2008 Woodie Awards
What you did not know about Bolivar
Brendan Block
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Forum
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The group of two gangsters and the sheriff made it to north Kansas City where Floyd and Richetti dropped the sheriff off alive. Killingsworth talked about his son to Floyd, a common interest since Floyd also had a son; the sheriff's keenness for getting on good terms with the captors might have been the factor that saved his life.
Richetti and Floyd then abandoned the car and met up with cohort Vernon Miller to help free Frank Nash, a federal prisoner. As they tried to free him, Nash was killed in gunfire, along with four other officers.
Floyd was captured two years later, shot in the back by police officers. Richetti was captured and faced four counts of first degree murder, and was sentenced to death in a gas chamber. Adam Richetti is buried in Greenwood cemetery in Bolivar.
Sheriff Killingsworth came back to Bolivar and bought the Tommy Gun used to take him hostage in order to scare off other criminals with this nice piece of machinery owned by the law this time. The gun can be found today in the Polk County Sheriffs office.
I asked Susan Sparks, president of the Polk County Genealogical Society, why many people in Bolivar know nothing about this chilling day.
"We exist and the [history] museum exists, but not many people come to check us out," Sparks said.
If anyone is interested in Bolivar history, there are many spectacular and little known history facts that can be found at both the Polk Genealogical Society and Greenwood cemetery. Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was the first public enemy number one and, though his history with Bolivar is unknown to many, he came through this town on his way to Kansas City in 1932.
A special thanks goes to the Polk County Genealogical Society and Greenwood Cemetery for their help and information involving the hostage and events leading to the Kansas City Massacre.
Richetti and Floyd then abandoned the car and met up with cohort Vernon Miller to help free Frank Nash, a federal prisoner. As they tried to free him, Nash was killed in gunfire, along with four other officers.
Floyd was captured two years later, shot in the back by police officers. Richetti was captured and faced four counts of first degree murder, and was sentenced to death in a gas chamber. Adam Richetti is buried in Greenwood cemetery in Bolivar.
Sheriff Killingsworth came back to Bolivar and bought the Tommy Gun used to take him hostage in order to scare off other criminals with this nice piece of machinery owned by the law this time. The gun can be found today in the Polk County Sheriffs office.
I asked Susan Sparks, president of the Polk County Genealogical Society, why many people in Bolivar know nothing about this chilling day.
"We exist and the [history] museum exists, but not many people come to check us out," Sparks said.
If anyone is interested in Bolivar history, there are many spectacular and little known history facts that can be found at both the Polk Genealogical Society and Greenwood cemetery. Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was the first public enemy number one and, though his history with Bolivar is unknown to many, he came through this town on his way to Kansas City in 1932.
A special thanks goes to the Polk County Genealogical Society and Greenwood Cemetery for their help and information involving the hostage and events leading to the Kansas City Massacre.
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