The Omnibus

Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Forum

Media Credit: Brendan Block This Tommy Gun is the very gun pointed at Bolivar sheriff, Jack Killingsworth, on June 16, 1932. Killingsworth was taken hostage in Bolivar by Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd and Adam Richetti on their way to Kansas City before their involvement in the Kansas City massacre. The men were trying to free Frank Nash, a federal prisoner at the time.

It was the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression and Prohibition. Many men turned to a life of crime, trading poverty for money and fame. "Baby Face" Nelson and Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd were both notorious bank robbers of their time. The little known fact about Bolivar is that Floyd is inextricably connected with Bolivar in our town's history through his partner in crime: Adam Richetti.
Richetti's brother, Joe. was an auto mechanic and resident of Bolivar, who worked at Bitzer Chevrolet, which is currently the CMH Supply store off Broadway Street. On June 16, 1932, an unforgettable day in the history of Bolivar, "Pretty Boy" Floyd and Adam Richetti stopped at Bitzer's to get their car repaired.
Rumor has it, this was not their first trip to Bolivar. Some citizens claim to have seen the men chasing local girls around and eating at our own Nifty Café before their unforgettable visit.
But, on this day, the men were in a hurry to get to Kansas City on a mission that would result in a failed attempt to rescue fellow criminal Frank Nash and a bloodbath of four Kansas City police officers in an event that would become known as the Kansas City Massacre.
Bolivar Sheriff Jack Killingsworth was making a routine stop at the garage where the criminals were getting their car fixed, and was met with the barrel end of a Tommy Gun. Surprisingly, the sheriff was unarmed.
Initially, Richetti wanted to shoot Killingsworth or "kill the law," as he said at the time. Although this was Richetti's reaction, Floyd had more important uses for the sheriff.
The decision to take Sheriff Killingsworth hostage wound up being a crucial and intelligent decision for the outlaws, since the sheriff knew the roads to Kansas City with ease, creating a safe exit from Bolivar. The three men made it to a town called Deepwater, where they decided to switch cars again. This time, they demanded a car from a salesman in town who did not initially want to submit, but was coaxed by Killingsworth to give the men the car.

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