Page 72 - All About History - Issue 08-14

HOOVER’S WAR ON CRIME

could claim the credit. It made front-page news
in the newspapers and he smiled when he read
America had found their new tough guy on crime.
The Karpis arrest was stage-managed by
Hoover and his assistant director Clyde Tolson to
answer criticism from a Senate committee. They
were concerned by Hoover’s demands for more
powers for the FBI even though he had never
served in the field or personally made an arrest.
As with all criticism, Hoover took it personally
– so personally he saw to it that he would be
involved on the ground in the next big arrest.
To do so he personally chartered a special flight
down to New Orleans for him and 14 of his men
on 24-hour notice, which in the Thirties was an
astonishing feat and nearly impossible for most of
the population.
Not two years before he had overseen the arrest
of the man they said could never be caught; John
Dillinger. The criminal was becoming a folk legend
in the Midwest, targeting greedy banks, which
were seen to be the cause of the great depression.
As far as Hoover was concerned he was a common
criminal, ‘a beer-drinking plug-ugly’ that needed
to be arrested. The FBI track record on trying to
catch Dillinger was less than impressive, though. A
high-profile screw-up in April 1934, where agents
allowed Dillinger to escape from a hotel they had
apparently surrounded, caused no end of bad press
for Hoover and the FBI. Like his battles with the
Senate two years later it had also become personal;
Dillinger was taunting Hoover with postcards
saying he’d never catch him.
Then on 21 July 1934 one of his top agents
Alvin Karpis was ÔPublic Enemy No 1’ one during
received a tip-off regarding Dillinger’s hiding
the Thirties and was arrested in person by Hoover
place. At 10.30pm, FBI agents gathered outside
“As far as Hoover was concerned: ‘The the Biograph Theatre in Chicago and waited for
Dillinger to emerge. When he did, they instantly
only good criminal was a dead criminal’” opened fire, killing him in a hail of bullets. The
official story was that Dillinger was going for his
gun, although this has been disputed. It didn’t
matter, as far as Hoover was concerned: “The only
good criminal was a dead criminal.”
The agent in charge of the operation was Melvin
Purvis, who up until that point was a close friend
THE RED MENACE of Hoover’s and thus one of a very select group
within the ranks of the FBI. The press coverage he
Fear of the ‘red menace’, communist infiltration hysteria to smear political opponents through received for the Dillinger shoot-out was enormous
into American life, started in 1919 with high-profile investigations. They were little more but unfortunately for Purvis, Hoover didn’t like
Attorney General Mitchell Palmer heading up than show trials, though, and McCarthy quickly to share the media spotlight. As a way to try
a new anarchist/communist task force at the fell from favour because of the lack of solid regaining his popularity, Hoover contrived to get
Justice Department. Palmer began rooting evidence he presented. rid of him and on 10 July 1935 Purvis handed in
out suspected communist sympathisers and By the end of the Fifties, Hoover was one of
whipping up anti-communist hysteria as Hoover, few men still in a position of real power who his notice. Purvis’ secretary later said: “Unless you
then a new employee, helped Palmer disrupt believed communism was a domestic threat. continued to please the king, you didn’t continue as
communist activity. He gathered evidence on Martin Luther King was implicated as being a a favourite for very long.”
‘revolutionary’ and ultra-radical groups, which communist by Hoover, his civil-rights movement Back in Washington, questions also arose
led to thousands of suspected communists being claimed to be a mere front for communist regarding Hoover’s apparent relationship with
rounded up in brutal, heavy-handed raids that activities. All of these accusations were incorrect known mobster boss Frank Costello. It was at best
ultimately cost Palmer his career. The fear of and served only to discredit a campaign that had
communism did not disappear and in the Fifties condemned many thousands of innocent people inappropriate for any kind of relationship to exist
Senator Joseph McCarthy used the red menace to harassment by the federal government. between an FBI agent and a known criminal. So
what kind of message did it send to the US public
if the head of the FBI was arresting gangsters
one minute and consorting with them the next?
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