Samuel P. Cowley
Encyclopedia
Samuel P. Cowley was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Lester Gillis ("Baby Face Nelson") in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois
.
Samuel Cowley was a son of Matthias F. Cowley
, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by one of his four wives, Luella Parkinson Cowley. He was born in Franklin, Idaho
on July 23, 1899. His half-brother, Matthew Cowley
(son of Matthias F. and Abbie Hyde Cowley), was also an apostle of the Church.
Samuel Cowley was an FBI agent and sent by Hoover (as head of the "Flying Squad") to Chicago specifically to get John Dillinger
. The Chicago Agents initially resented Cowley as a desk jockey who was infringing on their territory and driving them too hard. However, Cowley soon established a reputation as one who drove himself as hard as he drove his agents.
The relationship between Cowley and Melvin Purvis was complex. Fans of Purvis tend to downplay Cowley, and the official FBI records tend to play down Purvis, as Hoover preferred Cowley. Cowley and Purvis worked together as a team. Individually neither one of them could have caught Dillinger, but together they concentrated on the areas that they knew best: Cowley on gathering intelligence and Purvis working the field. A squad of agents under Cowley worked with East Chicago policemen in tracking down all tips and rumors. It was Cowley who cut the deal with Ana Cumpănaş, the so-called Woman in Red.
Cowley seems to have understood this relationship. After Purvis' team botched the Little Bohemia Lodge where FBI Agent W. Carter Baum was killed, Purvis went on a drinking spree, and Cowley hushed it all up. During the Dillinger stakeout, Cowley was in charge of the team at the Marbro Theater, while Purvis' team was at the Biograph Theater. At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton strolled into the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama. Purvis phoned Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph. Later, after Dillinger was killed, Purvis was in one room, holding a press conference and Cowley was in the next room reporting to Hoover over the phone. Hoover kept telling Cowley to break up the press conference, but Cowley refused.
After Dillinger, Cowley was pressed to chase down Lester Gillis (Baby Face Nelson). Near Barrington, Illinois (northwest of Chicago) Nelson began chasing a car with two FBI agents (who were only lightly armed). One of the agents put a bullet through the radiator of Nelson's car. Cowley and another agent, Herman Hollis, arrived in another car and shot it out with Nelson. Cowley was armed with a sub machine gun and Hollis had a shotgun. Nelson, although repeatedly shot by Cowley and Hollis, walked across the road and shot both agents with his sub machine gun.
Hollis was nearly cut in half, but Cowley survived long enough to identify Nelson and his companions to Purvis. Nelson's body was found the next day, wrapped in a blanket and dumped in a ditch.
The media always played up Purvis and regulated Cowley to a minor role. The official FBI accounts play up Cowley and minimize Purvis. Actually both men played critically important parts in ending the Midwest crime spree started by the Dillinger gang.
in John Milius
's 1973 film Dillinger
.
In the 2009 motion picture Public Enemies, Cowley is portrayed by English actor Richard Short
.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Lester Gillis ("Baby Face Nelson") in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
.
Samuel Cowley was a son of Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias Foss Cowley , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley in Wyoming is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley by Abbie Hyde. ...
, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by one of his four wives, Luella Parkinson Cowley. He was born in Franklin, Idaho
Franklin, Idaho
Franklin is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 641 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
on July 23, 1899. His half-brother, Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley was an American missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 until his death...
(son of Matthias F. and Abbie Hyde Cowley), was also an apostle of the Church.
Samuel Cowley was an FBI agent and sent by Hoover (as head of the "Flying Squad") to Chicago specifically to get 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...
. The Chicago Agents initially resented Cowley as a desk jockey who was infringing on their territory and driving them too hard. However, Cowley soon established a reputation as one who drove himself as hard as he drove his agents.
The relationship between Cowley and Melvin Purvis was complex. Fans of Purvis tend to downplay Cowley, and the official FBI records tend to play down Purvis, as Hoover preferred Cowley. Cowley and Purvis worked together as a team. Individually neither one of them could have caught Dillinger, but together they concentrated on the areas that they knew best: Cowley on gathering intelligence and Purvis working the field. A squad of agents under Cowley worked with East Chicago policemen in tracking down all tips and rumors. It was Cowley who cut the deal with Ana Cumpănaş, the so-called Woman in Red.
Cowley seems to have understood this relationship. After Purvis' team botched the Little Bohemia Lodge where FBI Agent W. Carter Baum was killed, Purvis went on a drinking spree, and Cowley hushed it all up. During the Dillinger stakeout, Cowley was in charge of the team at the Marbro Theater, while Purvis' team was at the Biograph Theater. At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton strolled into the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama. Purvis phoned Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph. Later, after Dillinger was killed, Purvis was in one room, holding a press conference and Cowley was in the next room reporting to Hoover over the phone. Hoover kept telling Cowley to break up the press conference, but Cowley refused.
After Dillinger, Cowley was pressed to chase down Lester Gillis (Baby Face Nelson). Near Barrington, Illinois (northwest of Chicago) Nelson began chasing a car with two FBI agents (who were only lightly armed). One of the agents put a bullet through the radiator of Nelson's car. Cowley and another agent, Herman Hollis, arrived in another car and shot it out with Nelson. Cowley was armed with a sub machine gun and Hollis had a shotgun. Nelson, although repeatedly shot by Cowley and Hollis, walked across the road and shot both agents with his sub machine gun.
Hollis was nearly cut in half, but Cowley survived long enough to identify Nelson and his companions to Purvis. Nelson's body was found the next day, wrapped in a blanket and dumped in a ditch.
The media always played up Purvis and regulated Cowley to a minor role. The official FBI accounts play up Cowley and minimize Purvis. Actually both men played critically important parts in ending the Midwest crime spree started by the Dillinger gang.
In popular culture
Cowley is played by Roy JensonRoy Jenson
Roy Jenson was a Canadian-born actor.Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he moved to Los Angeles with his family as a child. He joined the U.S. Navy and then graduated from UCLA...
in John Milius
John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures.-Early life:Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elizabeth and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer. Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps in the late 1960s, but was rejected...
's 1973 film Dillinger
Dillinger (1973 film)
Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger.It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. The film, narrated by Purvis, chronicles the last few years of Dillinger's life as the FBI and...
.
In the 2009 motion picture Public Enemies, Cowley is portrayed by English actor Richard Short
Richard Short (actor)
Richard Ian Porterfield Short is an English actor currently working in Los Angeles. Most recently appeared in the FX Network show "American Horror Story" directed by 'Miguel Arteta' as well as the feature film "The Exhibitionists" for director Michael Melamedoff, playing 'Walter Todd', to be...
.