Edward J. Adams
Encyclopedia
Edward J. "Eddie" Adams (1887 – November 22, 1921) was a notorious American
criminal and murderer in the Midwest
. He was attributed with seven murders, including three Wichita policemen, in just a little over 14 month's time. He wounded at least a dozen others. Adams, at age 34, was surrounded and then killed by police in Wichita
.
as William Joseph Wallace. His father died when he was young and his mother remarried, setting the stage for a lifetime of psychological problems. Eddie had a strong disdain for his stepfather, as well as for physical labor. He learned the barber
trade and moved to Wichita, Kansas
in the early 1900s. There he met John Callahan
and quickly became involved in bootlegging
, petty robberies
, and car theft.
Adams was a charismatic fellow who attracted a long line of criminal hangers-on and loose ladies. His wife left him after growing weary of his illegal activities and infidelities.
He soon formed his own gang and began committing bank and train robberies throughout Kansas
, Missouri
, and Iowa
, eventually earning the reputation as the premier bandit in the Midwest by the early days of Prohibition
.
gambling den on Grand Avenue owned by Harry Trusdell. However, a shootout between the bandits and tough employees of the illegal casino would result in the death of gambler and gunman Frank Gardner and the eventual capture of the gang by police.
Adams was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 1921. His partners, the Major Brothers, received lesser sentences by agreeing to plead guilty to robbery
, and were both sentenced to only five years imprisonment. Both brothers would eventually die behind bars. A third brother involved in the botched robbery attempt, Dudley, would escape from the scene only to be later arrested and serve time in the Delaware penitentiary.
, Adams escaped custody after jumping off the train and within several days joined Julius Finney in the robbery of a bank and general store in Cullison, Kansas on February 11, 1921. He was captured near Garden Plain by a posse
six days later after wrecking a stolen car under a bridge. Convicted of bank robbery, Adams was sentenced to serve 10 to 30 years at the Kansas State Prison in Lansing
, in addition to his life sentence in Missouri for murder.
On August 13, Adams once again successfully escaped imprisonment after sabotaging the prison power plant and scaling the Lansing prison walls during the night along with inmates Frank Foster, George Weisberger and D.C. Brown. The driver of the getaway car was Billy Fintelman, a World War I veteran gone bad. With the exception of Brown (who was recaptured days later) the fugitives would elude capture from state authorities and eventually formed what would become the newest incarnation of the Adams Gang.
By September of that year, joined by Fintelman, the gang robbed around $10,000 from banks in Rose Hill
and Haysville, Kansas
. During the Haysville robbery, Adams pistol-whipped 82-year-old James Krievell for no apparent reason, who later died of a fractured skull.
On October 8, police attempted to trap the gang near Anoly, Kansas, however the gang managed to escape after a gunfight which left Deputy Benjamin Fisher wounded. The gang was spotted eleven days later after stealing $500 in silver from a bank near Osceola, Iowa
This was followed by another attempt by a posse to apprehend the gang just south of Murray, IA
. The gang rested for several hours along a gravel road just a few miles from town. Upon suspicion of the vehicle, farmer C.J. Jones contacted sheriff Ed West of Murray and a group was formed to investigate and intervene. Upon approaching the vehicle, Sheriff West was met at point blank range with a revolver to his face that failed to fire. He was able to take cover and a shootout followed in which several members of the posse were seriously injured. Jones, having heard the gun battle from his farm up the road, grabbed his shotgun and ran to aid the posse. The gang, who had by now fled from the original site, drove up the road and exchanged fire with Jones which left him mortally wounded.
Heading for Wichita, the gang's crime spree continued robbing 11 stores in Muscotah, Kansas
and abducting and later robbing two motorcycle officers outside Wichita, where their motorcycles were set on fire.
Back in Wichita, on November 5, 1921, Adams shot and killed Patrolman A.L. Young in cold blood while Young was on duty. The motive behind the killing was said to be a mutual love interest who had chosen the company of the officer over the outlaw.
The gang then committed their most successful robbery with the theft of $35,000 after robbing a Santa Fe express train near Ottawa, Kansas
.
On the evening of November 20, Adams, along with Foster, Nellie Miles (a local madam and long-time friend of Adams'), George J. McFarland (a local thug and bootlegger) and two alleged prostitutes, were joyriding around Wichita. Another car carrying Fintelman, his wife, Weisberger, P.D. Orcutt, and two unnamed ladies, followed at high speeds. Two motorcycle policemen pulled over the vehicle carrying Adams and a gunshot came from the vehicle - it is unknown whether the shot was fired by Adams or Foster - killing patrolman Robert Fitzpatrick. The outlaws sped away, released the women, and fled south into Cowley County.
Later that night the trio ran out of gas and stopped at a farm, where Adams attempted to steal a vehicle from farmer George Oldham. When Oldham resisted, Adams shot and killed him. Adams and Foster took the car, while McFarland ran away alone into the night. The duo returned to Wichita in the stolen car. The next day, Adams and Billy Fintelman went to McFarland's house to look for him, only to find two officers waiting. Adams shot officer Ray Casner non-fatally while the other policeman hid under a bed. Adams once again escaped.
Adams hid out until the funeral of fallen officer Fitzpatrick on November 22, while he assumed the bulk of the police force would be present. He had planned to rent a car to leave town for good, but the proprietor of the garage recognized him and contacted police. Three officers arrived on the scene. Adams shot at them, fatally wounding detective Charles Hoffman who pulled the gunman to the ground. Officer Charles Bowman was also hit by gunfire. D.C. Stuckey, hiding behind a pillar, shot Adams three times and killed him.
Eddie Adams' body was publicly displayed in the City Undertaking Parlor in a grisly celebration of the end of a reign of terror. More than 9,000 people viewed the slain outlaw.
In the end, 18 people were arrested as accomplices and hangers-on of Adams. Four were sent to the Kansas Penitentiary, Frank Foster for life.
Adams, dead at age 34, was attributed with seven murders, including three Wichita policemen, in just a little over 14 month's time. He wounded at least a dozen others.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
criminal and murderer in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. He was attributed with seven murders, including three Wichita policemen, in just a little over 14 month's time. He wounded at least a dozen others. Adams, at age 34, was surrounded and then killed by police in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
Early life
Edward J. "Eddie" Adams was born in 1887 on a farm in Hutchinson, KansasHutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
as William Joseph Wallace. His father died when he was young and his mother remarried, setting the stage for a lifetime of psychological problems. Eddie had a strong disdain for his stepfather, as well as for physical labor. He learned the barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
trade and moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
in the early 1900s. There he met John Callahan
John Callahan (outlaw)
John Callahan was an American outlaw and bank robber during the closing days of the Old West. He eventually became the leading underworld figure in Wichita, Kansas during Prohibition, specifically becoming involved in bootlegging and narcotics...
and quickly became involved in bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
, petty robberies
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
, and car theft.
Adams was a charismatic fellow who attracted a long line of criminal hangers-on and loose ladies. His wife left him after growing weary of his illegal activities and infidelities.
He soon formed his own gang and began committing bank and train robberies throughout Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, eventually earning the reputation as the premier bandit in the Midwest by the early days of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
.
Murder & Kansas City
In 1920, through Callahan, Adams formed a partnership with outlaw brothers Ray and Walter Majors and, on September 5, attempted a daylight robbery against a notorious Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
gambling den on Grand Avenue owned by Harry Trusdell. However, a shootout between the bandits and tough employees of the illegal casino would result in the death of gambler and gunman Frank Gardner and the eventual capture of the gang by police.
Adams was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 1921. His partners, the Major Brothers, received lesser sentences by agreeing to plead guilty to robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, and were both sentenced to only five years imprisonment. Both brothers would eventually die behind bars. A third brother involved in the botched robbery attempt, Dudley, would escape from the scene only to be later arrested and serve time in the Delaware penitentiary.
Midwest crime spree
While being transported to the Missouri State Prison in Jefferson City, MissouriJefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
, Adams escaped custody after jumping off the train and within several days joined Julius Finney in the robbery of a bank and general store in Cullison, Kansas on February 11, 1921. He was captured near Garden Plain by a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
six days later after wrecking a stolen car under a bridge. Convicted of bank robbery, Adams was sentenced to serve 10 to 30 years at the Kansas State Prison in Lansing
Lansing, Kansas
Lansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265...
, in addition to his life sentence in Missouri for murder.
On August 13, Adams once again successfully escaped imprisonment after sabotaging the prison power plant and scaling the Lansing prison walls during the night along with inmates Frank Foster, George Weisberger and D.C. Brown. The driver of the getaway car was Billy Fintelman, a World War I veteran gone bad. With the exception of Brown (who was recaptured days later) the fugitives would elude capture from state authorities and eventually formed what would become the newest incarnation of the Adams Gang.
By September of that year, joined by Fintelman, the gang robbed around $10,000 from banks in Rose Hill
Rose Hill, Kansas
Rose Hill is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,931.-Geography:Rose Hill is located at...
and Haysville, Kansas
Haysville, Kansas
Haysville is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,826.-History:...
. During the Haysville robbery, Adams pistol-whipped 82-year-old James Krievell for no apparent reason, who later died of a fractured skull.
On October 8, police attempted to trap the gang near Anoly, Kansas, however the gang managed to escape after a gunfight which left Deputy Benjamin Fisher wounded. The gang was spotted eleven days later after stealing $500 in silver from a bank near Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
This was followed by another attempt by a posse to apprehend the gang just south of Murray, IA
Murray, Iowa
Murray is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 766 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Murray is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. The gang rested for several hours along a gravel road just a few miles from town. Upon suspicion of the vehicle, farmer C.J. Jones contacted sheriff Ed West of Murray and a group was formed to investigate and intervene. Upon approaching the vehicle, Sheriff West was met at point blank range with a revolver to his face that failed to fire. He was able to take cover and a shootout followed in which several members of the posse were seriously injured. Jones, having heard the gun battle from his farm up the road, grabbed his shotgun and ran to aid the posse. The gang, who had by now fled from the original site, drove up the road and exchanged fire with Jones which left him mortally wounded.
Heading for Wichita, the gang's crime spree continued robbing 11 stores in Muscotah, Kansas
Muscotah, Kansas
Muscotah is a city in Atchison County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 176. Muscotah was named for the Kickapoo Native American word for "prairie"-History:...
and abducting and later robbing two motorcycle officers outside Wichita, where their motorcycles were set on fire.
Back in Wichita, on November 5, 1921, Adams shot and killed Patrolman A.L. Young in cold blood while Young was on duty. The motive behind the killing was said to be a mutual love interest who had chosen the company of the officer over the outlaw.
The gang then committed their most successful robbery with the theft of $35,000 after robbing a Santa Fe express train near Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
.
Downfall
Later that night the trio ran out of gas and stopped at a farm, where Adams attempted to steal a vehicle from farmer George Oldham. When Oldham resisted, Adams shot and killed him. Adams and Foster took the car, while McFarland ran away alone into the night. The duo returned to Wichita in the stolen car. The next day, Adams and Billy Fintelman went to McFarland's house to look for him, only to find two officers waiting. Adams shot officer Ray Casner non-fatally while the other policeman hid under a bed. Adams once again escaped.
Adams hid out until the funeral of fallen officer Fitzpatrick on November 22, while he assumed the bulk of the police force would be present. He had planned to rent a car to leave town for good, but the proprietor of the garage recognized him and contacted police. Three officers arrived on the scene. Adams shot at them, fatally wounding detective Charles Hoffman who pulled the gunman to the ground. Officer Charles Bowman was also hit by gunfire. D.C. Stuckey, hiding behind a pillar, shot Adams three times and killed him.
Eddie Adams' body was publicly displayed in the City Undertaking Parlor in a grisly celebration of the end of a reign of terror. More than 9,000 people viewed the slain outlaw.
In the end, 18 people were arrested as accomplices and hangers-on of Adams. Four were sent to the Kansas Penitentiary, Frank Foster for life.
Adams, dead at age 34, was attributed with seven murders, including three Wichita policemen, in just a little over 14 month's time. He wounded at least a dozen others.