User:Ahaynes 1102/Sandbox
The College Kidnappers were a group of alumni from the University of Illinois who specialized in kidnapping victims for ransom.
The College Kidnappers[edit]
The college Kidnappers was a group of college graduates who specialized in kidnapping and holding for ransom people who are less likely to approach the police and could pay the ransom. [1] This mob affiliated group got their name "College Kidnappers" because their leader Theodore "Handsome Jack" Klutas was a alumni of the University of Illinois. [1] Most of the characters snatched by The College Kidnappers, were apart of the Al Capone Mob [1] A new case came out questioning if it was at all possible to change ones fingerprints or facial structure to try to trick the arms justice when they went to identify the subject, Handsome Jack was one of the first to try this tactic [2]. The College Kidnappers gained over half a million dollars in ransom [1]. In 1933 the Capone gangsters cornerd Babe Jones, a member of The College Kidnappers, telling him to pass along the message of a payoff to stop kidnapping other Capone gangsters [1]. Klutas indicated that he liked the deal but later orded Jones to be killed because he was viewed as a weak individual [1] . Jones knew the tactics of The College Kidnappers and in order to save his life he went to the police and told them of several hideouts [1]. The police raided one of these hideouts and Handsome Jack was gunned to his death [1].
"Handsome Jack" Klutas[edit]
Handsome Jack was portrayed to be large in staure and very handsome. hence the name "Handsome Jack" [2]. Handsome Jack had connections with John Dillinger and with the Chicago Crime World [2]. He came from a respectable family who attempted to give him a college education. He attended university of Illinois in Champaign in 1923 but did not finish with a degree.
Newspaper Articles[edit]
13 November 1933-Fitchburg Sentinel-Fittsburg Mass.
13 November 1933-Edwardsville Intelligencer
16 November 1933-Helena Independent- Helena Montana
21 November 1933-Helena Independent
24 november 1933-Edwardsville Intelligencer
7 January 1934-Helena Independent