Melvin Purvis
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| Melvin Horace Purvis, Jr. | |
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| Born | October 24, 1903 Timmonsville, South Carolina |
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| Died | February 29, 1960 (aged 56) Florence, South Carolina |
| Cause of death | Apparent suicide |
| Education | University of South Carolina |
| Employers | FBI |
| Spouse | Marie Rosanne Willcox Purvis |
| Children | Melvin Horace Purvis III (1940-1986) ) Alston W. Purvis (b. 1943 ) Christopher Peronneau Purvis (1950-1984) |
| Parents | Janie Elizabeth Mims (1874-1927) Melvin Horace Purvis, Sr. (1866-1938) |
Melvin Horace Purvis, Jr. (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an American lawman and FBI agent. He had the nickname "Little Mel."[1]
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[edit] Birth
He was born in Timmonsville, South Carolina to Melvin Horace Purvis, Sr. (1869-1938) and Janie Elizabeth Mims (1874-1927) as the fifth of twelve siblings.[2][3] His father was a tobacco farmer.
[edit] Career
Purvis received his law degree from the University of South Carolina and had a brief career as a lawyer.[4] He joined the FBI in 1927, and headed the Division of Investigation offices in Birmingham, Alabama, Oklahoma City, and Cincinnati. In 1932 he was placed in charge of the Chicago office by Hoover.[5]
Purvis led the manhunts that tracked such outlaws as Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd, but he is best remembered for leading the manhunt for John Dillinger, which ended in Chicago on July 22, 1934. Waiting outside the air-conditioned Biograph Theater on a hot summer night, Purvis called out to the famous outlaw, "Stick 'em up, Johnny." Dillinger was shot dead by FBI agents, while going for his gun.[citation needed] Purvis was given great acclaim for his actions[6] and reportedly incurred the wrath of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who had previously praised him. In a book co-authored by Purvis's son Alston Purvis, it is stated that Hoover was jealous of the attention given to Purvis after Dillinger was killed.[7]
However, at least one of Purvis' official accounts of his exploits was later called into question. The account of the death of Pretty Boy Floyd, which indicated Purvis and his agents had killed Floyd with no assistance from local law enforcement was later discounted by the local East Liverpool, Ohio officer Chester Smith, who many agree first shot Floyd, with that officer further stating that Purvis and his agents never fired until after Floyd was questioned by Purvis, at which point Purvis ordered Agent Herman Hollis to shoot Floyd, who was laying on the ground. That claim was discounted later by FBI Agent Winfred E. Hopton, who claimed in a 1976 Time Magazine article that local law enforcement did not arrive until after Floyd had died. However, on that point, Hopton's claim seems weak, as local authorities all agreed that Chester Smith did in fact shoot Floyd. Neither claim has been clearly proven one way or the other. Purvis resigned from the FBI in 1935 and afterward practiced law.[8] In 1937 he became engaged to the actress Janice Jarratt, but they never married.[9][10][11] He later would marry and have three sons.[5] He bought a radio station in Florence, South Carolina, and during World War II he served in the army as a colonel.
[edit] Death
On February 29, 1960, while at his home in Florence, South Carolina, Melvin Purvis died from a shot fired from the gun given to him by fellow agents when he resigned from the FBI. The FBI investigated the shooting and labeled it a suicide. This was supported by a statement from his doctor, who said he had been depressed over his ill health.[12][13] It was later determined that Purvis may have shot himself accidentally while trying to extract a tracer bullet jammed in the pistol.[5] He was 56 years old.
[edit] Publications
- Purvis, Melvin (1938). American Agent. Garden City Publishing Co..[14][4]
[edit] Other media
- In the 1973 film Dillinger, Purvis was portrayed by Ben Johnson.
- In the 1974 TV movie, Melvin Purvis, G-man, Purvis was played by Dale Robertson
- In the 1991 TV movie Dillinger, Purvis was portrayed by actor Will Patton.
- In the upcoming 2009 movie Public Enemies directed by Michael Mann he will be played by Christian Bale.
[edit] References
- ^ "The John Dillinger Story: Little Bohemia." Crime Library.
- ^ South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1955; "Melvin H Purvis Sr."; died on 16 January 1938
- ^ Purvis, Alston; and Tresinowski, Alex (2005). The Vendetta: FBI Hero Melvin Purvis's War Against Crime and J. Edgar Hoover's War Against Him. Public Affairs. ISBN 1-58648-301-3.
- ^ a b "American Agent — Melvin H. Purvis — Doubleday, Doran ($2.75).", Time (magazine), Monday, November 23, 1936. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ a b c People & Events: Melvin Purvis, 1903-1960. American Experience. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ Melvin Purvis acting as spokesman for Dodge automobiles, Good Housekeeping magazine, April 1936.
- ^ Purvis, Alston; and Tresinowski, Alex (2005). The Vendetta: FBI Hero Melvin Purvis's War Against Crime and J. Edgar Hoover's War Against Him. Public Affairs, pp 183+. ISBN 1-58648-301-3.
- ^ "Gangsters' Foe Resigns. Melvin Purvis Leaves His Department of Justice Post in Chicago.", Los Angeles Times, July 13, 1935. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. "Melvin Purvis, nemesis of some of the country's most notorious public enemies, including the late John Dillinger, has resigned his position as head of the Chicago office of the Department of Justice."
- ^ "Milestones", Time (magazine), Monday, May 10, 1937. Retrieved on 2008-04-21. "Engagement Broken. Between Melvin Horace Purvis Jr., 34, famed onetime G-Man who now practices law in San Francisco; and beauteous Janice ("Toots") Jarratt, cinemactress, onetime Lucky Strike model, "Sweetheart of the Texas Centennial"; in San Antonio, Tex., three days before the wedding date."
- ^ "Melvin Purvis to Wed Janice Jarratt, Actress.", Washington Post, March 18, 1937. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ "Purvis and Actress Part. Wedding to Miss Jarratt Is Off, Former G-Man Heads for Coast.", New York Times, April 28, 1937. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. "Janice Jarratt and Melvin Purvis went their separate ways tonight, both noncommittal on the sudden postponement of their marriage only two days before their wedding date."
- ^ "Purvis Suicide in Carolina Home. F.B.I. Agent Trapped Dillinger; Lawyer, 56, Was in Ill Health -- Led Men in Killing of Pretty Boy Floyd.", Associated Press in New York Times, March 1, 1960. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ "Purvis, FBI Gang War Leader, Takes Own Life. Former G-Man Depressed and Suffering Poor Health, Doctor Tells Authorities.", Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1960. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. "Melvin Purvis, whose FBI teams shot down John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd in bloody gangster cleanups of the 1930s. died by his own hand today."
- ^ "American Agent. By Melvin Purvis. Illustrated with photographs. 291 pp. Garden City: Doubleday, Doran & Co. $2.75.", New York Times, November 22, 1936. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
[edit] Further reading
- One Account of the Death of Pretty Boy Floyd
- Potter, Claire (1998). War on Crime: Bandits, G-Men, and the Politics of Mass Culture. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-2487-3.
- Purvis, Alston; and Tresinowski, Alex (2005). The Vendetta: FBI Hero Melvin Purvis's War Against Crime and J. Edgar Hoover's War Against Him. Public Affairs. ISBN 1-58648-301-3.
