GEORGE “MACHINE GUN” KELLY

By Lauren Head

BACKGROUND

Born in 1895 in Memphis, Tennessee

Wealthy family, uneventful childhood

Studied agriculture at Mississippi State University

Always in trouble with the faculty and spent most

of his time working off demerits.

Considered a poor student with his highest grade

(a C plus)

BACKGROUND CONT.

Married Geneva Ramsey at age 19• Divorced soon after• According to her, divorced because he was “running bad

company.”• Had two sons together

Was a bootlegger throughout his teens

Also known for kidnapping and armed robbery

Married Kathryn Thorne who was a bad influence on

him

BACKGROUND CONT.

She bought him a machine gun and pressured him

to practice

Many believe Kathryn created George “Machine

Gun” Kelly

CRIME HISTORY

He was in trouble with the law from his teenage

years and on

First jail time in 1927 for bootlegging• Only for a few months in New Mexico• A few years later, arrested again for bootlegging in

Kansas• Spent time with bank robbers

CRIME HISTORY

He is believed to have helped two of them out of

jail• After his release, he met up with them and robbed

banks together

Kathryn and Kelly plotted the kidnapping of an oil

tycoon and business man, Charles F. Urschel.• They kidnapped him and held him at a ranch for

$200,000 ransom

GUILTY

Urschel remembered many things while being

kidnapped which helped the FBI with their investigation

Kathryn and Kelly state hopped in order to stay ahead

of law officials

The FBI used the bills that payed the ransom to find

Kelly• These bills had traceable serial records which the FBI

used to trace Kelly

GUILTY

Kathryn and Kelly continued to state hop but then

ended up staying at a friends house in Memphis

Memphis police, along with FBI agents, found

them at the house and made a violent forced entry

Hung over, Kelly told the police, “G-men, please

don’t shoot!”

GUILTY

The couple was flown to Oklahoma where they stood trial and

were both sentenced life in prison

Enough proof was provided from catching the whole “Kelly

Gang”

After being difficult with jail officials, he was transferred to

Alcatraz

His life was uneventful in Alcatraz and he regretted his criminal

actions

He died of a heart attack on his 59th birthday

THEORY

The theory that best explains his deviant behavior is a mixture

of two theories. I think that George Kelly’s deviance can be

descirbed through the Differential-Assosiation theory. I think

this because he didn’t become a very big criminal until he

married Kathryn. She turned him into the criminal that he

became and he was always around her so he had no other

choice. When he was in jail without her, he regretted his

actions and realized they were bad. He wasn’t truly a criminal

without her.

THEORY CONT.

I also think that George Kelly’s deviance can be described

through the anomie theory. I think this because he wasn’t

making ends meet and he resulted to bootlegging for money

for his family. He also conformed to his wife’s actions.

Another example of why his deviance is the anomie theory is

the fact that they kidnapped someone and held him ransom for

$200,000. This is a great example of innovation and although

his wife mostly thought of it, he helped execute this crime.

OPINION QUESTION

I think that Machine Gun Kelly should have had a chance to be

rehabilitated. He basically did this himself when he was in

Alcatraz. He was considered a “model” inmate because he took a

job as an altar boy at a chapel and also worked in the laundry. If

he had the chance, he definitely would have taken the choice of

rehabilitation and I believe he deserves it because it would have

changed him for the better. Fellow inmates said that he wrote

apologies to Urshel because he felt really bad about what he did.

There is good in everyone and he should have gotten another

chance to show this.