Eddie Bentz
| Eddie Bentz | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
June 2, 1894 Pipestone, Minnesota, United States |
| Died | October 31, 1979 (aged 85) Tacoma, Washington |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Occupation | Bank robber |
| Criminal penalty | 20 years imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Paroled from Alcatraz in 1948 |
| Conviction(s) | Armed robbery |
Edward Wilhelm "Eddie" Bentz (June 2, 1894 – October 31, 1979) was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was associated with several high-profile public enemies during his criminal career, including Harvey Bailey, Albert Bates, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Baby Face Nelson. He was eventually captured by the FBI and sentenced to Alcatraz.
Little information is known of his early life; however, most accounts agree that Eddie Bentz was born in Pipestone, Minnesota (or South Dakota) on June 2, 1894. His father was supposedly killed by a runaway horse when he was a child and his family later moved to Tacoma, Washington. Bentz spent much of his youth in juvenile reformatories for burglary and later began safe-cracking and armed robbery by his early 20s. According to crime historian William Helmer, Bentz participated in over 150 robberies across the U.S. "without ever being named or indicted"; however, Helmer has never provided verifiable evidence for his claims. Bentz became extremely successful as a bank robber and lived an extravagant lifestyle collecting rare books and coins. He was also known as a meticulous planner and well known for charting escape routes.
He and Harvey Bailey were the prime suspects in the infamous bank robbery of $2,870,000 in Lincoln, Nebraska on September 17, 1930, although neither was ever charged for that robbery. During 1932, he began teaming with Albert Bates and George "Machine Gun" Kelly, robbing a bank in Ponder, Texas on July 31 and another in Colfax, Washington on September 21, taking $70,000 in cash and bonds. The robberies were wrongly attributed to Bonnie and Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd respectively.
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