26 Sep 1933: Machine Gun Kelly surrenders

On this day in 1933, George “Machine Gun” Kelly surrendered to the FBI, coining the term “G-Men” for the agents.

Kelly was a bootlegger before he befriended several bank robbers at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas in the late 1920s. After his release, he married his girlfriend, Kathryn Thorne, who bought him a machine gun and gave him his nickname.

Along with his associates, Kelly orchestrated several bank heists over the next few years, culminating in the abduction of Charles F. Urschel, an oil baron from Oklahoma, for a ransom of $200,000. Urschel’s keen ears helped him provide clues to FBI agents, who figured out the home where he was held belonged to Kathryn’s mother.

In the process of surrendering, Machine Gun Kelly referred to the FBI agents as G-Men (government men), a nickname that still gets frequent play in crossword puzzles (as well as for the New York Football Giants).

Image: Kelly being led to prison after his conviction.