Lot 221

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Purvis Melvin

FBI Special Agent Melvin Purvis Issues Instructions to Fellow Agents Just Months Before They Killed Public Enemies Dillinger, Floyd, and Nelson

 

MELVIN PURVIS, Carbon Copy of Typed Memorandum Signed, to all special agents in the Chicago office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, May 7, 1934, Chicago, Illinois, with enclosures. 8 pp., 8" x 10.5" to 8" x 13". Expected folds; some rust from paper clip; metal staples intact; wrinkles to first carbon copy page.

 

Melvin Purvis, the Special Agent in charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent this memorandum and attachments to his special agents in the same year that he and they successfully tracked down and killed notorious gangsters John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson. Purvis and his agents killed John Dillinger on July 22 in Chicago, Pretty Boy Floyd on October 22 in eastern Ohio, and Baby Face Nelson on November 27 in Barrington, Illinois. The FBI had identified each in turn as Public Enemy No. 1.

 

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover issued these directives to streamline the movement of arrested criminals from one federal jurisdiction to another and to prevent agents from testifying in court about the details of the FBI’s fingerprint recovery capabilities.

 

Excerpts:

 

Purvis to Special Agents, May 7, 1934

 

“I have received from the Division, copies of a memorandum from Hon. Joseph B. Keenan, Assistant Attorney General, which is attached hereto.”

 

Director J. Edgar Hoover Memorandum, signed in type by Joseph B. Keenan, March 1, 1934

 

“In order to expedite the removal of defendants arrested in one district for trial in another district there is attached herewith a form of waiver which, if signed by a defendant, should eliminate all but purely formal proceedings. In the case where a defendant is willing, his signature duly witnessed should be secured, preferably in duplicate. When he is taken before the United States Commissioner, one copy of the waiver, duly signed, should be given to that official, the other being retained by your agent or the United States Attorney.”

 

Waiver Form

“I, the undersigned, charged with violating Sec. ____, Title ____, U.S.C.A., do hereby waive hearing before any court, judge, commissioner or magistrate in this district and all other proceedings for removal therefrom, and agree that the judge of this district may forthwith issue, and the marshal execute, a warrant for my removal therefrom to the _____ District of ______ to answer there any proceedings begun in, or processes issuing from, the District Court of the United States of the said district against me."

 

“I make this waiver voluntarily and not through fear or because of any favor or promise of reward.”

 

Purvis to Special Agents, May 2, 1934, signed in type:

 

“I am quoting below letter received from the Division recently, which is self-explanatory:

 

‘It has been recently called to my attention that in connection with the trial concerning an extortion case, a Special Agent of this Division was called to testify in connection with the investigation with regard to fingerprint identification. The United States Attorney handling the prosecution in behalf of the Government questioned the Special Agent as to the manner in which latent fingerprints were developed and as to the infallibility of the process. In response to these questions propounded the Agent stated that the Latent prints were developed by powders and volunteered to conduct the experiment in open court.

 

'In this particular case the Special Agent, fortunately, was able to make a successful demonstration. However, I wish to call your attention to the fact that it is entirely possible that such a demonstration by an employee not an expert might not be handled with satisfactory results on every occasion, as on many occasions it is not possible to bring out latent prints owing to the porous condition of the object. It can be readily seen that a failure in any particular instance would have had an extremely bad effect upon any cases of this character that might arise in the future, coupled with the further objection that spectators in the court room, which possibly included gangsters, are informed as to the method used by the Division in securing latent prints, with the consequent result that every precaution would be taken against leaving prints on objects in the future.

 

‘I wish that you would impart the information set forth above to the Special Agents assigned to your office in order to eliminate, if possible, a demonstration of such a character being conducted in open court....’”

 

Melvin Purvis (1903-1960) was born in South Carolina and received a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Purvis joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1927, and in 1932, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover placed him in charge of the Chicago office. Purvis led successful manhunts for gangsters Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and John Dillinger. Hoover was annoyed by the publicity Purvis received and demoted him. In 1936, Purvis published a memoir of his years with the FBI, titled American Agent. During World War II, Purvis served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer, reaching the rank of colonel. He helped compile evidence against Nazi leaders for the Nuremberg trials, held from November 1945 to October 1946. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in South Carolina, likely a suicide.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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