Ear on Chicago; Fbi

That radio call you heard came into the radio room in the office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago. That call was placed on December 2, 1955 and FBI radio car parked in front of a hotel in the loop. An notorious hoodlum who claims he is Joe Nunn is being escorted by FBI agents into the waiting automobile. In the small circle there is only the distinctive silence that immediately surrounds any fee to accomplish or assignment completed. And just a few blocks away at 212 West Monroe Street. A report from that car is heard over the radio in this very room. We are going to talk to special agent in charge of the Chicago office of the FBI, Mr. Don Hostetter. First of all let me bring you up to date. What you just heard over the radio was the end of the story. But let us go back to the beginning. Who was this notorious member of the FBI? And what is even more important? How

was he apprehended? Today we are going to give you an opportunity to go behind the scenes to get an inside picture of the events leading up to the moment of the rest. And this is Hugh Hill speaking from the FBI office. The scene is set now and the voices you are going to hear will be those of special agents and employees of the Chicago FBI office in on the spot action. This is the teletype room. The message coming in is urgent. Listen. Stated Urgent 12255 9AM ES to SAC Chicago from SAC Cleveland 02862 WF180 FUG. I won't read the rest of it. There are some symbols in here that we will have

explained in just a few moments. End of the message. Take this copy to Mr. Hostetter. This copy to the C1 supervisor. This copy to indices. Thank you very much. Now we are going to follow the copy that is going to Mr. Hostetter who I told you a little while ago is the agent in charge of this office. So our next stop will be the office of Mr. Hostetter and we are going to follow up this message. Now once again I want to remind you that we are going back in time a little bit back to the 2nd day of December 1955 when Kendrick was apprehended. And we are doing this story from the very beginning. The beginning starts with the message. The second step is to deliver the message to Hostetter and we are going to follow it up. Here is an incoming teletype Mr. Hostetter. Thank you very much.

Well that teletype has reached Mr. Hostetter's office and the other two copies are on their way to where the girls said they were going. Now I want to get back to the information that was in the teletype. Don, could you read that for us? Yes, I'll read it here. It's a teletype from the SAC Cleveland to SAC Chicago, Mark Urgent. John Allen Kendrick, I -O -2862, WF -180, F -U -G -U -F -A -P -A -D -W -C -R -V. Investigation here discloses fugitive, present, or residing Chicago address unknown. Has been seen several occasions during past few days in the lobby of the hotel blank in Chicago glue. May have a associate whom he visits, instant hotel, Hannah. That's the teletype. Well now what do those symbols mean that you were reading off there? I -O -2862, WF -180,

F -U -G. F -U -G is fugitive. That's the only one I can understand. Well the I -O -2862 and the WF -180 identifies Kendrick as the subject of identification order, 2862, and wanted flyer 180. These are distributed on a nationwide basis. The identification order contains the photograph in fingerprints, handwriting, and physical description, and the immunages of the fugitive. They're sent to all law enforcement agencies in the United States. They wanted flyer as sent likewise on a nationwide basis, posted in post offices and other public places, and which we depend on the public to cooperate with us when we have a fugitive that is badly wanted. Now we have the communications in from Cleveland. A copy is here in your office. The girl that received the copy instructed the messenger girl to take two other copies elsewhere. Where

were they? One copy was taken to the criminal index, one copy to the field supervisor who handles this type of violation in the Chicago office of the FBI. Well now I suppose the next place we should go would be the criminal index file room. Can we go up there? Yes we can. We see the actual operation as to how they handle this type of communication. All right fine let's move on. We're up in the criminal index room now. A young lady has been looking through some of the files while I was talking to Don Hustetter down in his office. Don and I have now come up and she's just pulled out a drawer which is marked Kendrick's on the front. So they must have a lot of Kendrick's do you do you find the Kendrick's that we're looking for in your file? John Allen Kendrick's, alias John Allen

Kendrick, IO number 2862. Well now that IO number was on the teletype message wasn't it? So I suppose that's how you can tell which card is his? Yes that's correct. What do you have on him? Well we have an awful flight to void prosecution case and we have his birth date here in a description which we can follow up from the teletype. Could I have the card? Yes. I suppose that Don's going to are you going to take this with us and Don? Yes we'll just take this card down to my office in order to use it in our subsequent briefing of the agents who will handle this apprehension. Well I didn't want to ask her for a description of this character but can I ask you can you give it to me at this point? The card for the purpose of identification reflects that Kendrick was born 217 97 in Washington,

D .C. February 17th, 1897. Height 5 foot 7, weight 202 pounds, bill stocky, hair dark brown, receding, graying at the sides, maybe dyed black, eyes blue gray, complexion median, race white, nationality American. Boy you've got a good rundown on this guy. Now how did you come across this sort of thing like this? Do you have records on every criminal in the United States similar to this? Well this is our criminal index card and the identifying information has been placed there on so that the young ladies who make the search can be aided in identifying the Kendrick's that we are interested in. Don how many files do you have up here total? The criminal index file consists of approximately 3 million index cards. Some of those cards are duplicates but in the main they represent 3

million people. Well now what's going to happen to this card we're going to move on to another department with it aren't we? There's a question now of matching the incoming teletype as a result of the information we've obtained here to the file reflecting the detailed information we have concerning this fugitive. The matching section of the office. Let's go down there. Once again we've come over to another file department finally the door stops when it comes open. We're over in the matching section we're with the young lady whose first name is Pat and I won't identify her any further. Pat could you tell me just exactly what you're looking for? I'm looking for the subject file on this John Allen Kendrick and our files are maintained in numerical order and I will pull a file. Now how do you know which file to pull? You say it's in numerical order but where is the number? The indices section gave

us his file number and that's the file I will pull. Is that the number 888 -2403 that she wrote down on that teletype message? Yes it is. Well that's how you know I see. Well now you're looking for that and I assume that you've now found it. Yes I have. Well that's a rather thick folder on this Kendrick's. What are you going to do with it? I'm going to attach the incoming teletype to it and charge the file out to the Mr. Hostetter and deliver it to him. All right now Don is traveling with us of course on this tour as we go through his office. We told you earlier in Don Hostetter's office that the major part of this program was going to deal with the real work in the background that the girls do up in the office of the FBI. The continual search for the names and addresses and identifications of these people that go on in this office day in and day out. This is routine and sometimes I suppose monotonous work but this is how criminals are caught. Does it ever get monotonous to you Pat? Not too often.

You're happy here? Yes. Well now Don we have the file on Kendrick's and I suppose it's about time to get back to your office and start looking through it and I understand you're going to talk to some agents here before long. Yes the next step now is to call in brief the agents who are going to handle the assignment and endeavor to apprehend this well -known fugitive. Well can we listen in as you brief them? You're certain I can. All right let's go down there. While we're waiting for the special agents to gather in Don Hostetter's office we're going to talk briefly to Miss Helen Dunkel who is the chief clerk. Now we're in her office just outside of the criminal index file where we were talking to a few of the girls out there. Miss Dunkel you've been with the FBI for a good many years I understand. Yes I have. How many? 39. 39 years. Things changed much? Well they certainly have. Well since you've been here for such a long time I suppose you can recall a lot of the famous cases that

the FBI was involved in. For example John Dillinger when he was tracked down and shot. Were you here then? Yes I was. Can you recall that day pretty clearly? Very clearly. I imagine this place was kind of jumping around here when he was shot wasn't it? Sure he was. Well those were the days of the great hoodlums in the 1930s. Dillinger there was pretty boy Floyd and another of the other ones. Did you ever actually see one? Yes I did. Who did you see? Wait a minute I don't think I did see the Dillinger. I'm thinking of the Alvin Carpest gang. Who the what gang? Alvin Carpest so that's the Bremmer kidnap in case. Oh I see. What year was that? Can you recall? It was in the 3334. Were you in the office here when they brought him in? Yes. And that's how you saw him? Yes. You didn't talk to them? No I didn't. What do they look like? Well they look like any ordinary person. They didn't look real rough or talk. No not at all. Well in person some of these hoodlums don't look as bad as their pictures. They take some pretty bad pictures don't they?

Yes they do. Well thank you very much Miss Donkel it's been interesting to talk to you and I hope you're here another 39 years. Thank you very much. We have come from the office of the chief clerk down now to Don Hustettor's office he's been here for a little while and about ready to call in some agents so let's listen. C1. C1 go in. Ross you received a copy of the incoming teletype from Cleveland on Kendrick's did you not? Yes I have it right here. Do you have special agents available there to handle this assignment? Yes how many men do you think we need on that? I think that perhaps the hotel assignment three? All right sir I'll get them together right now. Have them report down to my office and with you as soon as possible. All right sir I'll be right here. Don while we're waiting for the boys to come in I'd like to ask you just a few questions and one of the most important things it seems to me

here in your office and elsewhere throughout the entire building is this communication system you have first of all in the very beginning of the program we heard the radio calling in to give the instructions and also to give the final instructions that the subject was apprehended that was the story we were working on then we went up to the teletype room and got the incoming message and now we hear this information you give over this what you call a taco phone now I suppose communications is extremely important in your job. Yes it is a matter of speed and apprehension is most important and the communication is a great aid to that extent. Well now we heard you just now talk to a man by the name of Ross. Who is he? He is the supervisor of the squad which handles unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The present case is in that

classification and agents under his direction will be assigned to to handle this assignment. Well done I wonder if I can tell. A point in just a moment you the agents are here now. Gentlemen come in. All right find on you go ahead I know you're going to brief them and I'll just listen. Fine. We've just received a teletype from Cleveland advising us that John Allen Kendrick one of our top ten fugitives is residing someplace here in Chicago. The address is unknown but he has been seen on several occasions within the past few days in the lobby of the blank hotel located here in the loop. It is possible that he has an associate at a hotel whom he is in contact. I think you all have to be very careful

in the event you affect Kendrick's apprehension there in the loop to make certain that the associate does not interfere. Do we know who that associate is? No Frank our information is that he they believe is contacting someone at the hotel but the identity that person is not known we don't know whether he's an employee or a guest. Now we have photographs of Kendrick's here and also his description on the one -it -fly. I gave me your photograph. Did you? That's good Ross. Now here's the background on Kendrick's. He has a criminal record dating back more than 30 years. He's presently wanted for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution

and for assault with a deadly weapon. He's accused of shooting a Washington DC man in the throat on December 14, 1954. He's been identified as the wounded man's assailant. On August 22, 1955 he was indicted by a grandeur in Washington on counts of assault with intent to kill, assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery, assault in his record is dangerous and you will have to consider him so. Do we know what type of car he's driving now? He had an automobile in which he made his escape from Washington but that car was abandoned in Pennsylvania so we have no information as to his present type of automobile. He was first arrested in 1923 at Baltimore, Maryland for murder and larceny.

He served at Maryland State Prison, New Jersey State Prison, District of Columbia Reformatory, Eleven Worth and Alcatraz. He has escaped from two of these institutions. One time he associated with the Tri -State gang. Now so much for his past, his most recent arrests was on June 1947 for the shooting of an underworld associate for which he received a sentence from three to ten years on December 10, 1947. He was conditionally released from Eleven Worth on March 3, 1954. You all of you have had an opportunity to study the facial characteristics and physical description of the man. Here's some additional information in the way of his habits and traits, which are peculiar to Kendrick. He usually dresses in suits, preferring a blue double breast. On occasions he has been seen in sport coats or a suit with a sports

shirt no time. He drinks whiskey and I think you should be most careful if it appears that he's intoxicated because it's been during those times that he's been extremely dangerous. He has been in gun battles before and has used numerous weapons including machine guns. I don't think it's necessary for me to say much more about him. Any additional questions that you I'm just wondering if any indication of that associate here in Chicago might be a fencer handling any stolen merchandise? Ross, we just don't have the answer to that information. Well, good luck to you. Keep me advised as to develop. Ross, I'll get a car. Well, the agents who are going out on this assignment are just

leaving the room now and they're going out in their automobile, I suppose, after this man. So while they're gone, I'll talk briefly to Don Hosteter again. Don, I have been wondering sitting here watching these agents as you were talking to them. They're a very young group of men and very different in characteristics. But at the same time, it seems like they have, well, they look sort of alike. How does that come about? Well, your question is one that has been asked many times and yet it's very difficult to answer. Their basic qualifications are the same. I'm sure you know that to receive an appointment as a special agent and man must be a United States citizen between the ages 25 and 40. He must possess a law or accounting degree from a recognized college or university. He must be an excellent physical condition and available for assignment anywhere. In addition to this, he must take an all in written

test and his entire life must be exhaustively investigated. After he receives his appointment, he's given specialized training at Washington and Quantico to ensure that he will meet the rigid requirements of the position. What's some of the background on these men? Are a lot of them married, for example? Do they have families? Yes, most of them live a normal life. They have a family and a home and children. To the passerby on the street appear to be a normal average American citizen. Don, you and I can sit here and talk all day about the FBI and I certainly would enjoy it myself and I wish we had the time. But we're waiting now for the agents to apprehend the criminal if they do. And so I suppose that you and I better just shut up for a little while and wait until they call in. Very good. We hope they call.

CG -9 -1 -2 -KSC -2 -10. Go ahead, 911. Subject apprehended, offered no resistance, denies identity, and we're in route to headquarters. 10 .9 -9 -1. That was the very message that you heard over the radio that came into the FBI radio room at the very beginning of our program. Well, they've got the man Don and I suppose that's the feather in the camp of those agents out there. Well, if it is, then it's also a feather in the camp of the clerk who searched the indices and the clerk who matched the file and anyone else who had anything to do with this case. Well, the first step is as important as a last and if any one of these steps had been mishandled or delayed, the apprehension might not have been made as effective as it was. I mentioned before we work as a team and whatever success we have can be attributed to this spirit of teamwork. Now, in this particular

instance, Kendrick was apprehended as far as our program was concerned in a very rapid space of time. However, how was it in the actual apprehension? The only difference was that the agents had to wait at the hotel for about 36 hours in the actual apprehension. But otherwise, the report that you've heard has been factual in all details. Don, let's interrupt our conversation for just a minute because here's one of the agents that went out after Kendrick. Let's see what he has to say. Boss, we just brought in Kendrick. He's in the interview room now. He says his name is Joe Nunn. We're fingerprinting him now. How does it look? Well, you've got the guy anyway and we're pretty sure it's Kendrick, I suppose, aren't we done? Yes, and in a moment when they have taken his fingerprints, then I'm certain that he will admit his

identity. That's positive. Well, now I'd like to, as we close out the program, ask you just a few more questions about the agents that I failed to ask a little while ago. In this particular instance, when they went out to apprehend Kendrick, you explained that to them that he was extremely dangerous, especially when he was intoxicated. The man might be carrying a gun. How do these boys feel when they go out on an assignment such as that Don? I mean, all the danger involved in everything else? They have had extensive training almost monthly since they entered on duty. They have dedicated to their work. Their plan is to apprehend the man without gunfire. They have confidence in their ability in the event gunfire becomes necessary. All through this program, Don, you've placed a great deal of emphasis on teamwork. Now, what part does the public play in this teamwork?

A law receives from the public. We and the FBI have received considerable assistance and we are constantly seeking more assistance and cooperation. The public has a responsibility. We have a duty. If we both handle those two phases, I'm sure it will be a safer place for all of us to live. Well, Kendrick is now being fingerprinted. He's been picked up and of course it won't be long before he's in jail. Final question, Don, before we leave you, he was on that 10 most wanted list. How important is the FBI's 10 most wanted list? It's very important. Many of these fugitives have been apprehended as a result of a citizen's telephone call telling us that they

have observed a man who they believe to be identical, having seen the poster in the post office or having seen the photograph in the newspaper or television or having in some manner as a result of the publicity given this list been made aware that the fugitive is being sought. Don, I want to thank you very much for allowing us to tell a story of how Kendrick was apprehended here in Chicago back in December of 1955. It's been a very interesting experience for me as a reporter. Nothing has ever mentioned about a case until its final conclusion and then the reporters are brought in and you brief us on what has happened. So here's a case where we were actually able to tell the story, even though it's a two -year -old story, but it was a very interesting one indeed. We want to thank you so much for allowing us to listen in as you talk to the agents and as we talk to some of the girls and to tell the story of the FBI. Thank you, Hugh. It was a pleasure for us to participate.

And I think that the people who listened into the program can be well proud of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and that's the story of the FBI and this is Hugh Hill speaking.