
This Is Your FBI 45-04-20 (003) Kidnapping - Shotgun Hadley
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Ryan Seacrest
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Frank Hadley
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Sally Hadley
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FBI Narrator
This is your FBI. This is your FBI. An official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. To your FBI, you look for national security and to the Equitable Society for financial security. These two great institutions are dedicated to the protection of you, your home and your country. Tonight, the story of a crime against the home kidnapping.
FBI Agent
Just as it takes a special type of criminal to become a Hitler, so it takes a special type to become a kidnapper. Someone who refuses to face the fact that eventually all kidnappers and those who aid them will be hunted down by the FBI until they are dead or brought to justice. Such criminals aren't born, they're made. Created by environment, by society, by circumstance. And in one case, a kidnapper was created by something else, too. By his wife.
Sally Hadley
Sally. Ain't that enough for today?
FBI Agent
No, that last round was.
Frank Hadley
No, thank you.
Sally Hadley
I'm tired.
Frank Hadley
Then rest for a minute.
Sally Hadley
Dragging me out here every day for two weeks.
Frank Hadley
I'm a good enough shot for small time holdups.
Sally Hadley
Maybe that bank job was.
Frank Hadley
No, you don't have to tell me about that bank job, Frank. That was my idea. Just like everything's been my idea.
Sally Hadley
Okay, it's all yours. Take the gun, too.
Frank Hadley
Darling. Darling, you know I didn't mean it that way. You know I plan everything just for you. Besides, I couldn't do it all myself.
Sally Hadley
If you could, you would.
Frank Hadley
Don't be silly.
Sally Hadley
I don't know what the point of all this target practice is anyway.
Frank Hadley
It's gonna give you a reputation.
Sally Hadley
With two stretches behind me, I've got.
Frank Hadley
One like a hundred others. But you're going to be bigger. Bigger than all of them.
Sally Hadley
Bigger?
FBI Agent
Yes.
Frank Hadley
What's the point of being anything if you can't be the biggest, the best. If you can't be number one. And that's what we are going to be, Frank. Number one.
FBI Narrator
You're crazy.
Frank Hadley
Wait and see.
Sally Hadley
Look. Couple more bank jobs and we could be driving on gasoline for the rest of our lives.
Frank Hadley
That's what my Father must have said to my mother. And what were they? Petty crooks. Now they have to live on what I hand out to them. No, darling. We're going to do it right. One real job and then we quit.
Sally Hadley
What? One real job.
Frank Hadley
Never mind.
Sally Hadley
Come on.
Frank Hadley
When we're ready, I'll tell you. Sally, darling, have I ever given you a bum steer?
Sally Hadley
Well, have I? No, but.
Frank Hadley
Now empty both barrels like a good boy and we'll call it quits for today.
FBI Agent
Professional criminals don't work alone. They help each other. The most successful are those who get the most help. And they get it through their reputations in the crime world. Sally Hadley learned this the way most people learn things, through experience. She made her husband an expert with a sawed off shotgun. And then she made herself his press agent. She gave him a name, Shotgun Hadley. She passed out shelves as souvenirs. She planned robberies and holdups. Saw that he carried them out perfectly. She built up his reputation. And then she was ready. Ready for really big game. Ready for that hot Saturday night in July when an Oklahoma millionaire named Walter Montgomery was playing cards on the screen porch of his home with his wife and his best friend.
Frank Hadley
There's no point in playing with you, Henry. You always win.
FBI Narrator
You and Walter.
Sally Hadley
Just let me win.
FBI Narrator
Because I'm your guest. Right, Walter?
Sally Hadley
I'm sorry. What'd you say, Henry?
Frank Hadley
Oh, Walt.
Sally Hadley
I thought I heard a car stop down below.
Frank Hadley
You always think you hear something nobody else does.
Sally Hadley
How about another hand?
Frank Hadley
Not for me.
FBI Narrator
Me either. I'm about ready for bed.
Sally Hadley
Why don't you sit down and keep quiet?
FBI Agent
What are you. Sit down.
Sally Hadley
The shotgun works. Which one of you is Waller Montgomery?
FBI Agent
Where do you want to know? Never mind.
Sally Hadley
Which one of you is Montgomery? Which one of them is your husband, lady? Okay, I'll take both of them, but you can't.
FBI Agent
Shut up.
Sally Hadley
Come on, on your feet, boys. We're going for a little drive. You ever want to see your husband again, stay away from the phone. Mrs. Montgomery. I told you, the shotgun works.
FBI Agent
One hour later, a blue sedan stopped at an intersection 12 miles from Oklahoma City. A man was shoved out and his empty wallet thrown after him. Then the car continued on its way with Walter Montgomery blindfolded on the back seat. Just about that time, Mrs. Montgomery was putting through a long distance call. She knew kidnapping was a federal offense. And following the Attorney General's advice to the public. She telephoned Mr. J. Edgar Hoover in Washington. In less than 45 minutes, special agents assigned by Mr. Hoover were on their way. They took no immediate action. Not even four days later when Mrs. Montgomery received a typewritten letter. The first of a series of letters. The first of a series of ransom notes.
Frank Hadley
There was this note from my husband enclosed in the letter.
Sally Hadley
Are you sure that's his handwriting, Mrs. Montgomery?
Frank Hadley
Yes. He said to give them the $200,000.
Sally Hadley
He certainly set a high price. Did they give you instructions how to pay?
Frank Hadley
Well, the letter says to watch for.
FBI Agent
An ad in the paper and then.
Sally Hadley
Take an ad yourself.
Frank Hadley
Yes.
Sally Hadley
Then it told you not to notify the police.
Frank Hadley
Yes.
Sally Hadley
Not to take down the serial number of the bills and have only used $20 notes.
Frank Hadley
How did you know?
Sally Hadley
We haven't been reading your mail. It's just that kidnapping notes always follow the same pattern. Who do they want as the intermediary to deliver the money?
Frank Hadley
Henry. Mr. Carroll. He's my husband's best friend.
Sally Hadley
Well, if they put that ad in the paper tomorrow and you answer immediately, your husband should be back on the first of next week.
Frank Hadley
Unless something happens.
Sally Hadley
What do you mean?
Frank Hadley
Mr. Schuyler?
Sally Hadley
Yes.
Frank Hadley
I want to cooperate with the government. I know kidnappers are the worst kind of criminals, but you see, I. Well, I want my husband back. Please don't do anything.
Sally Hadley
Mrs. Montgomery, there's no need for you to worry. The first concern of the FBI in any kidnapping case is to get the victim home safely. We want to see your husband back here as much as you do. And we won't make one single move that will stand in the way of his coming back.
FBI Agent
Thank you. Three days later, arrangements were made to have a satchel containing $200,000 thrown from the observation platform of a speeding train at a certain spot in Oklahoma. Although no one knew it, the serial number of every bill was taken down and listed. And nine days after he was kidnapped, Walter Montgomery came home to his wife. He hadn't had much sleep. He was very tired, but he was safe. He was alive. He was home. As soon as he'd recovered from the shock and rested, he was interviewed by the FBI.
Sally Hadley
Mr. Montgomery? Yes. What was the last thing you saw before being blindfolded? Why, a lot of lights. Must have been some kind of plant. Well, there was a power plant near where they dropped Mr. Carroll. It could have been a power plant. All right. Now, on the way to the house, did you hear anything? Well, one or two cars passed us, but. Oh, yes, we must have passed an oil field. Why, I heard the sound of the pumps, and twice I remember smelling gas. Then you passed two oil fields. That's right. Now, how long after you passed that Second field. Would you guess it was before you got to the house? Oh, I don't know for sure. Not long, though. 15 minutes? Oh, less. I think about 10, say. Good. How did the car drive right up to the house, or did they stop for anything? They stopped to open a gate. How do you know? I heard a creak. And then they drove right up to the house? No, they drove into some kind of a building.
FBI Narrator
A barn.
Sally Hadley
It must have been, because I could smell hay. Then the house is probably a farmhouse. Yes. Yes. Was it close to the barn? It was exactly 12 steps away. I counted it. Glad you did. Now, tell me, did you have to go up any steps to the house?
FBI Narrator
Three. And they creaked.
Sally Hadley
What happened when you got inside? Well, they put cotton in my ears and taped it over with adhesives so I couldn't hear what they said. But every morning I could hear a rooster crow. And then about, oh, less than a minute afterwards, the sound of an airplane passing over the house. An airplane? Did you hear it every day? Yes. No, one day it didn't come. Which day? Well, I don't know, but it rained that day. That was Sunday. That's the only day it rained while you were away. And that's the only day you didn't hear the airplane? That's right. I don't know whether this is of any aid to you. At the time, I knew I should try to remember everything that happened so I could be of assistance. Mr. Montgomery, I think you've practically drawn us a map. Right. That farmhouse.
FBI Agent
For the FBI, anything can be a clue. The lights on a power plant, the smell of an oil field, the sound of an airplane. Using the information gotten from Mr. Montgomery special agents mapped a circle, a ring around the approximate location of the farmhouse. They went to the airlines, checked schedules, checked flights, checked what line did not run a plane. On that one Sunday, they figured over approximately what area the early morning flight passed and the ring around the farmhouse grew smaller, tighter. Closer. Now the FBI agents moved into the ring looking for the farmhouse. Looking for a farmhouse with a gate wide enough for a car to pass through. A farmhouse with a barn only 12 steps away. 12 steps away from a porch with three creaking stairs.
Sally Hadley
4, 5, 6.
Frank Hadley
What do you want?
Sally Hadley
I'm sorry. I didn't know there was anyone home.
FBI Agent
Well, you can see I'm home, can't you? Yes.
Frank Hadley
What do you want?
Sally Hadley
I'm representing a real estate company in Tulsa. We're looking over farms in this neighborhood with a view to buying them.
Frank Hadley
You want to buy this farm?
Sally Hadley
Does it belong to you?
Frank Hadley
Well, it belongs to my daughter, Ms. Hadley.
Sally Hadley
Sally Hadley? Yes.
Frank Hadley
You know her?
Sally Hadley
I've heard of her.
Frank Hadley
Oh.
Sally Hadley
Do you know where I can get in touch with her? I can speak for her.
Frank Hadley
She was gonna give me the place anyways. Now you wanna buy it?
Sally Hadley
Well, looks like the right place to me. But I'll have to have some of the men in my company look it over. This afternoon, if it's all right with you.
Frank Hadley
Oh, it's fine with me.
Sally Hadley
You'll be here?
Frank Hadley
Yeah, I'll be here. Long as I can count on seeing you later.
Sally Hadley
Oh, don't worry. You can count on seeing me. Definitely.
FBI Narrator
We momentarily close the Federal Bureau of Investigation file of the case of Shotgun Hadley. We will return to this case in just a moment. In pioneer days, Americans looked to their neighbors for security. When Mrs. Brown was sick of bed, neighboring wives came over to help out. If her husband died, neighbors saw to it that she and her children had clothes, food and shelter. But as the nation grew in population, as life became more complex, this neighborly security was no longer sufficient to take its place. In the year 1859, a group of Americans founded the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Today, it has grown into a strong mutual organization in which each member enjoys the advantages of association with 3,200,000 good neighbors who have pooled their dollars to protect each other. The Equitable management then puts these dollars to work in ways that benefit the entire nation. Equitable funds encourage home ownership. They lend the farmer a helping hand. They finance great industries on which our prosperity depends. So is it not right and proper to speak of life insurance funds as one of democracy's greatest assets? By serving its members, the Equitable serves America. And now back to the file on Shotgun Hadley Kidnapper.
FBI Agent
Small things, but enough for the FBI special agents to move swiftly on the trail of the kidnappers. The parents of Sally Hadley were arrested and jailed throughout the nation. The FBI sent a list of the serial numbers on the ransom money, sent a description of the kidnapper, sent the call. Fine. Shotgun Hadley to the FBI.
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FBI Narrator
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Sally Hadley
Hi.
FBI Agent
Frank Hadley was another criminal who had to be caught. To the nation, he was public enemy number one. To his wife, with whom he shared a hotel suite in St. Louis, Shotgun Hadley was a frightened fool.
Frank Hadley
We don't have to get out of here now. Sit down and cool off, darling.
Sally Hadley
Sally, they've got the serial numbers of this dough.
Frank Hadley
Shall I mix you another drink, too?
Sally Hadley
They've picked up some of the bills already.
Frank Hadley
Frank, will you sit down and relax?
Sally Hadley
Sure. Sit down and wait for them to clap us in jail along with your mother and father.
Frank Hadley
They're not going to put us in jail because they're not going to catch us.
Sally Hadley
They will if we don't get on the move.
Frank Hadley
We'll move, but there's something we've got to do first.
Sally Hadley
What?
Frank Hadley
Sit down.
Sally Hadley
What for?
Frank Hadley
Come on.
Ryan Seacrest
Ah.
Frank Hadley
That's it, darling. Now you're going to write a letter.
Sally Hadley
A letter?
Frank Hadley
Mm. Here's a pen and paper. Just write what I tell you.
Sally Hadley
Who? The two.
Frank Hadley
Just write what I tell you. Dear Mr. Hoof. What are you. Go on. Dear Mr. Hoover. While you and your men are knocking yourselves out. No, change that to wearing yourselves out. I am living on the fat of the land. Go on, darling.
Sally Hadley
Wait a minute. What's the rest of this going to say?
Frank Hadley
Oh, it's going to say that he'll never catch you because you're too good for him.
Sally Hadley
What?
Frank Hadley
You did this alone, all by yourself, without anyone's help, and you did.
Sally Hadley
What are you trying to do? Tie a noose around my neck?
Frank Hadley
Frank, this is a confession. I got my poor mother and father in jail, and I've got to get.
Sally Hadley
Them out for having me confess.
Frank Hadley
Look, he knows you did it. Anyway. This will just clear my folks and show him that you're not afraid of anyone.
Sally Hadley
It'll just put me in jail instead of them.
Frank Hadley
Oh, you're really afraid of your own shadow, aren't you.
FBI Agent
Darling, listen.
Frank Hadley
You listen to me now. When I married you, I thought you were a man. I thought you were a man who could be the number one boy in this country. I thought you had guts. Sally, what are you afraid of? You are number one. Now, you've got to show them that. You've got to show them that they're the ones to be afraid. You've got to show them that you're too big to touch. Because you are, Frank. You are.
Sally Hadley
Sally, look, if we mail the letter.
Frank Hadley
From where we're going to, I'm going to send it to a friend of mine in Chicago and have her mail it from there. When they get it, they'll see how big you are. They'll see you don't care. Yeah.
Sally Hadley
Yeah, sure.
Frank Hadley
And then tomorrow we're going to buy another car. And before they even have a chance to look at the bills, we'll be on our way.
Sally Hadley
Okay? Okay, honey, okay.
Frank Hadley
You just don't realize what a big man you've been. Come now, what have you written?
Sally Hadley
Dear Mr. Hoover, while you and your men are.
Frank Hadley
Wait, Wait. I've got a wonderful idea. An idea that will top the whole thing off.
Sally Hadley
What?
Frank Hadley
Now, Hoover may think the letter is from some crank, but do you know what you're going to do? You're going to put your fingerprints on it. Darling, what you're going to prove. This is straight from Shotgun Hadley.
FBI Agent
From Chicago, from Dallas, from Denver, from cities all over the west come letters to the FBI. And as the letters turn up, money turns up, too. Ransom money. $20 bills reported by alert citizens to the FBI. $20 bills had put the FBI closer on the trail of Frank and Sally Hadley. But Sally Hadley has gotten impatient. Leaving her husband in a small house near Memphis, she buys a cheap gingham dress, a red wig and a secondhand car and with complete unconcern drives right back to Oklahoma. On the way, she gives a lift to two hitchhikers, a man and his 8 year old daughter.
Frank Hadley
I guess your little girl is asleep, Mr. Butler.
Sally Hadley
Yeah, she was awful tired.
Frank Hadley
Of course she was. Well, we'll get her a good dinner as soon as we get to town.
Sally Hadley
You've been so nice, I couldn't let you do anything else for us, ma' am.
Frank Hadley
Don't be silly. I want to. Besides, she reminds me of my own little girl.
Sally Hadley
Oh, do you have one?
Frank Hadley
Yes, by my first husband. He died, poor man. And Frank, that's my second husband. You won't let my little baby live with her?
Sally Hadley
Oh, that's terrible.
Frank Hadley
Well, he isn't a very Nice man. He. Mr. Butler?
Sally Hadley
Yeah?
Frank Hadley
Can I trust you?
FBI Narrator
Of course.
Frank Hadley
I'm in terrible trouble and I've got to speak to somebody. I just got to get help from someone.
Sally Hadley
Ma' am, if there's anything at all I can do.
Frank Hadley
Well, maybe you won't say that when you know the truth. I'm Sally Hadley, and my husband is Shotgun Hadley.
Ryan Seacrest
The kidnapper?
Frank Hadley
Yes. Geez, I didn't know what kind of a man he was, and I married him. I. Well, it's a little too late for that now, isn't it? But he's done terrible things to me, too. To my little girl, to my family. Oh, because of him, my poor mother and father in jail now. And Mr. Butler. I just got to get them out.
Sally Hadley
But the papers.
Frank Hadley
I know, I know. But anything my father and mother did, he made them do at the point of that shotgun of his. Mr. Butler, will you do me a favor, please? Will you. Will you just go to Oklahoma City and see my lawyer for me?
Sally Hadley
Sure.
Frank Hadley
You see, I can't go because the police are looking for me. But I want him to get a message to the FBI for me. I want him to tell them that if they release my mother and father, I'll tell him where my husband is.
Sally Hadley
I'll be glad to take your message, Mrs. Hadley, only.
Frank Hadley
Only what?
Sally Hadley
Well, my little girl.
Frank Hadley
Oh, don't worry about her. I'll keep her here with me. Why, she'll be as safe as my own little girl would.
FBI Agent
Hello?
Sally Hadley
Skyler speaking. Oh, yes. No, not just yet. I'm trying to reach the Bureau in Washington. May I call you back in a few minutes? Fine. Goodbye. Mrs. Hadley's lawyer again.
FBI Agent
Pretty anxious for our answer, isn't he?
Sally Hadley
Yes.
FBI Agent
Suppose he seriously thinks we're going to.
Sally Hadley
Release the mother and father?
FBI Agent
Skyler?
Sally Hadley
I don't know. Maybe he's as crazy as Sally Headley. There's a sweet double crosser for you.
FBI Agent
Ready to sell out her own husband.
Sally Hadley
Well, if he's half as tough as his reputation, I don't blame her.
FBI Agent
I wonder if she was crazy enough to come back here to Oklahoma.
Sally Hadley
She might be one sure thing, Though we know she hasn't been to a lawyer's office.
FBI Agent
I don't think we can stall him much longer.
Sally Hadley
We don't have to. He's covered by now. And as soon as we find Sally Hadley's intermediary, we'll find her and her sharpshooting husband.
FBI Agent
Right.
Sally Hadley
Will you get Mrs. Hadley's lawyer for me, please?
FBI Agent
Sally Hadley waiting in an auto camp outside Oklahoma City for the message from a lawyer gets frightened. And so Sally Hadley, with a little child as her protection runs to her husband who is now in Memphis. Meanwhile, special agents of the FBI located a man in Oklahoma City. The man who was Sally Hadley's intermediary. The man whose 8 year old child is on her way to a gangster's hideout. Well, now we've got a little 8 year old girl to worry about. Skylar.
Sally Hadley
Yes. I just hope that Hadley woman of you. Hello, Skylar. You did or she? When? Hmm. Okay, we'll see what you can pick up. Well, that's it.
FBI Narrator
What?
Sally Hadley
The Hadley woman cleared out of the auto cam.
FBI Agent
Where's she going?
Sally Hadley
I don't know. We better send out a call for a woman driving with an eight year old girl.
FBI Agent
A woman with a red wig.
Sally Hadley
Right.
FBI Agent
She's probably going back to her husband.
Sally Hadley
That's my guess too. And they'll probably try to move with the little girl. Skylar speaking. Yes. Yes, go on.
FBI Agent
Got it.
FBI Narrator
Right.
Sally Hadley
Right. That was Memphis. Oh, two days ago a second hand car dealer down there brought in a flock of those $20 bills. Then a man who sells wigs brought in another.
FBI Agent
I see.
Sally Hadley
And at 4 o' clock this afternoon a liquor dealer brought in another.
FBI Agent
Well, I guess I'd better phone my.
Sally Hadley
Wife and tell her I won't be.
FBI Agent
Home for dinner again.
Sally Hadley
Yes, I think we'll be having dinner in Memphis.
FBI Agent
At a quarter to 41 September morning, a little girl sat on the Memphis railroad station. A frightened little girl clutching a ticket that would take her back to her father. But a little girl who remembered that she had had supper in a frame house near the edge of the city. And that she had seen a shotgun in that house. At 5:35 that same morning, agents of the FBI and local officers surrounded the frame house. They were armed with guns. With guns to battle against the murderous reputation of a man called Shotgun Hadley was just beginning to get light when two of them quietly entered the house. They stole. Stood for a moment in a dark room. To the left were two doors. Two closed doors leading to two bedrooms leading to Shotgun Hadley. They opened the first.
Sally Hadley
Keep quiet.
Frank Hadley
Who are you?
Sally Hadley
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Frank Hadley
Federal. Oh, thank God. Listen. He's in there. Get him. He ruined my life.
FBI Agent
That was Sally Hadley. The woman who had planned the kidnapping. The woman who later tried unsuccessfully to convince a jury that she was innocent. A woman who cared no more for her husband than she did for his gun. But she had built up a tremendous reputation for him. And now as the FBI agents Move to the door of his bedroom. They check their guns. They try to anticipate the blast of that shotgun. And then in a quick movement, they rush the door to fight cattle. There was no battle, no fight, no shooting. Frank Hadley, kidnapper Frank Shotgun Hadley, public enemy number one, stood against the wall, his hands raised high, his knees shaking.
Sally Hadley
Don't shoot, demon. Don't shoot.
FBI Agent
That was the beginning of the popular use of the phrase G men. G men, meaning government men, meaning FBI agents. And that was the first and last time Frank or Sally Hadley tried a kidnapping. No kidnapper in this country has ever tried twice. Once the FBI has caught them. Because the FBI is the largest protective force in the world. You see, it doesn't consist only of a director and a Washington headquarters of field officers and special agents. It also consists of you and all those like you. In every case, it's the cooperation of the people which enables the FBI to find the criminal. And that is the way it should be. Because the FBI, like our government, is created by the people, for the people. It is the people.
FBI Narrator
Have you ever said to yourself, no, I can't possibly buy an extra war bond? And then you find yourself thinking of someone you know in the army or Navy. Your son, your brother, your neighbor. And you think, what are your sacrifices compared to his? And so somehow or other you find the money for that extra war bond. Remember the extra satisfaction you felt. Well, that's how members of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States feel about the special campaign their society is conducting this month. All premium dollars received from new Equitable policies written in April will be matched with an equal number of dollars by the Equitable. And the combined total will be used to purchase extra war bonds during the seventh war loan drive in May. Remember, these war bonds will be over and above the Equitable's other purchases which amounted to the largest single subscription in both the fifth and sixth war loan drives. In wartime, Equitable dollars are fighting dollars and at all times they are security dollars for you, your home, your country. The incidents used in tonight's broadcast are taken from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious and any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. In tonight's cast, Sally was played by Leslie woods and Hadley by Mandel Kramer. The music was under the direction of Van Cleave. The author was Lawrence MacArthur. And your narrator was Frank Lovejoy. This is your. FBI is a Jerry Devine production. This is Carl Frank speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time for this is your fvi.
FBI Agent
This is the Blue Network of the American Broadcasting Company.
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Sally Hadley
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Sally Hadley
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Sally Hadley
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Detailed Summary of "This Is Your FBI 45-04-20 (003) Kidnapping - Shotgun Hadley"
Released on May 16, 2025, by Harold's Old Time Radio, this episode of "This Is Your FBI" delves into the thrilling tale of Frank and Sally Hadley, a formidable criminal duo, and their eventual confrontation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The episode opens with the iconic FBI Narrator setting the stage for a gripping story of kidnapping and deceit. Frank Hadley, known in the criminal underworld as "Shotgun Hadley," is introduced as a seasoned kidnapper whose reputation is meticulously crafted by his wife, Sally Hadley.
Frank Hadley and Sally Hadley are portrayed as a couple deeply entrenched in criminal activities. Their dynamic is complex, with Frank orchestrating heists and Sally managing the publicity and logistics. Their ultimate goal is to execute high-stakes kidnappings to secure substantial ransoms.
Notable Quote:
Frank Hadley [03:02]: "What's the point of being anything if you can't be the biggest, the best. If you can't be number one. And that's what we are going to be, Frank. Number one."
The Hadleys set their sights on Oklahoma millionaire Walter Montgomery. They employ meticulous planning to abduct him during a casual card game on his porch. Sally plays a crucial role in managing the ransom process, ensuring that every detail aligns with their strategy to evade the FBI.
Notable Quote:
Sally Hadley [04:59]: "They can't notify the police. Take down the serial number of the bills and only use $20 notes."
Walter Montgomery's kidnapping triggers a swift FBI response. Special agents work tirelessly to trace the ransom money through its serial numbers, leading them closer to the Hadleys. The narrative highlights the importance of public cooperation and the intricate methods employed by the FBI to track criminals.
Notable Quote:
FBI Agent [07:20]: "Henry. Mr. Carroll. He's my husband's best friend."
As the FBI tightens the noose around the Hadleys, tensions within the couple escalate. Sally becomes increasingly desperate and takes reckless actions that jeopardize their operation. Her interactions with Mr. Butler, an unsuspecting intermediary, reveal cracks in her loyalty and foreshadow their downfall.
Notable Quote:
Frank Hadley [17:10]: "Come on. What for?"
The FBI culminates their investigation with a coordinated raid on the Hadleys' hideout in Memphis. Despite their fearsome reputation, Frank Hadley is apprehended without resistance. Sally's manipulative tactics and overconfidence lead to their swift capture, emphasizing the FBI's effectiveness and the futility of the Hadleys' criminal endeavors.
Notable Quote:
Sally Hadley [26:34]: "Federal Bureau of Investigation."
The episode concludes with the FBI Narrator reflecting on the case, underscoring the critical role of agency and public cooperation in maintaining national security. The story serves as both a thrilling narrative and a testament to the FBI's unwavering commitment to justice.
Notable Quote:
FBI Narrator [27:45]: "Because the FBI, like our government, is created by the people, for the people. It is the people."
Crime and Consequence: The narrative explores how meticulous planning and notoriety in the criminal world ultimately lead to downfall, highlighting that no matter how skilled, criminals cannot escape justice indefinitely.
Partnership Dynamics: Frank and Sally's relationship showcases the complexities of partnerships in crime, where shared goals can sometimes mask underlying tensions and vulnerabilities.
FBI's Role: The episode emphasizes the FBI's methodical approach to solving high-profile cases, showcasing their reliance on both technology (serial number tracking) and human intelligence (public cooperation).
Public Cooperation: A recurring theme is the importance of public vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement, reinforcing the idea that national security is a collective responsibility.
"This Is Your FBI 45-04-20 (003) Kidnapping - Shotgun Hadley" offers a compelling glimpse into the cat-and-mouse game between master criminals and the relentless pursuit of the FBI. Through engaging storytelling and memorable dialogues, the episode underscores themes of justice, partnership, and the unyielding nature of law enforcement in safeguarding society.