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1903 - 1960 (56 years)| Name | Melvin Horace PURVIS [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] | |
| Suffix | Jr. | |
| Birth | 24 Oct 1903 | Timmonsville, South Carolina  |
| Gender | Male | |
| Education | he graduated from the University of South Carolina law school in 1925 and practiced law for two years in Florence, South Carolina [7] | |
| HIST | he was the 5th of 12 siblings of Timmonsville, South Carolina cause of death- gunshot wound to head - instant Story about him and John Dillinger - a movie called “Public Enemies” opened on 1 Jul 2009. Date Published: May 31, 2009 S.C. agent ends Dillinger's career; Winkles top farmer (JULY) By HUBERT OSTEEN Item Editor Hubert@theitem.com 75 YEARS AGO – 1934 Week of July 19-26 The biggest story of the week in Sumter and nationwide was the slaying by federal agents of notorious criminal John Dillinger on Sunday night, July 22, outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago. Coverage of the story occupied almost half the front page of The Sumter Daily Item and a large portion of an inside page with all the lurid details of Dillinger's violent death, plus a history of his exploits dating back to 1924 when his life in crime began with the robbery of a local merchant in his hometown of Mooresville, Ind. Dillinger was gunned down as he left the theater after viewing the film “Manhattan Melodrama.” Leading the squad of some 15 Department of Justice agents was Melvin H. Purvis, Chicago agent for the department and a native South Carolinian born to a prominent Timmonsville family. According to Purvis' account of Dillinger's demise, acting on undercover information, he learned that Dillinger would be attending the movie with two women friends on Sunday night and quickly made arrangements to surround the theater with his agents, who were armed only with pistols as he did not want to use shotguns or machine guns for fear of endangering passersby. He said he recognized Dillinger as he entered the theater, coatless and wearing a hat and gold-rimmed glasses. Two hours later, as Dillinger left the theater, Purvis signaled his men to close in and as they did, “Dillinger looked around and attempted to run up an alley, where several of my men were waiting,” he said. “As he ran, he drew an automatic pistol from his pocket, although I had always been told he carried his weapons in his waist band. As his hand came up with the gun in it, several shots were fired by my men before he could fire. He dropped, fatally wounded. I had hoped to take him alive, but I was afraid he would resist to the last. I was surprised to notice that the scar on the left side of his face had been removed without a trace, a nice piece of plastic surgery. It was one of the identification marks that I had impressed on my men. I'm glad it's over.” Two women witnesses of the shooting were slightly wounded from the agents' weapons. At the Cook County morgue, Dillinger was found to have been shot once through the back of the neck and the bullet came out under his right eye. That was the fatal shot. Another bullet went through his left breast and a third was found in his left breast, which had passed through the tip of the heart. Upon further examination of his body, it was found that he had attempted to eradicate his fingerprints with acid, leaving them scarred. Dillinger's hair was dyed coal black and cut very short. His eyebrows appeared to have been plucked to a fine line and he had a small black mustache, according to the Associated Press story. Thus ended the career of John Dillinger during which he and his gang of henchmen robbed banks, shot down peace officers and “mocked laws in general.” He was described as “Public Enemy No.1” by federal authorities as they engaged in a massive manhunt for him throughout the Midwest, where most of his crimes were committed. Dillinger had manage to evade capture many times as well as escaped from an Indiana jail after having whittled a wooden pistol and fooled 33 guards into believing it to be a real weapon. During that escape he seized machine guns from the jail, stole the sheriff's car and drove off with three hostages, who were later released. Later in the week the newspaper printed a photo of Dillinger's body lying in the morgue surrounded by policemen and coroner's aides. Date Published: May 5, 2004 Dillinger landmark on market for $2.6M By ROBERT IMRIE Associated Press Writer MANITOWISH WATERS, Wis. – A lakeside restaurant where John Dillinger and his gang of bank robbers escaped a hail of government gunfire in the 1930s is up for sale for nearly $2.6 million. Bullet holes and all. It’s the second time that Little Bohemia, a supper club and former inn on 11 acres, has been up for sale since Dillinger was the government’s Public Enemy No. 1. “I tell people, ‘I have got good food. And I hire nice people,’” owner Frank Theisen said. “‘The sun sets over the lake. And I have bullet holes.’” Lots of them – in windows and three different pine walls. On April 22, 1934, federal agents were tipped off that Dillinger and Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis were at Little Bohemia for a weekend getaway. Dillinger, alerted that something was up because dogs started barking, jumped out his upstairs room’s window, onto the inn’s roof and escaped into the darkness, running along the shores of Little Star Lake before he stole a car. The agents shot to death a local man and wounded two others in their attempt to capture Dillinger, who died three months later outside the Biograph theater in Chicago after he was betrayed by a woman who became known as the Lady in Red. “They made their escape pretty much clean,” Theisen said. “Most all of the shooting that was done here – it wasn’t so much of a gun battle – was bullets coming in. The guys had pretty much slipped out the back and away.” The government badly wanted Dillinger and letting him escape was an embarrassment, Theisen said. After 16 years of cooking roast duck dinners and specialties such as liver dumpling soup – and answering umpteen questions about Dillinger – Theisen said it is time for him and his wife, Terry, to explore other options. Personal items that Dillinger left behind – including a suit, a suitcase, a canister of Ex-Lax and a bullet-riddled can the gangsters used for target practice – still are on display in the rustic restaurant tucked into thick woods about 100 miles north of Wausau. Yellowing newspaper accounts of Dillinger, many with screaming headlines such as “Dillinger Again Shoots Way out of Trap” or “Dillinger Runs for Cover,” decorate the restaurant’s entryway. As does the wanted poster the government issued offering a $15,000 reward for Dillinger, “Dead or Alive.” Above the restaurant are several rooms including the one Dillinger stayed in the night of the shooting. The rooms are no longer rented out. There’s been interest in buying the 11-acre property, but no offers in the year since he put it up for sale, Theisen said. The place’s history makes it novel, he said. But it’s the value of the land that gives the property its $2.59 million price tag. South Carolina ETV Carolina Stories Carolina Stories weekly series highlights the rich cultural and historical landscape that is South Carolina. From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the stories are as geographically diverse as their subject matter and they are all produced by ETV's production teams. Television: Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. Upcoming Episodes Thursday at 9:00 pm Thu - Jul 09 G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis Melvin Horace Purvis. To many people today, the name means nothing. But it was not so long ago that Purvis was a household name, and over 260,000 boys and girls were digging through boxes of Post Toasties breakfast cereal to get their very own decoder rings and Junior G-Man badges. Purvis, the Timmonsville native with the unassuming name, skyrocketed to such fame in the 1930s as the leader of the FBI team that took down some of the biggest gangsters of his day, including John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. His death in 1960 from a gun shot to the head is still shrouded in mystery. Was it a suicide, as first reported? Was it an accidental shooting? Or was there something more sinister behind it? This July, Purvis will again become a household name as his story is told on both the big and small screens. On July 1, he gets the Hollywood treatment as the summer blockbuster "Public Enemies" hits theatres. Starring Christian Bale as Purvis, the film follows his pursuit of John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp, and is loosely based on actual events. But the very next night, Thursday, July 2 at 9 p.m., ETV premieres the true story in a new "Carolina Stories" program, "G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis." Presenting "just the facts, ma'am," the documentary examines Purvis' life and sheds some light on his gruesome death. In the process, "G-Man" explores the complicated relationship between Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI and the man who some have said was responsible not only for Purvis' meteoric rise, but also his rapid descent back into obscurity. To order the DVD, visit the ETV Store ...more information Thursday - July 02, 2009 at 9:00 pm 163 page views, 0 Comments Life & Style Sunday, Jun. 28, 2009 S.C.-born crime fighter in spotlight — again By JOEY HOLLEMAN - jholleman@thestate.com Melvin Purvis is like a comet, shining brightly every few generations then slipping out of sight. Comet Purvis returns this weekend with the release of “Public Enemies,” the latest in a string of depictions of the South Carolina native’s stellar but short FBI career. This time, he’s played by Christian Bale. Purvis first burst into the national spotlight in 1934, when he and the agents he supervised in the Chicago FBI office gunned down Public Enemy No. 1 John Dillinger. A year later, he was out of the FBI. Three years later, he was back in Florence, where he began a low-key business career. The fascinating life of the son of a Florence County tobacco farmer returned to the spotlight in 1960 after his mysterious death. Purvis shot himself with a handgun. He left no note behind, and some doubt it was a suicide. Purvis’ renown grew in the 1970s with Hollywood’s “Dillinger” (1973) and two TV movies “Melvin Purvis, G-Man” in 1974 and “The Kansas City Massacre” in 1975. There was another TV movie in 1991, also dubbed “Dillinger.” After an 18-year hiatus, the story of Purvis is back. “Public Enemies” comes out July 1, followed July 2 by a new ETV “Carolina Stories” episode “G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis.” He probably would be uncomfortable with the attention. Even at the height of his fame, Purvis wasn’t keen on being in the limelight, referring to the Dillinger shooting as a team effort. Purvis, the fifth of 12 siblings, graduated from the University of South Carolina law school in 1925 and practiced law for two years in Florence. He landed a job with the precursor to the FBI in 1927 and quickly moved up the career ladder. He directed offices in Birmingham, Oklahoma City and Cincinnati before being put in charge of the Chicago office in 1932, at the height of the gangster era. As “Public Enemies” chronicles, his efforts to capture Dillinger at his Wisconsin hideaway failed miserably. But three months later on July 22, 1934, Purvis got a tip from Chicago brothel owner Anna Sage that Dillinger would be attending a movie at the Biograph Theater. When Dillinger left the theater, Purvis famously lit his cigar as a signal to agents to move in. Purvis told Dillinger, “Stick ’em up, Johnny. We have you surrounded.” Dillinger tried to flee and was shot by several agents. Three months later, Purvis and two of his agents gunned down Pretty Boy Floyd in Clarkson, Ohio. While Purvis wasn’t on the scene, two agents under his command killed Baby Face Nelson in a Chicago-area shootout in November 1934. The agents also both died in the shootout. In five months, Purvis got three of the most infamous criminals in the country. Reporters took to the bantam rooster of a man, whose taciturn answers were spiced by his Southern accent. But FBI director J. Edgar Hoover didn’t like others getting the attention. Purvis left the FBI in 1935, by most accounts undermined by Hoover. Purvis’ son, Alston, claimed Hoover kept after his father for decades. Alston Purvis’ 2005 book is entitled “The Vendetta: Melvin Purvis’s War Against Crime, and J. Edgar Hoover’s War Against Him.” In 1938, Purvis returned to Florence and married Rosanne Willcox. He published a newspaper, owned a local radio station, served in the provost general’s office during World War II and later worked for the war department, according to the South Carolina Encyclopedia. Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366. TUNE IN Premiere of “G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis” is at 9 p.m. ThursdayETV, cable channel 11 In national news, Public Enemy No. 1 Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, was gunned down by federal agents and local police on a farm near East Liverpool, Ohio. Leading the law enforcement officers was Melvin Purvis of Timmonsville, S.C., Federal Bureau of Investigation head of the department's Chicago office. According to the wire story, Floyd, mortally wounded from a hail of gunfire, said to Purvis, "Who the hell tipped you?" Before dying, he confirmed to Purvis, "I am Floyd." Floyd was the principal figure in a nationwide search, being sought as the triggerman in the Kansas City Union Station machine gun massacre in which five police officers were shot to death in June, 1933. Earlier in the summer Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and shot to death in Louisiana, followed by John Dillinger in Chicago outside the Biograph Theatre. A gruesome photo of the bullet-riddled body of Floyd lying on a slab in the East Liverpool morgue appeared the following day on the front page of The Item. Date Published: August 23, 2009 Tilting highlights fair; Keith new Dry Goods owner Photo provided S.A. Harvin served as chairman of the Tilting Tournament in 1934. By HUBERT OSTEEN Item Editor Hubert@theitem.com 75 YEARS AGO – 1934 Week of Oct. 20-27 Clemson Tiger football fans were whooping it up after their team crushed the South Carolina Gamecocks 19-0 in the annual "Big Thursday" State Fair game in Columbia. It was the most decisive defeat suffered by the Gamecocks since 1928. A record crowd of 17,500 witnessed the game that was dominated by Clemson's powerful line offensively and defensively. It was Carolina's second defeat in two Southern Conference starts and Clemson's first victory of the season in the league. On the local football scene, the Sumter High Gamecocks and Brookland-Cayce battled to a scoreless tie before a large home field crowd. The Hugh Stoddard-coached squad was led by the line play of Alford, Reardon, Kirkley and Wilson, while quarterback O.V. Player and halfback Tracy Chewning made several nice runs. The Gamecocks have lost only one game so far in the season, to the strong Columbia Capitals. Barney L. Williams of the Pilot Life Insurance Co. of Sumter was named general chairman of the annual Board of Trade membership campaign scheduled for Nov. 8. Williams put out a call for volunteers to canvass for memberships in the campaign. He stated that everything was in readiness for the campaign and that membership should not be considered a contribution but a "sound business decision." He further added that for a Board of Trade to function properly it requires money to advertise the advantages that Sumter has to offer, such as location, climate, civic improvements, community life, particularly the fine highway system that runs through Sumter, and many other things of importance to the outside world. Sumter County Fair Secretary J. Cliff Brown was putting the final touches on the annual event, describing it as "the best-rounded fair ever presented in the area." Biggest event of the week is the colorful tilting tournament on Thursday night, Nov. 1, which Knights ride the lists to crown the queen of the tournament. And each year more than a score contestants test their aptness in spearing rings to give the spectators real entertainment. According to the story, "State officials and notables from throughout the Carolinas make it a point to see this colorful event, so mindful of the days of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. And as usual the youngest rider in the tourney will be a mere girl, Miss Edith McCants Bookhart of Cameron, who makes the veteran riders envious when it comes to her taking an active part in the meet." S.A. Harvin is chairman of the Tilting Tournament. The fair will also include a horse show, horse races, bicycle races and foot races. A beauty pageant will be held during the fair when Miss Sumter County Fair will be crowned. City school children will be admitted free on Wednesday while Friday is County School Day and Farmers' Day. The fair runs from Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Friday, Nov. 2. In national news, Public Enemy No. 1 Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, was gunned down by federal agents and local police on a farm near East Liverpool, Ohio. Leading the law enforcement officers was Melvin Purvis of Timmonsville, S.C., Federal Bureau of Investigation head of the department's Chicago office. According to the wire story, Floyd, mortally wounded from a hail of gunfire, said to Purvis, "Who the hell tipped you?" Before dying, he confirmed to Purvis, "I am Floyd." Floyd was the principal figure in a nationwide search, being sought as the triggerman in the Kansas City Union Station machine gun massacre in which five police officers were shot to death in June, 1933. Earlier in the summer Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and shot to death in Louisiana, followed by John Dillinger in Chicago outside the Biograph Theatre. A gruesome photo of the bullet-riddled body of Floyd lying on a slab in the East Liverpool morgue appeared the following day on the front page of The Item. Advertisements during the week: The Sumter County Fair announced plans for its annual event on Oct. 30-Nov. 2. The ad touted the event as "The greatest fair ever held in this section of the state." Among its events are a horse show, harness racing and flat racing, the crowning of the queen of the fair, a tilting tournament, grandstand attractions afternoon and night, fireworks every night, plus large, clean midway attractions. Its slogan: "Make our fair your affair"……Courtright Chevrolet Co. on South Main Street next to the post office advertised its Standard Chevrolet in different styles, $465 and up, and the Master Chevrolet, $540 and up….Ducom's Lunch Stand at 6 E. Liberty St. announced its opening, "Ready to serve the public with those famous hamburgers, hot dogs and plate lunches," located at the old stand of the American Café. It's operated by E.L. Ducom…..Madam Charlotte, "The scientific life advisor and character reader" advertised her services at a tent on North Main Street at the city limits next to the Esso station. Special readings were available for 50 cents, claiming "She gives advice on business and love affairs – Don't fail to visit this lady, she is wonderful." (Colored people invited). Playing at the Rex Theatre: "Cleopatra" starring Claudette Colbert and Warren William was featured on Monday and Tuesday, followed on Wednesday by "Crime Without Passion," starring Claude Rains. For Thursday the feature was "Scarlet Empress" starring Marlene Dietrich and Louise Dresser, while on Friday Charles Ruggles and Una Merkel starred in "Murder in the Private Car." For Saturday, the shoot 'em up starred Ken Maynard in "Wheels of Destiny," plus Chapter 3 of the "Red Rider" serial and an Our Gang comedy, "Mike Fright." 50 YEARS AGO – 1959 Week of Oct. 4-11 H.H. "Boots" Keith, who has managed the Sumter Dry Goods Co. for the past six years, reached agreement with the heirs of the late T.H. Clarke, who founded the 64-year-old department store at the corner of Main and Liberty streets, to purchase the outstanding stock of the company. Mr. Clarke died in February. During his management of the store, Keith completely remodeled and modernized the store. The building is owned by the Solomons Estate, according to the page one story, and all rentals from the building will be used to establish a home for the elderly in Sumter. Final preparation were being completed for the 1959 Sumter County Fair that begins Monday, Oct. 12 at the Artillery Drive fairgrounds. Sponsored by Sumter Post 15, American Legion, the fair will be open daily through Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to midnight. In addition to an Amusements of America midway, the fair will feature livestock and agricultural displays, which will be more varied than ever before, according to J. Cliff Brown, fair manager. Tuesday and Thursday nights have been designated as "Award Nights, and there will be free admission to the grounds Wednesday and Thursday for school children of Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties. "County School Day" on Wednesday will be climaxed by the annual Kiwanis Club-sponsored barbecue for 4-H Club members at the American Legion Hut. Friday, "City School Day," will feature a high school football game in the fairgrounds stadium between Sumter and North Charleston. The opening of the 1959-60 Sumter Little Theatre season began on Monday, Oct. 5, with the presentation of "Light Up The Sky," a three-act Moss Hart comedy directed by Margaret McKeown, who will be assisted by John Hoar, also appearing in one of the roles. Other local actors appearing in the play will be veteran performers Irene Schlesinger, Jimmy Milling, Shirley Housen, Ed Damron and Frankie Grover along with newcomers Glenn Musser, George Saussy, Dan Miller and Thelma Kratch. The Little Theatre is located at 26 Miller Road. The Dave M. Winkles family of Oswego was honored as one of six Master Farm Families in South Carolina. The award is jointly sponsored by Progressive Farmer Magazine and the Clemson College Extension Service. A plaque was presented to the family at their home in ceremonies presided over by County Farm Agent T.O. Bowen. The family includes Mr. and Mrs. Winkles, the former Bertha Stafford of Oswego; and their three children, Mrs. D.E. (Adville) Weatherford of Albany, Ga., Marilyn and David Jr. Winkles, 48, began farming in 1933 at DuBose Crossroads on 48 acres of land, now expanded to 559 acres on which row cropping is emphasized – cotton, corn, soybeans, small grains, tobacco and peanuts. The Sumter Jaycees went on record to urge Sumter City Council to revive efforts to obtain enough signatures to set up an election to determine whether or not general obligation bonds should be issued for improvements in the city. Council had dropped the matter when it determined it could not collect the 2,000 signatures of property owners needed for an election. Jaycees President Frank Hirt pledged the support of the local chapter in obtaining the signatures. Two major traffic accidents occurred in the county, one of which took the life of a Shaw Air Force Base sergeant and the other injuring seven youths. Staff Sgt. Wallace Raymond Blackie, 27, died from head injuries during an apparent race with another car on a secondary road near Stateburg on Sunday, Oct. 4, when he lost control of his car and it turned over several times. A passenger in the car he was driving, Staff Sgt. Elijah J. Johnson, 31, was in critical condition at the Shaw hospital from head injuries he sustained in the crash. The driver of the other car, Master Sgt. Cecil J. Grayson,31, was arrested on charges of racing on a highway and was released on $2500 bond. The other accident occurred near Second Mill on Monday Oct. 5, when a car driven by Norman Odell Kirby, 18, ran off an embankment and overturned. Two passengers in the car, Harold Windham, 20, and Leo Bryant, 19, were being treated for their injuries at Tuomey Hospital when the other five occupants of the car including the driver were treated and released. Four local Edmunds High School students were named semifinalists in the 1959-60 Merit Scholarship competition, according to Principal Joseph L. Lyles. They were Tommy Hammer, John Godbey, Byron Harder and Denis Smithson. By becoming semifinalists, the students moved a step closer to the coveted Merit Scholarships in the program. The Item's staff was working feverishly to put together its 65th Anniversary and Progress edition that will be published on the anniversary of the founding of the newspaper by H.G. Osteen, Thursday, Oct. 15. Between 75 and 80 pages will be included in the mammoth six-section edition. Sports news: The Edmunds High Gamecocks lost their fourth game of the season as they were pounded by Darlington 34-0. It was the 10th straight win for Darlington, which held the Gamecocks to two first downs. Sumter's lone win came against Charleston High…..Furman's Indians continued their winning ways by trouncing Greeleyville 25-6 to wrap up the Conference 3C championship, led again by the running of Herbert Follin, who scampered 40, 60 and 25 yards on scoring jaunts……In college action, Sumterite and end Jimmy Kolb scored twice for Presbyterian in its 27-19 win over Wofford, nabbing touchdown tosses of 10 and five yards in the victory….. The University of South Carolina Gamecocks knocked off favored Georgia 30-14 while Clemson was bounced 16-6 by Georgia Tech. Carolina's win propelled the team to 11th in the AP College Football Poll……The Carolinas Major League Players Tour has scheduled a game at Riley Park at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. New York Yankees second baseman and Sumterite Robert Richardson will be among the major leaguers playing in the exhibition game. Others include Don Buddin of Olanta and Tom Brewer of Cheraw, Boston Red Sox; Hoyt Wilhelm and Jerry Walker of Baltimore; Sammy Taylor of Woodruff, Chicago Cubs; Neil Chrisley of Calhoun Falls and Gail Harris, Detroit Tigers; Faye Throneberry, Washington Senators; Smoky Burgess, Pittsburgh Pirates. The Sumter Junior Chamber of Commerce is sponsor for the game…..The Alice Drive Yellow Jackets rolled to their fourth straight win, whipping the Shaw Air Force Base Falcons 13-6 behind the touchdown runs of Tommy Edens and Buford Mabry Jr. The team is coached by Harold Iseman….The Los Angeles Dodgers captured the World Series with a sixth-game victory over the Chicago White Sox, 9-3. Advertisements during the week: Dunn's Nursery and Garden Center announced its grand opening on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10. The business is located on Guignard Drive oppose the old Sumter airport. Specials offered during the opening include rye grass seed for 12 cents a pound and Armour Vertagreen plant food, 50 pounds for $1.50. The ad noted that the garden center specializes in landscaping, planning, design and complete yard maintenance…..McCollum Motors, Inc. at 14 W. Canal St. introduced the new 1960 Dodge Dart two-door sedan at its showroom. The dealership stated in its ad that it has served Sumter since 1914…..White & Kennedy, Inc., ladies' shoes at 22 S. Main St. was offering the Naturalizer shoe in various colors, selling for $13.95 and $14.95, plus handbags to match. Playing at the downtown theaters: The Carolina featured "Ten Seconds To Hell" starring Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance and Martine Carol, followed by a horror double feature, "Return of the Fly" starring Vincent Price and "The Alligator People" starring Beverly Garland and George MacCready. Coming on Sunday was "The Blue Angel" starring Curt Jurgens and May Britt….At the Sumter, the feature was "But Not For Me," starring Clark Gable and Carroll "Baby Doll" Baker, co-starring Lili Palmer and Barry Coe. Like the Carolina, it followed up with a horror double feature, "The Cosmic Man" and "The Giant Behemoth," while coming on Sunday was Danny Kaye in "The Five Pennies." Date Published: January 10, 2010 Dollard sleep-walks through window; Purvis kills self Photo Provided Helen Johns Carroll of Sumter, an Olympic gold medal winner in 1932, is shown with another Olympian, Albina Osipowich, in the 1930s. Carroll swam on the 400-meter freestyle relay team. 75 YEARS AGO – 1935 Week of April 19-26 The Roosevelt administration approved the purchase of 13,000 acres of unproductive farmland in western Sumter County that will be used in a demonstration project for improving land. The land is located in the Poinsett forest, according to the AP story, which went on to say that “steps are to be taken by the state forest commission to manage the woodlands on a permanent-yield basis, and part of the forest will be used for shooting purposes.” J. Leon Dollard, popular Sumter County rural policeman, was painfully injured during the early morning hours of Saturday, April 20, when he reportedly leaped through the glass window of his bedroom and fell some six feet into his yard while sleepwalking. Dollard had worked late on a case before returning to his home on the Manning Road, having supper and retiring for the evening. “The next thing he knew,” the story reported, “he was in the yard of his home badly hurt.” Dollard was taken to Tuomey Hospital for treatment of badly torn muscles in his legs and numerous cuts and bruises on his arms and legs. The story concluded: “The only reason that could be ascribed for the accident was that Mr. Dollard leaped from the window while in the grip of a violent nightmare.” Federal agent T.L. Eastman of Columbia was shot in his hand while participating in a raid on a still near Summerton on Tuesday, April 22. The alleged shooter and distiller, Arthur Wells, was shot in his leg by Eastman during the exchange of gunfire. Eastman, along with two Clarendon County deputies, then arrested Wells. Both men were treated at Tuomey Hospital for their wounds, believed to be minor. Two other men suspected of being involved in the operation of the still were later arrested. Other news: A Civilian Conservation Corps worker burned to death at Camp Miller in the western part of the county when his clothing became ignited while fighting a forest fire. He was identified as Luther Price, 43, of Durham, N.C., a veteran of World War I. ... The Sumter YMCA reached its goal of $7,000 in its annual fund-raising project, chairman Frank K. Clarke announced. ... Dr. Julius A. Mood, dean of the medical fraternity of Sumter, celebrated his 81st birthday while confined in his home recuperating from surgery undergone three weeks ago. ... John Vernon Wilson of Sumter High School won first place in English contests held during the state academic competition in Columbia at the University of South Carolina. Blanche Parker of Bishopville High won first place in the biology contest. ... The Sumter High baseball team won two games during the week, defeating Darlington 9 to 8 and Bishopville 12 to 6 behind the hitting of Charles “Cowboy” Osteen, Orville Player and Louis Folley. Player had five hits in the two games. The team also played an exhibition game during the week against the Sumter High faculty, losing 10-2 behind the two-hit pitching of Hugh Stoddard, who shut out the boys until the ninth inning when they pushed across their two runs. Advertisements during the week: The Capitol department store on North Main Street promoted its most recent sale with the headline, “We advertise the truth, the truth advertises us.” The ad went on to say that “women and children who follow THE CAPITOL advertisements know that the above statement is true. They prove the fact by continually shopping at THE CAPITOL. They come expecting values and find them. They are pleased.” Its Friday and Saturday sale featured dresses in seersucker, matelasse, piques, eyelets, linen, washable crepe and washable silk, values to $3.85, going for $2 each. ... Jack’s new department store at 10 S. Main St. (located in Julian’s old stand) was conducting an after Easter clearance on dresses, two for the price of one, reduced from $2.95 and $3.95 each for only $4.75 a pair. Also, evening dresses were on sale ranging in price from $4.90 to $10.90. ... Sumter Insurance Agency, founded in 1866, located in the City National Building at the corner of Main and Liberty, noted in its ad that the firm represented stock and mutual fire and casualty companies with all forms of insurance and bonds. Listed as its owners were Martha W. Graham and H.C. McLaurin. Playing at the Rex Theatre: Monday through Wednesday Will Rogers was starring in “Life Begins at 40,” co-starring Richard Cromwell and Rochelle Hudson. Thursday’s feature was “The Night Is Young,” followed on Friday by “Hell in the Heavens,” starring Warner Baxter and Ralph Morgan. Saturday’s shoot ‘em up was “Revenge Rider” starring Tim McCoy and another chapter in the “Mystery Mountain” serial. Coming next week: “After Office Hours” starring Clark Gable and Constance Bennett. 50 YEARS AGO – 1960 Week of Feb. 21-28 Famed FBI agent Melvin Purvis, who led the team of G-men that gunned down Public Enemy No. 1 John Dillinger in 1934 in Chicago, was found dead at his home in Florence of a self-inflicted pistol wound. Purvis, in his early 50s, was found dead in the landing of an upstairs hall in his home by his wife, Rosanne, who said she was in the yard when a shot sounded. According to Purvis’ physician, Purvis had been depressed and in bad health lately. Helen Carroll of Sumter, who won a gold medal in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, was the subject of a page on feature story by Item writer Emily H. Fishburne. Mrs. Carroll and her family moved in Sumter when her husband, Eugene, became supervisor of the printing department at Santee Print Works. Born Helen Johns in Medford, Mass., she grew up in a sports family that resided in Brookline, Mass. Her sister, a physical education teacher, encouraged her to take up swimming at an early age, and she would soon participate in competitive swimming events. By the age of 17 she went on to qualify for the Olympics and competed as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay team that won the gold. Among other famous athletes who competed in the 1932 Olympics were Buster Crabbe, Eleanor Holm and Babe Didrickson. In recalling the presentation of her gold medal 28 years before, Carroll said: “It’s impossible to describe the feeling one has when she has won and stands up to receive her medals. It gives you an overwhelming feeling of patriotism that you can never forget to step forward as your National Anthem is played.” A Crowson photo appeared with the story showing Carroll holding a photo of her winning relay team and a framed Olympiad diploma presented to all winners. The Carrolls are the parents of two daughters: Deborah, a junior at the University of South Carolina and studying to be a teacher, and Judy, a student at Edmunds High School who plays on the basketball team. The family plans to make Sumter their permanent home. A Ruth Crowson photo showed Fire Chief C.V. “Bit” Wilder holding a summer duck that fell into the fireplace of the B.D. Kelly home on Swan Lake Drive after trying to light on the chimney of the home. The young drake was just getting his change of feathers to full color. Wilder released the unexpected visitor and things were ducky again at the Kelly residence. Other news: Manning NAACP leader Billy Fleming said a bullet was fired into his home, which also serves as a funeral parlor, while he was away. He discovered the bullet lodged in a wall after having penetrated the front door of his home. He also said his mother, who lives nearby, heard the sound of a shot the evening before but thought nothing of it. Fleming told the AP the shooting may have stemmed from recent sit-down protests at segregated lunch counters in South Carolina and from increased NAACP activity. Manning attorney Julien Weinberg announced he would oppose incumbent Mayor J.B. McCord in the March 1 city Democratic primary. ... Unknown intruders “peeled” the door of a small office safe at Carolina Coca-Cola Bottling Co. on West Liberty Street and made off with approximately $600-$700 in cash. Soft drink dispensing machines in the building were also rifled for cash. The break-in was discovered by Brown Weldon, city salesman for the company, according to Police Chief E.E. McIntosh. In sports news, the Sumter High Gamecocks split two games during the week, winning on their home court 48-39 over the Columbia High Capitals behind Shelby Merritt and Douglas Allen, who each scored 12 points, and losing to the Florence Yellow Jackets 59-43 in their final regular season game. Merritt was again the leading scorer with 18 points, followed by Joe Cannarella with 13. Allen was injured when he suffered a nasty gash on his head during a tussle for a rebound. The team will next play in the lower state tournament to be played in Columbia. The Item announced selections for its first annual County All-Star Basketball Team. Named to the team were: Joe Cannarella and Shelby Merritt of Sumter High; Fred Collins of Mayewood; Neil Towery of Furman; and Wayne Hayes of Hillcrest. From the “Thinking Out Loud” column of Item editorialist Harold Booker: “Believe it or not but it costs almost as much now to amuse a child as it did to educate his dad. ... There are many kinds of pests but the pessimist is probably the worst. ... ‘No one knows how much a housewife does,’ says a writer. Maybe that’s the reason some of them spend all day talking about it. ... Famous last words: ‘I’ll just tell him what I think about it’. ... We guess most men get what they deserve. But only the successful will admit it.” Advertisements during the week: Galloway & Moseley jewelers at 130 S. Main St. was holding a pre-25th anniversary sale on silver items, with one tea set regularly priced at $650 reduced to $450, all silver other than flatware reduced 20 to 30 percent, 30 bon bon dishes going for $3.30, and two ladies diamond wrist watches that were $895 and $695 reduced 40 percent each. ... McLellan’s five and dime at South Main and Liberty streets was offering leap year values: hot dogs for 10 cents, plus all drinks 5 cents with each hot dog; steel utility tables for $2.99; plastic roses, 10 cents each; and aluminum cake plate, 99 cents. Playing at the downtown theaters: “The Gazebo” starring Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds played Monday and Tuesday at the Sumter, followed by a double feature of horror movies, “Bucket of Blood” and “The Giant Leeches.” For the weekend beginning Friday the feature was “Operation Petticoat” starring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. At the Carolina, “The Mouse That Roared” starring Peter Sellers and Jean Seberg played through Wednesday followed by a three-day run of “Yesterday’s Enemy” starring Stanley Baker and Leo McKern. Starting Sunday was “The Gene Krupa Story” starring Sal Mineo, Susan Kohner and James Darren. Contact Editor Hubert Osteen at Hubert@theitem.com or (803)774-1298. Purvis a guest at country club - Melvin Purvis, the former FBI agent who led the successful hunt and killing of Public Enemy No. 1 John Dillinger in Chicago, was among the guests who attended a party at Sunset Country Club hosted by Mr. and Mrs. I.C. Strauss, Mr. and Mrs. D.G.F. Bultman and Miss Thelma Bultman. Purvis has been spending the Christmas holiday with relatives at his former home town of Timmonsville before returning to San Francisco, where he is now a practicing attorney. Article in the Cheraw Chronicle on about 19 Sep 1938 Purvis Visits Cheraw (South Carolina) Melvin Purvis, now an attorney in San Francisco, was in Cheraw recently, visiting his uncle, Dr. O. H. Purvis, and incidentailly looking up records of his ancestors who lived near Cheraw years ago. Gregg’s history mentions that a grant of land was made to John Purvis before the Revolution. It was in this county and about four miles went of Cheraw. A small cemetery at the top of this hill beyond Purvis’ bridge on Thompson creek has several Purvis graves - the last one buried there was John Purvis in 1858. He was a member of St. David’s Episcopal church. Melvin PUrvis talks very interestingly about his service in the F. B. I., generally known as the G-men. It was he who had charge of the men who killed Dillinger, and also in the G-man raid on Little Bohemia in Wisconsin and in the death of “Pretty Boy” Floyd near Chicago. He said that he had no trouble in recognizing Dillinger when he entered the moving picture theater in Chicago, after being tipped off by the “Woman in Red” - through Dillinger had paid a doctor $10,000 to have his face “lifted.” He said it was a long wait outside of the theater for Dillinger to come out - when he did Purvis’ men killed him. Mr. Purvis has often visited Cheraw where he has many relatives. [4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14] | |
| MILI | World War II [12] | |
| Occupation | FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) - he was instrumental in the killing of the outlaw John Dillinger; Lawyer Attorney [12, 15] | |
| _UID | 4335FB008562419DB2C9E86AE9E8FE360AA5 | |
| Death | 29 Feb 1960 | at his residence, 1356 Cherokee Road, Florence, South Carolina |
| Burial | 2 Mar 1960 | Mt Hope Cemetery, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina [12] |
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| Person ID | I103982 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 25 Aug 2015 | |
| Father | Melvin Horace PURVIS, Sr. | |
| Mother | Janie MIMS | |
| _UID | 56AD4493D37947448895EC4A7ACFA93F3526 | |
| _UID | 56AD4493D37947448895EC4A7ACFA93F3526 | |
| Family ID | F146557 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Marie Rosanna/Rosanne WILLCOX, b. 31 Jan 1908, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina d. 23 Aug 1977, Florence General Hospital, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina (Age 69 years) | |||||||
| _UID | 64CBC02DF2504E599AFD4914CA07E95B0E22 | |||||||
| _UID | 64CBC02DF2504E599AFD4914CA07E95B0E22 | |||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F71980 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||
| Last Modified | 25 Aug 2015 | |||||||
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