Evening star., 1951-01-21
By the Associated Press

Inc rbl S famous uSJ OF IL
moSt-wanted men" is constantly
changing-and that makes the
FBI pretty proud.
The reason is that the wanted
men are constantly being picked
up. For example, eight of those
on the list a year ago have since
been taken into custody.
AS one mans name is chalked
off, another's is substituted. The
FBI last week put on the list the
names of a rubber-check expert
and far-ranging holdup man.
For the success in seizing the
men. FBI Director j. Edgar Hoo
yer gives a large measure of
credit to the cooperation of
newspapers, magazines and broad
casting stations in publicizing the
list, printing photographs and de-
scribing the appearance and op-
Grating methods of the Nation S
top fugitives.
Publicity UncOvers Three.
Three of last years pickups are
directly attributed to such pub
licity.
A typical example of how this
works occurred in the latest ar
rest among the "top TO-" which
came off on December Is at Madi-
son, Wis.
A Madison merchant, Tipping
through magazine, found him
self looking at picture of a
man who had worked in his store
temporarily a short time before.
Below the picture was the identi-
flcation-Morris Guralnick, New
York State Jail breaker, charged
with stabbing a former girl friend.
The merchant notified the local
police, who called in the FBI.
A tracer quickly established that
Guralnick was living in a rented
room and clerking in a clothing
store. When special agents con-
fronted him there, he turned to
flee. running through a glass
showcase. only to be overpowered.
Sometimes pure chance figures
in the arrests of most-wanted men
who have elaborately covered up
their trails. The G-men last June
were doing a little shadowing of
a group Of men in Indianapolis
when, out of a clear blue sky,
Henry Harland Shelton, convicted
Indiana murderer and jail
breaker, long sought, showed up
among them.
Wounded and Captured.
The agents closed in on him in
front of a cafe and, as Shelton
drew gun. opened fire. Shelton
was taken, badly wounded. One
agent was shot through the hand.
With the decline of the mobs
that flourished 20 years ago. it's
been a long time since the list has
had John Dillinger or an Alvin
Karpis. Mostly, nowadays, it's
the individual or small group op-
orator who makes the list, and
there are still plenty in the field.
Mr.. Hoover said in a report last
year that a serious crime is COM
mitted in this country every 18
seconds.
The crimes of the top 10 listings
cover a wide range of offenses,
but nearly all who make the list
have something in common: Al
most every time the case history
reflects a misstep very early in
life, a progressive move into more
serious offenses, and eventually a
fixed pattern of criminality in a
specialized field.
According to the FBI, Courtney
Townsend Taylor, check -passer
added to the list this week, started
his shady career at the age of 10
by stealing 81 from his mothers
purse.
The bureau says that thereafter:
Taylor, while still in grammar
school in Newport, R. l., developed
a Saturday racket of riding his
bicycle into the country to run
down chickens which he took back
into town to sell at 81 each.
At II, he went to a Connecticut