10478: United States v. Albert Bates, et al. (Western District of Oklahoma): the Urschel kidnaping file

National Archives file unit for the federal prosecution of the Urschel kidnaping at Oklahoma City. The defendants included George R. "Machine Gun" Kelly and Kathryn Thorne Kelly. The filings are catalogued as separate items.

Date: 1933/1935
Kind: finding-aid
Source: National Archives Catalog
Retrieved: 2026-10-12
NAID: 66383199
Docket: CR10478
Rights: A record of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, held by the National Archives in Record Group 21, Records of District Courts of the United States. A United States government work, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105. The National Archives catalog marks use "Unrestricted." Series "Criminal Case Files" (NAID 650898), National Archives at Fort Worth.

The National Archives describes this file unit: “This file consists of the criminal case United States v. Albert Bates, et. al. The defendants were charged with the kidnaping of Charles F. Urschel from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Among the defendants were George R. ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly and his wife, Kathryn Thorne Kelly.” The catalog records CR10478 as “the case number assigned by the court.”

The file unit has no images of its own. Its filings are catalogued as items, about 155 of them digitized. This archive files eight: the indictment, the jury instructions, the Kellys’ trial transcript, the agreed statement of facts for Bailey’s appeal, three commitments and George Kelly’s petition for appeal. Others in the catalog, among them Kathryn Kelly’s demurrer, the warrant of removal of October 2, 1933, a search warrant and her application to extend time for appeal, are not filed separately.

itemIndictment in United States v. Albert Bates, et al., Urschel kidnaping (23 August 1933)Ten-page federal indictment of 23 August 1933 against Albert L. Bates, George R. Kelly, Kathryn Thorne Kelly, Harvey J. Bailey, the Shannons and others for the conspiracy to kidnap Charles F. Urschel.itemInstructions to the jury in United States v. Albert Bates, et al. (30 September 1933)The court's forty-page charge to the jury in the first Urschel kidnaping trial at Oklahoma City, dated 30 September 1933.itemTranscript of testimony, United States v. George R. Kelly and Kathryn Kelly (October 1933)The 564-page transcript of the October 1933 federal trial of George R. Kelly and Kathryn Kelly at Oklahoma City for the Urschel kidnaping.itemAgreed statement of facts, United States v. Harvey J. Bailey (28 May 1934)Eighteen-page agreed statement of facts of 28 May 1934, prepared for Harvey J. Bailey's appeal from his conviction in the Urschel kidnaping case.itemCommitment of George R. Kelly (16 October 1933)The court's commitment of George R. "Machine Gun" Kelly to custody after his life sentence in the Urschel kidnaping case, dated 16 October 1933.itemCommitment of Kathryn Thorne Kelly (20 October 1933)The court's commitment of Kathryn Thorne Kelly, alias Catherine Kelly, after her life sentence for conspiracy in the Urschel kidnaping, dated 20 October 1933.itemCommitment of Harvey J. Bailey (12 October 1933)The court's commitment of Harvey J. Bailey, with the aliases J. J. Brennan, John Brown and R. G. McDonald, after his conviction in the Urschel kidnaping case, dated 12 October 1933.itemPetition for appeal by George R. Kelly (11 November 1933)George R. Kelly's petition for appeal from his conviction in United States v. Albert L. Bates, et al., dated 11 November 1933.