY the Associated Press.

OhLAdOMA CITY, SeptemDer W.
The life of Joseph B. keenan,, Assistant
Attorney General leading the Nations
drive against crime, has been threat
ened by George (Machine Gum Kelly,
hdnaper and bandit. it was learned on
good authority today.
keenan, received the threat in an air
mail letter from Chicago at the end OF
yesterdays Federal Court session in
which Harvey Bailey, Albert Bates and
10 other persons are on trial for the
kidnapping of Charles F. Urschel, oil
millionaire.
Kelly, accused by the Government Of
having aided Bates in carving out tha
Urschell abduction, and his wife are
both at large.
Like another letter, likewise purport-
ing to have been written by Kelly and
received by the Daily Oklahoman yes
terday, the Keenan, threat bore the fin
gerprints to identify the writer. Fed
eral authorities were non-committal
about identification Of the fingerprints,
but it was learned both letters were
adjudged authentic.
Urschel Threat Reported.
There was an apparently well-foun led
rumor from the closely guarded Federal
Court that Urschel himself received a
threatening letter from Kelly just be-
fore he went on the witness stand yes
terday to tell the story of his nine days
captivity.
It was said the letters spoke OF cer-
tain ceremonies" that ARE going to
take place" The Ceremonies" were
taken to mean acts Of violence against
trial principals. The letters were said
to boast that Bailey and Bates will be
there to watch"
It was understood the letters brazenly
boasted that the $185 900 in Urschel
ransom money which has not been re-
covered is being held intact to organize
and pay of underworld forces for carry
ing out the death threats.
Families Under Guard.
The families of Urschel. United States
under heavy guard after receipt OF the
threats.
Herbert K. Hyde. United States at.
torney, revealed his family had been
removed to another city temporarily.
He said he believed "al these letters
from Kelly we're conceived right here
in our jails, sent to Chicago for mail
ing to Oklahoma City; If not in our
jails, then in our city,
HYDE said he sent his family away
after word from friends of the kidnap
suspects that his 4-year-old son might
be abducted He believed it was pos
sible that gangland hoped to quiet the
prosecutor by getting his boy"
The district attorney added:
II believe George Kelly IS IN town
today"
In the letter to the Oklahoman.
Kelly boasted he had been in Okla
homa City several times recently.
I'VE can expect anything Hyde
added. "Gangland is desperate"
THAT man IS marked" said keenan,.
"It may be month. or it may be
year, but he cannot escape the Govern
ment forces"
A short, thick-set, powerful figure of
a man, Keenan, termed Kelly, Bates and
Bailey "depraved criminals, that I
would rather call by prison number
than recognize by Christian names"
In every matter that will permit OF
indictment in State courts, with the
death penalty provided by law. the Gov
ernment will push further prosecution
in the State courts" keenan, declared.
VIII Seek Death Penalty.
His words were taken as a reitera-
tion of the Governments intention to
try Bates in State court here later on
a charge of robbery with firearms,
capital offense, and seek the death pen
atty. The charge would be based on the
robbery of Walter Jarrett, who was kid
naped with Urschel but released after
being robbed of s54. Kelly also would
be tried on the robbery charge If cap
tured alive.
Bailey faces murder charges at Kan
sas City in connection with the Union
Station massacre there June II and
Missouri officials have announced they
will seek to hang him.
Some call Harvey Bailey our Public
Enemy No. l." keenan, commented
II don't. In my opinion Bailey is just
q rat-typically cowardly-a man who
has never hesitated to use a machine
gun against an unarmed opponent and
never has seen fit to use one when op-
posed to people who are armed.
He wasn't an underworld hero when
he broke out of the Dallas Jail His
release obviously was the result of cor
ruption. He broke out when the United
States Government was trying to pro-
tect all his rights as a defendant"
The prosecutor characterized Bates
as "small-timer-a more ordinary rat
type than Bailey and not of very high
mentality-a common, depraved crimi-
nal"
And Kelly? He Is just brutal.
boasting. moral derelict. There Is
nothing romantic about him-just an
other rat who has had q lot of luck"