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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.