Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI Hardcover – April 18, 2017

Killers of the Flower Moon by David GrannNew York: Doubleday$28.95 - 339 pages“The whites have bunched us up down here in the backwoods,the roughest part of the United States, thinking ‘we will drive theseIndians down to where there is a big pile of rock and put them therein that corner.’” Now that pile of rock has turned out to be worth millionsof dollars; now everybody wants to get in here and get some of the money.” --Osage Chief Bacon Rind.Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon is the fact that despite the author’s painstaking research, and his marvelous use of period photographs and documents, this factual account of historic events attending “The Osage Murders” contains the atmospheric suspense and tension that is normally associated with a classic murder mystery. In fact, Grann has written a murder mystery - One that asks who methodically killed hundreds of Osage Indians during a four-year reign of terror (1920-24). Osage history reveals the tragic details of how and why. Forced to move from Kansas to Oklahoma, the Osage tribe seemed to be destined to lives of abject poverty when they suddenly found itself catapulted into a world of excessive wealth. Oil is discovered on tribal land. Suddenly, every member of the tribe is potentially wealthy. In an attempt to control the chaos that ensued, the federal government created a document called a “headright” which gave each Osage household legal rights to the oil on their land. After a period of uncontrolled spending in which members of the Osage tribe acquired mansions and fleets of automobiles, the government attempted to control the excessive spending by establishing a “guardian system” which assigned a “legal guardian” to each Osage family. This “guardian” (usually a white banker, businessmen or “civic-minded citizen” was given the power to approve or deny all expenditures for the Osage tribal member (who had been judged to be “incompetent”) by the government. The system was badly flawed, and many of the guardians used their position to embezzle huge sums of money. In time, the guardian documents became bargaining chips in investing in business ventures. Hundreds of guardians used their position as a means of acting as a “middle-man” who would purchase items on behalf of Osage tribal members. The guardian would then sell the item to the Osage for an inflated price. For example, guardians could purchase automobiles on behalf of the Osage tribal member for $250 and then sell them to the Osage member that they represented for $2,500. As the wealth of the Osage grew, so did the schemes for exploiting the tribe. Hundreds of criminals were drawn to the region with schemes designed to acquire a portion of Osage wealth. Many of these new arrivals openly stated that they had come to Oklahoma “to marry an Osage squaw.”It was a method that frequently succeeded. However, some of these opportunists sought a more direct method: murder. Author Grann’s research discovers one individual, William Hale who had arranged for the murder of 24 members of the Osage tribe. By soliciting the help of associates, Hale became one of the wealthiest men in Oklahoma. The astonishing catalogue of slaughter is carried out by men willing to resort to any means to accomplish Hale’s goal. Dozens of victims were poisoned with tainted moonshine and corrupt medical personnel performed autopsies that listed “acute alcoholism” as the cause of death. Others were dispatched with a bullet to the back of the head or between the eyes and the victim’s body was found in his new car on a remote road. One family was killed by a dynamite blast that demolished their home. Often, Hale simply paid an assassin to kill a designated victim. Then, Hale would frequently hire a second assassin to kill the first. In those instances in which murderers were apprehended, Hale bribed juries and law officials and if all else failed, he simply paid another killer. Time and time again, government agents are assigned to investigate and in some instances, just as they uncover significant evidence, they are murdered and the evidence destroyed. One dedicated investigator called the FBI headquarters to report that he was on his way back with conclusive evidence against Hale. The next day his mutilated body is found near a railroad track. He had been murdered and thrown from the train. Another investigator’s body was found in another state, hundreds of miles away. What is most disquieting about the crimes in Killers of the Flower Moon is the awesome extent of corruption that is revealed in the book. State and government officials, medical personnel and lawyers - all are contaminated with the vice of greed. The corruption is so pervasive, the few moral and courageous individuals seem helplessly outnumbered. However, there are two remarkable people in this gruesome tale. One is Molly Burkhart, and Osage who survived the systematic murder of her family...murders in which her husband was implicated. Molly was diagnosed as a diabetic by two doctors who poisoned her insulin injections, in an attempt to slowly kill her. Molly survived and divorced her husband. The second remarkable character is Tom White, the FBI agent that pursued Hale until he brought him to justice. Much of the credit of for this amazing piece of investigative work went to the Director of the newly-created FBI agency, Hubert Hoover who turned out to be a man dedicated to his own self-interest. Through much of the investigation conducted by Tom White, Hoover managed to take credit for White’s courageous work. Jealous of any publicity directed toward agents other than himself, Hoover invariably succeeded in manipulating the factual data to his advantage. This is a remarkable work. Most noteworthy is Grann’s comprehensive account of the primitive nature of investigations in a time before forensics emerged. As a consequence, much of Tom White’s heroic pursuit of a villain who seemed to have the protection of most of Oklahoma’s judges, lawyers and public officials. However, Grann’s greatest achievement is the fact that he uncovers evidence that the total number of victims in the Osage murders exceeded the original 24 and possibly exceeded over 200.

I was fairly critical of the author’s book The Wager. This is a far superior effort of journalism and storytelling. So far superior than the tepid movie which after reading the book seems more and more like it was produced to be a vehicle for its two main male stars while keeping the details of the Osage suffering and Federal Law Enforcement’s efforts to overcome corruption and racism secondary.A troubling tale to be sure but one which has thankfully been brought to light through exhaustive research.I guess my only criticism of the book is its portrayal of J Edgar Hoover. Make no mistake, Hoover, for many reasons well documented, deserves criticism. But he also deserves credit for fashioning the Bureau of Investigation into the FBI- a modern law enforcement organization specifically designed to transgress the types of localized corruption so well described in the book.Still this is a very good read and I recommend it.

**ers of the Flower Moon": A Chilling Account of Greed, Murder, and Injustice in Early America.****"Killers of the Flower Moon"** by David Grann is a haunting exploration of one of the darkest chapters in American history involving the Osage Nation in the 1920s. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage people became extraordinarily wealthy, enjoying a lifestyle of luxury that included chauffeured cars and grand mansions. However, this newfound wealth quickly turned into a nightmare as members of the Osage began to be systematically murdered under suspicious circumstances.At the heart of this tragedy is the story of Mollie Burkhart and her family, who become prime targets amid a horrific wave of violence. As more Osage people are killed, including those who dared to investigate the crimes, the situation draws the attention of the newly established FBI. Under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, former Texas Ranger Tom White spearheads an undercover operation, enlisting the help of a Native American agent to infiltrate the region. Grann meticulously uncovers the chilling details of this profound conspiracy driven by greed and prejudice, shedding light on a legacy of injustice faced by the Osage Nation. **"Killers of the Flower Moon"** is a meticulously researched and compelling narrative that illuminates the intersections of wealth, race, and the struggle for justice, leaving readers with a poignant reflection on America’s past and present.

Hats off to David Grann for all his research. Powerful true story of greed and murder. The killers may have gotten away with murders on this earth but they will be judged by the just judge, Jesus Christ. Explains the FBI beginnings as well. There are many pictures. History buffs, murder mystery buffs and true crime aficionados will enjoy this book.

This is a fascinating yet deeply disturbing multi-layered account of how greed drove men to murder and of how a combination of uncaring and sloppy police work allowed them to almost escape justice. Truth be told, it was the dogged efforts of one man, Tom White, a former Texas Ranger recruited into the fledgling FBI (before it was even so-named) that must receive the lion’s share of credit for solving these crimes.The Osage Indian Nation would prove to be a wealthy one; at one time considered to be among the richest in the world. After years of struggles and hardship - mostly imposed on them and every other Native American tribe by a federal government which considered them to be “non-humans” (a belief widely held among the White population as well), the Osage finally got what they’d long sought, a permanent home. They purchased a non-descript piece of land in Oklahoma; rocky, barren and not much good for farming, but they were satisfied as were, it seems, the Federal Government and the Whites. But the satisfaction of the latter two would soon sour when it was discovered that “worthless” land sat atop one of the (at that time) largest known oil reserves in the world. The sour note was struck by the fact the lawyer the Osage hired to negotiate the land purchase got mineral rights (the rights to underground resources whatever they might be i.e., oil, coal, gold, uranium, etc.), included in the deal so that when oil was discovered on their land, every Osage tribal member became entitled to a percentage of any revenue that would flow from oil production. And some unscrupulous men wanted to not just share in that wealth, but to take control of it entirely.That is what forms the basis of David Grann’s factual accounting of all the evil these men enacted and the long hard battle to finally find justice for, and return a sense of peace to, the Osage people.Grann has written a well-laid out, researched, and what proved to me to be, a truly horrific story. I believe this to be a book of historical significance that which, upon reading, caused me to reflect on many similarities existing in the way our First Nations people (in Canada) were used and abused by governments, religious orders, and the broader “white” population. And while on the surface it would seem efforts are being made to examine past events; to expose the truth and to seek reconciliation for the many wrongs imposed or inflicted, there remains a long road ahead. We must all work hard to complete that journey.

Me encantó el libro, si eres una persona que quiere leer en ingles este libre esta perfecto, sencillo e intrigante! Jamás habia visto oído de estos casos y leer este libro valió completamente la pena!

A non fiction - must reading

Eloquently written and meticulously researched, David Grann's book is a paradigm of narrative nonfiction.

I was not aware of this machination... terrible....