Volney Everett "Curley" Davis (February 14, 1902 – July 20, 1979) was an American bank robber and Great Depression-era outlaw. A longtime Oklahoma bandit, he was the boyfriend of Edna Murray and an associate of both the

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...

and

Alvin Karpis Alvin Francis Karpis (born Albin Francis Karpavičius; August 10, 1907 – August 26, 1979), a Depression-era gangster nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile and called "Ray" by his gang members, was a Canadian-born (naturalized American) crim ...

- Barker gangs during the 1930s.Newton, Michael. ''The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers''. New York: Facts On File Inc., 2002. (pg. 77)

Biography

Born in Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, Volney Davis was first imprisoned in 1919 when he was 17. He was sentenced to three years for

grand larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engl ...

at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary; his crime was stealing a pair of shoes. Davis was an early member of the Tulsa-based Central Park Gang during the 1920s, where he first met the

Barker Gang Kate Barker (born Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...

, and committed his first major robbery with Arthur "Doc" Barker when they burglarized St. John Hospital in

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

. The night watchman, Thomas J. Sherrill, was killed during the robbery. Barker was arrested about 5 months later for the murder; however, Davis evaded authorities for nearly a year before he was captured. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the robbery. In February 1923 (or January 1925), he briefly escaped from the state penitentiary in McAlester, participating in a mass escape with several other convicts by using ropes and a ladder to climb over the wall, but was recaptured almost two weeks later.Ward, David. ''Alcatraz: The Gangster Years''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. (pg. 92-93) Seven years later, Davis applied for a 20-month "leave of absence" from the prison which was granted on November 3, 1932. Such leniency was common in Oklahoma during that time, even with such a criminal record as his, although

later claimed that the state's decision was influenced by a $1,500 bribe. He was scheduled to return to the prison on July 1, 1934, but Davis went on the run instead. A month after his release, he reunited with girlfriend Edna Murray, who herself had escaped from prison for a third time. The couple joined the

who were then at the peak of their activities and in the midst of a major crime spree. Davis and Murray were later implicated in the kidnapping of St. Paul banker

Edward Bremer The kidnapping of Edward Bremer was the last major criminal enterprise of the Barker-Karpis gang. Though successful in netting the gang a large ransom, it brought down the full force of the FBI on the gang, resulting in the death or capture of i ...

Breuer, William B. ''J. Edgar Hoover and his G-Men''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. (pg. 195–197) who was successfully ransomed for $200,000. Davis received an unscheduled visit from

and

Homer Van Meter Homer Virgil Van Meter (December 3, 1905 – August 23, 1934) was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson. Biography Early life Van ...

at his home in Aurora, Illinois. They had brought John "Red" Hamilton, who had been mortally wounded days earlier in a running gunfight in Minnesota hours after their escape from Little Bohemia Lodge. Davis agreed to hide Hamilton in his home and, with Murray, looked after him until he died of his wounds a few days later.Matera, Dary. ''John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2005. (pg. 283) Dillinger, Doc Barker, Van Meter, and Davis later buried Hamilton in an unmarked grave. Davis and Murray were never charged with the holdups he committed while part of the Karpis-Barker Gang. However, they were indicted for the Bremer kidnapping on January 22, 1935. A little over two weeks later, Davis was captured in St. Louis by federal agents on February 6, but escaped from federal custody the next day. He had been traveling under escort to stand trial in St. Paul when their plane was forced to land in

Yorkville, Illinois Yorkville (officially the United City of Yorkville) is a city and county seat of Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,533 at th2020 census History In 1836, the city of Yorkville was settled by early pioneers. Origi ...

. Once on the ground, Davis knocked out a guard and stole a car. He evaded capture for nearly four months before being traced to Chicago by the FBI and arrested by Agent

Melvin Purvis Melvin Horace Purvis II (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. Given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short, frame, Purvis became noted for leadi ...

on June 1. He was eventually returned to St. Paul where he was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment. Davis cooperated with the government and gave information as well as testified against other members of the gang. Like the rest of the Karpis-Barker Gang, Davis was sent to

Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pris ...

, where he spent the next several decades. He did not participate in the escape attempt organized by Arthur Barker in 1939. There are claims that he became involved in a violent fistfight with Karpis, which he won. By the time of his release in the late 1950s, however, he was in poor health. Davis died in Oregon on July 20, 1979.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Volney 1902 births 1978 deaths American bank robbers American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Depression-era gangsters Fugitives Inmates of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary People from Aurora, Illinois People from Guerneville, California People convicted under the Federal Kidnapping Act Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government People paroled from life sentence