Eddie Bentz
Encyclopedia
Edward Wilhelm "Eddie" Bentz (June 2, 1894-October 31, 1979) was an American
bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was associated with several high-profile public enemies
during his criminal career including Harvey Bailey
, Albert Bates
, George "Machine Gun" Kelly
and Baby Face Nelson
. He was eventually captured by the FBI and sentenced to Alcatraz.
(or South Dakota
) on June 2, 1894. His father was supposedly killed by a runaway horse when he was a child and his family later moved to Tacoma, Washington
. Bentz spent much of his youth in juvenile reformatories for burglary and later began safecracking and armed robbery by his early 20s. According to crime historian William Helmer, Bentz participated in over 150 robberies across the U.S. "without ever being named or indicted", however Helmer has never provided verifiable evidence for his claims. Bentz became extremely successful as a bank robber and lived an extravagant lifestyle collecting rare books and coins. He was also known as a meticulous planner and well known for charting escape routes.
He and Harvey Bailey
were the prime suspects in the infamous bank robbery of $2,870,000 in Lincoln, Nebraska
on September 17, 1930, although neither were ever charged for that robbery. During 1932, he began teaming with Albert Bates
and George "Machine Gun" Kelly
robbing a bank in Ponder, Texas
on July 31 and another in Colfax, Washington
on September 21, taking $70,000 in cash and bonds. Both robberies were wrongly attributed to Bonnie and Clyde
and Pretty Boy Floyd
respectively.
Eight days after the Colfax robbery, Bentz and several unidentified accomplices raided another bank in Holland, Michigan
. Bentz went into semi-retirement after this job and was living in Long Beach, Indiana
when he was approached in 1933 by George "Baby Face" Nelson
to join he and his gang in planning the robbery of a bank in Grand Haven, Michigan
. Bentz agreed, however when the getaway driver fled on the day of the robbery stranding Bentz, Nelson and the others. One of the robbers, Eddie Doyle, was arrested however the rest of the robbers managed to escape in a second waiting car with $30,000. John Dillinger
was widely speculated to have been one of the participants, however historical evidence indicates he was involved in bank heists on his own in Indiana and Ohio at the time of the robbery.
In spite of the federal government placing most bank robberies under federal jurisdiction, which consequently would involve the FBI's hunting down many Depression-era outlaws, Bentz remained a fugitive. On July 4, 1934, he and several unidentified accomplices robbed a bank in Danville, Vermont
but escaped with only $8,500. It is unclear if this was the last robbery Bentz participated in, but he was not identified in any other hold ups after the Danville robbery.
Bentz was eventually tracked down to an address in Brooklyn, New York and arrested by federal agents on March 13, 1936, finding him hiding in a dumbwaiter
. Taken into custody, he refused to name his accomplices in the Danville robbery and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. At the time of his sentencing, Bentz asked to be sent to Alcatraz supposedly stating to the judge that "all my friends are there". He was eventually paroled from Alcatraz in 1948 and returned to his hometown in Tacoma where he died of a heart attack on October 31, 1979.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was associated with several high-profile public enemies
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
during his criminal career including Harvey Bailey
Harvey Bailey
Harvey John Bailey , called "The Dean of American Bank Robbers", had a long criminal career. One of the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s, walking off with over $1 million during that time, Bailey is almost forgotten today.- His career :Born in West Virginia, Bailey robbed his first...
, Albert Bates
Albert Bates (criminal)
Albert L. Bates was an American bank robber and burglar during the 1920s and '30s. He used a number of different aliases during his criminal career including George Davis, George Harris and J.B. King...
, George "Machine Gun" Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly
George Kelley Barnes , better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster during the prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His most famous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon & businessman Charles Urschel in July 1933 for which he,...
and Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
. He was eventually captured by the FBI and sentenced to Alcatraz.
Biography
Little information is known of his early life, however most accounts agree that Eddie Bentz was born in Pipestone, MinnesotaPipestone, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,280 people, 1,900 households, and 1,138 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,090.8 people per square mile . There were 2,097 housing units at an average density of 534.4 per square mile...
(or South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
) on June 2, 1894. His father was supposedly killed by a runaway horse when he was a child and his family later moved to Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. Bentz spent much of his youth in juvenile reformatories for burglary and later began safecracking and armed robbery by his early 20s. According to crime historian William Helmer, Bentz participated in over 150 robberies across the U.S. "without ever being named or indicted", however Helmer has never provided verifiable evidence for his claims. Bentz became extremely successful as a bank robber and lived an extravagant lifestyle collecting rare books and coins. He was also known as a meticulous planner and well known for charting escape routes.
He and Harvey Bailey
Harvey Bailey
Harvey John Bailey , called "The Dean of American Bank Robbers", had a long criminal career. One of the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s, walking off with over $1 million during that time, Bailey is almost forgotten today.- His career :Born in West Virginia, Bailey robbed his first...
were the prime suspects in the infamous bank robbery of $2,870,000 in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
on September 17, 1930, although neither were ever charged for that robbery. During 1932, he began teaming with Albert Bates
Albert Bates
Albert Bates is an influential figure in the intentional community and ecovillage movements. A lawyer, author and teacher, he has been director of the Institute for Appropriate Technology since 1984 and of the Ecovillage Training Center at The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee since 1994.Bates has...
and George "Machine Gun" Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly
George Kelley Barnes , better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster during the prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His most famous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon & businessman Charles Urschel in July 1933 for which he,...
robbing a bank in Ponder, Texas
Ponder, Texas
Ponder is a town in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 507 at the 2000 census. Local legend holds that Bonnie and Clyde either robbed the Ponder State Bank, or attempted to rob it, only to discover it had gone broke the week before. However this is not listed in the Barrow...
on July 31 and another in Colfax, Washington
Colfax, Washington
Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States.The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census.It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S...
on September 21, taking $70,000 in cash and bonds. Both robberies were wrongly attributed to Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
and Pretty Boy Floyd
Pretty Boy Floyd
Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was an American bank robber. He operated in the West South Central States, and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s. Like most other prominent outlaws of that era, he was killed by law enforcement officers...
respectively.
Eight days after the Colfax robbery, Bentz and several unidentified accomplices raided another bank in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. Bentz went into semi-retirement after this job and was living in Long Beach, Indiana
Long Beach, Indiana
Long Beach is a town in Michigan Township, LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, Long Beach population was 1,179. It is included in the Michigan City, Indiana-La Porte, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
when he was approached in 1933 by George "Baby Face" Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
to join he and his gang in planning the robbery of a bank in Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
. Bentz agreed, however when the getaway driver fled on the day of the robbery stranding Bentz, Nelson and the others. One of the robbers, Eddie Doyle, was arrested however the rest of the robbers managed to escape in a second waiting car with $30,000. John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
was widely speculated to have been one of the participants, however historical evidence indicates he was involved in bank heists on his own in Indiana and Ohio at the time of the robbery.
In spite of the federal government placing most bank robberies under federal jurisdiction, which consequently would involve the FBI's hunting down many Depression-era outlaws, Bentz remained a fugitive. On July 4, 1934, he and several unidentified accomplices robbed a bank in Danville, Vermont
Danville, Vermont
Danville is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. It was named for the 18th-century French cartographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville...
but escaped with only $8,500. It is unclear if this was the last robbery Bentz participated in, but he was not identified in any other hold ups after the Danville robbery.
Bentz was eventually tracked down to an address in Brooklyn, New York and arrested by federal agents on March 13, 1936, finding him hiding in a dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter may refer to:* Dumbwaiter , a freight elevator or lift between building floors* Lazy Susan, a small rotating table or set of cabinets used for serving food* An auxiliary serving table or cart....
. Taken into custody, he refused to name his accomplices in the Danville robbery and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. At the time of his sentencing, Bentz asked to be sent to Alcatraz supposedly stating to the judge that "all my friends are there". He was eventually paroled from Alcatraz in 1948 and returned to his hometown in Tacoma where he died of a heart attack on October 31, 1979.