Raymond J. Caffrey
Agency: United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Raymond J. Caffrey was born in May 1902 in McCook, Nebraska. He was, as his grandson puts it, “a bit of a rebel” who ran away from home at the age of 16. After abandoning his high school studies, Caffrey skipped town on a freight train and headed to Denver, where he unsuccessfully tried to enlist in the Army. Caffrey eventually found work at a refinery, and made his own way for several months. Once his parents finally persuaded him to come home, Caffrey worked on his father’s farm before heading for Omaha where he enrolled at Creighton as a pre-law student. Caffrey attended Creighton from 1920 to 1925.
In May 1922, at a Flag Day Ceremony, Caffrey delivered the student address where he spoke about the importance of the flag to the freedom of the United States.
“We gaze upon our flag with awe and admiration, the symbol of freedom as it floats aloft in this free land of ours — a republic of equal opportunity,” Caffrey proclaimed from the podium, “a republic in which the law restrains the hand uplifted against the welfare of fellow men.”
Caffrey’s speech reveals a man already profoundly concerned with issues of justice, law and civic duty.
In his spare time, Caffrey courted a young Iowa woman named Regina Dolan, who had been sent to live with her aunt in Omaha. In Jimmy Caffrey’s memoir, he records a family friend saying she “never saw a woman so crazy about a man.”
Despite his involvement on campus, Caffrey never received a degree from Creighton. Still, according to the rules of the era, he was eligible to take the bar examination and was formally admitted to the Nebraska State Bar in June 1925. His personnel file, which his son later viewed, contained several comments from character witnesses, including L.J. Te Poel, dean of the Creighton College of Law, who attested to the bureau that Caffrey was a skilled attorney for a young man of his age.
Three months after passing the bar exam, he moved to Florida, hoping to cash in on the state’s real estate boom. Regina soon joined him, and the two married. After an unexpected economic downturn, the Caffreys returned to Omaha in 1927 and welcomed their only child, Jimmy. In November of that year, Caffrey, armed with his law education and a handful of references, applied for the position of special agent at what was then called the Bureau of Investigation, headquartered in Washington, D.C. As a special agent with the Bureau, Special Agent Caffrey worked in the Boston, Charlotte, and Kansas City offices.
Special Agent Raymond Caffrey was one of four law enforcement officers killed in an incident referred to as the Kansas City Massacre. On June 17, 1933, Special Agent Caffrey, two local police detectives, and the Special Agent in charge of the Kansas City Field Office reported to Union Station to meet two other FBI agents and Police Chief Otto Reed of McAlester, Oklahoma, who were returning escapee Frank Nash to the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. While entering a car, they were fired upon by a group trying to free Nash. Two special agents were wounded while Nash, Chief Reed, the two Kansas City detectives, and Special Agent Caffrey were killed. The killers were identified as Vernon C. Miller, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and Adam Richetti. Floyd avoided apprehension until October 22, 1934, when he was killed by FBI agents near East Liverpool, Ohio while resisting arrest. Later, Richetti was arrested in Ohio, following a gun battle with local officers. During his trial, Richetti was found guilty and was subsequently executed. Vernon C. Miller was found dead on November 29, 1933 near Detroit, Michigan.
Special Agent Caffrey was survived by his wife and son, Jimmy. The widowed Regina Caffrey made ends meet by accepting a secretarial job with the Bureau. Jimmy attended high school in Kansas City before enlisting in the Army in 1944. He received a bachelor’s degree in Biology, finishing his studies at what was then Rockhurst College.
In his memoir, Jimmy carefully recorded the few precious memories he had of his father. He remembered Caffrey sitting at the kitchen table, cleaning his .45-caliber pistol. He remembered that every morning, before he left for work, his father would give him a nickel for the ice cream man.
Reflections:
To My Great Great Uncle, Many years have passed since you left this world to protect the next. I saw you smiling upon my academy graduation in 2004. I am proud to say that you are family, in blood and law enforcement. I am told by other family members that you would have been proud of me for becoming a police officer. I am proud that you started the tradition in our family that continues on today. There maybe just a few of us, but we are following in your footsteps. Peace be with you always and forever.
PO Katherine Chustz #8545
Dallas PD, TEXAS/ Great Great Niece
I too am a relative of Raymond J. Caffrey, and am very proud that my son, Weston Barkley, is continuing to keep SA Caffrey's legacy alive by committing to a career in law enforcement. Weston is mid-way through the academy, and will work to keep Oro Valley, Arizona a safe place for its residents.
Jill Caffrey, Ph.D.
My father, John Thomas Caffrey, was his cousin
Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family, friends and all the members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We were made safer by his service and we all suffer their tragic loss. The family of Special Agent Raymond J. Caffrey deserves our appreciation and gratitude for their sacrifice. No greater love has a man than the will to give his life for another. In the days to follow, may you be strengthened by the fact that Special Agent Raymond J. Caffrey is a man distinguished by exceptional courage and will always be admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. You, your family and your sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Thomas Doyle
FBI NAC 06-18
References:
A special thanks to the Creighton Magazine for a majority of the information in this memorial. We have included many paragraphs from this magazine throughout this story, but the whole life and memoir of Raymond J. Caffrey is in the link below:
www.creighton.edu/creightonmagazine/2020sprfeaturetoobeyanduphold/
www.fbi.gov/history/wall-of-honor/raymond-j-caffrey