The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-30
"BABY FACE" NELSON


i law enforcement officer in
the matter Of gun-play is
illustrated perfectly by the case Of
George wBaby Face") Nelson -
christened Lester E. ellis - who
murdered three Omen before they
ended his kill-crazy career at the
Battle Of Darlington"
Some critics of ]. Edgar Hoover's
special agents have claimed the
sharp shooting F. B. I. men "exe-
cuted" some members of the Dill
inger gang without giving them "a
chance"
If there can be any just criticism
OF the agents in the Nelson case,
it Is that they gave "Baby Face"
too many chances.
This thrice-paroled gangster shot
down special Agent w. Carter Baum
near the Little Bohemia inn, Mer-
Ger, Wis, in the most cold-blooded
fashion. Baum, the F. B. I. files
show, did not have any opportunity
to defend himself.
Nelson ordered John Paul Chase
to open fire with an automatic rifle
on two F. B. I. agents whose official
status he only suspected. That was
just before the fatal harrington
battle.
He turned machine gun on In
spector Samuel P. Cowley and Spe-
cial Agent H. E. Hollis as they
were getting out of their car to
demand his surrender, after hav-
ing overtaken him near harrington.
Ill.
It was only after the deadly bull
lets from Nelson's and Chase's guns
were pumping into his body that
Cowley turned his own machine gun
on them-fatally wounding Nelson.
During the 70-mile-an-hour chase
which Immediately preceded this
battle, Inspector Cowley had ample
opportunity to fire his machine gun
at Nelson's car.
Cowley apparently thought of the
possibility that the man and woman
with Nelson were innocent citizens,
kidnapped by Nelson in his fight.
The inside story of gunplay in
the Nelson case goes back to the
cold night of April %, 1884, when
Agent Baum, Agent j. c. Newman
and Constable Carl Christensen left
the raided Little Bohemia inn to
investigate disturbance" re-
ported from nearby farm.
The officers drove to the farm
and pulled alongside an automobile.
parked without lights in the drive
way. The constable had recognized
the car as one belonging to a res
ldent OF the community.
AS the agents car stopped, a
man, later identified as Nelson,
jumped out Of the parked automo.
bile and ordered the officers out.
Without waiting for them to COM
ply, Nelson began firing at them
point blank with an automatic
pistol.
Baum was killed instantly. New
man was knocked unconscious by
a bullet that grazed his forehead.
christensen also was rendered un-
conscious by serious bullet wound.
Newman recovered his senses in
time to fire several futile shots at
Nelson, who disappeared in the
darkness.
Hoover assigned Inspector Cow
icy, one OF his most trusted aides,
to the job Of hunting down Dillinger,
BABY Face" Nelson and other
members of their gang.
In the. course of this investiga-
ton, hotel keeper at Lake Geneva,
Wis, told F. B. 1. agents he sus-
pected that some previous guests
at MS hotel were members of the
Dillinger gang.
Cowley, with the cooperation of
the hotel man, assigned two agents
10 take room in the hotel keepers
nome and await the return of Mel
son and Chase. He stationed other
agents in and about the hotel. dis
guised as employees. The surveil-
lance continued uneventfully for
weeks.
Then, on the afternoon OF Novem-
Der n, 1884, in the absence of the
hotel man, the agents at the house
saw va sedan stop in front OF
the house. Two men and a woman
were in It, The visitors. whose
identities could not be Determined
by the agents, left quickly after
getting no immediate response to
their knock.
The agents telephoned the Chi
cago Office of the F.. B. / abou,
the mysterious visitors, giving the
license number of their car - III
e39-578. ~
AZ the car containing this trio