1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: a show that proves there's more than one way to 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: make history time gay bluesier. And today we're looking at 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: the time when the FBI first sought the public's help 6 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: in capturing fugitives by featuring their names and photos in 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: a convenient, eye catching list. The day was March fourteenth, 8 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty the Federal Bureau of Investigation debuted the ten 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: Most Wanted Fugitives List. It was circulated as a way 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: to draw attention to America's most dangerous criminals and to 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: solicit help in capturing them from the general public. The 12 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: ten Most Wanted List has been in use for almost 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: seventy five years, and in that time it's become a 14 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: famous sim bull of federal law enforcement and has been 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: cited as a critical factor in the capture of nearly 16 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: two hundred fugitives. America's history with wanted posters began in 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: the seventeen hundreds. Enslavers were among the earliest adopters. They 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: frequently posted written descriptions of enslaved people who had fled 19 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: their bondage and offered cash rewards for their capture and return. 20 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: In the eighteen hundreds, breakthroughs in printing and photography broadened 21 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: the use of wanted posters in the Western territories. Sheriffs 22 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: and governors alike used the posters to grow public awareness 23 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: of outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James, and 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: to advertise bounties for their capture. This practice continued on 25 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: a local level well into the twentieth century, and by 26 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: nineteen nineteen even the FBI was issuing wanted posters of 27 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: a sort. The organizations were only circulated into colonely as 28 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: a way to inform agents about military deserters and mobsters, 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: and there was no cash reward. Eleven years later, the 30 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: Chicago Crime Commission responded to arise and organized crime by 31 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: releasing a list of the city's most notorious public enemies. 32 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: Al Capone was, of course at the top of the list, 33 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: but plenty of other bootleggers, racketeers, and gangsters joined him 34 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: in the spotlight. Chicago's public Enemies list garnered a lot 35 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: of attention in the press. List based articles or listicles, 36 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: are big business these days, and they were popular in 37 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties too. Apparently, no matter what decade you're 38 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: living in, humans love a good list. FBI Director j 39 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: Edgar Hoover took notice of the Chicago lists popularity, and 40 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: the bureau began to keep an unofficial list of criminals 41 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: whose capture was a high priority. However, Hoover remained opposed 42 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: to sharing the organization's list with the public. According to 43 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: a nineteen thirty nine article in Time magazine, the FBI 44 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: quote usually considers it undesirable to dignify public enemies by 45 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: listing them. That stance finally changed ten years later after 46 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: a reporter for the International News Service arranged an interview 47 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: with Director Hoover over a game of cards. The journalist 48 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: asked Hoover about the quote ten toughest guys, the worst 49 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: of the worst in the eyes of the FBI. Hoover 50 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: provided a list, and the resulting article was not only popular, 51 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: but helpful too. The Bureau received a number of promising 52 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: leads from the public, so many, in fact, that Hoover 53 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: approved making the top ten list an ongoing program. The 54 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: bureau spent the next few months developing the idea, and 55 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: on March fourteenth, nineteen fifty the FB eyes first ten 56 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: most Wanted Fugitives list was released. First up on the 57 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: list was Thomas James Holden, a fifty four year old 58 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: ex con who had been half of a bank robbing 59 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: duo along with a man named Francis Keating in the 60 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties. Both Holden and Keating had been captured after 61 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: committing a string of armed bank robberies and murders across 62 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: the Midwest. Holden was released in ninety seven, but quickly 63 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: became a wanted man again after he murdered his wife 64 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: and her two brothers in Chicago. Holden fled to Oregon 65 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: and began living under an assumed name, but once the 66 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: FBI placed him on their most Wanted list, blending in 67 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: became a lot more difficult. In less than a year, 68 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: Holden was apprehended after being recognized by a neighbor who 69 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: had seen the top ten list in a local newspaper. 70 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: Holden's capture was the first of many to be facilitated 71 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: by the list and by the attentive citizens who studied it. 72 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: That early success ensured the program would stick around for 73 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: decades to come, with new high priority fugitives being added 74 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: periodically to replace those who had either died or been captured. 75 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: The task of updating the list is more involved than 76 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: you might think. The first step is for all fifty 77 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: six FBI field offices to submit names for potential inclusion 78 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: on the list. Next, the Criminal Investigative Division of the 79 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: FBI works with the Office of Public and Congressional Affairs 80 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: to whittle the candidates down to a small group of 81 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: not so lucky finalists. From there, the last step of 82 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: the process is to get the new list officially approved 83 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: by the FBI's Deputy Director. After that, it's cleared for 84 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: public release. The selection criteria is pretty straightforward. The fugitive 85 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: must have a long history of criminal offenses as well 86 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: as current pending charges of a serious nature, and they 87 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: have to be considered particularly dangerous to the public as well. Lastly, 88 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: the FBI must believe that placing the fugitive on the 89 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: list will increase the chances of them being apprehended based 90 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: on information submitted by citizens. For example, if a criminal 91 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: has a defining feature that might make them stand out 92 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: in a crowd, they would be considered a stronger candidate 93 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: for inclusion on the list because there's a higher chance 94 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: that they would be recognized. Men and women are eligible 95 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: to make the list, but as of the time of recording, 96 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: only ten women have ever been included. The first was 97 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: Ruth Shire in nineteen sixty eight. She was wanted for 98 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: kidnapping and extortion and was eventually captured a year later 99 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: and found guilty at trial. As of March two, the 100 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: FBI has featured a total of five hundred and twenty 101 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: six criminals on the ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and 102 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: four hundred and ninety one of those people have been apprehended. 103 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: The Bureau sites citizen cooperation as a strong contributor to 104 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: that success, noting that a hundred and sixty three of 105 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: those captures were made based on tips shared by the public. 106 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: Of course, sometimes a nationwide man hunt still isn't enough 107 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: to get the job done. For example, a bank robber 108 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: named Victor Manuel Garena holds the record for the longest 109 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: amount of time spent on the Most Wanted list. He 110 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: remained a target for over thirty two years before finally 111 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: being removed from the list in due to him no 112 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: longer being considered an active threat. The counterpoints of Victor 113 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: Garena is Billy Austin Bryant, a bank robber and murderer 114 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: who holds the dubious distinction of having spent the shortest 115 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: amount of time on the most wanted list. He held 116 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: his spot for a mere two hours before being captured 117 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: while hiding in a citizen's attic in Washington, d c. 118 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: Comparing the different lists released through the decades reveals the 119 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: changing nature of American crime, or at least of American 120 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: law enforcements priorities. According to the FBI, bank robbers, burglars, 121 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: and car thieves were the main concern of the nineteen fifties. 122 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: In the counterculture era of the nineteen sixties and seventies, 123 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: the list was composed mostly of sabotaurs, kidnappers, and those 124 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: who destroyed government property. In the nineteen eighties and nineties, 125 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: the list was dominated by sexual predators, drug traffickers, and 126 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: international terrorists. Those three groups remain primary targets of the 127 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: FBI today and have since been joined by a growing 128 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: number of white collar criminals and domestic terrorists. As a 129 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,599 Speaker 1: reflection of society itself, crime takes different forms as the 130 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: years go by, but no matter how much changes along 131 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: the way, criminals and lists about them will always be 132 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 1: in high demand. I'm Gaye Lousier and hopefully you now 133 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 134 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 135 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d i HC Show, 136 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, you can 137 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: send them my way at this Day at I heart 138 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, 139 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back 140 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow for another day in history class.