Dillinger’s nemesis was the FBI’s Melvin Purvis (1903–1960) who became a special agent in 1927 and soon headed investigative offices in Cincinnati, Washington, Oklahoma City, and Birmingham before taking charge of the Bureau’s most high-profile office in Chicago in 1932. -FBI.gov. Melvin Purvis. It was later determined that it was an accident, and that he shot himself accidentally while trying to remove a tracer bullet from his gun. The FBI ruled it as a suicide, but the coroner did not find sufficient evidence for such a ruling. He was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Florence. Alston Purvis, son of Melvin Purvis, is coming to his home state to promote his latest book, The Vendetta: FBI Melvin Purvis’ War Against Crime . Purvis, Melvin H. American Agent. In the case of Melvin Purvis he was not a favorite of the boss, J Edgar Hoover, and many others, and Purvis found his efforts enforcing the law stymied by J Edgar and others, and eventually was forced to resign the FBI. While initially this made the FBI look quite good, it soon became quite distressing to J. Edgar Hoover, who found himself eclipsed in the public eye by Purvis. In just eight years he captured New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1936. Ultimately, Hoover reassigned Purvis to drudgery jobs, essentially "dehiring" Purvis, who finally resigned a year later. After he served his time, Winkler decided it was best to leave St. Louis and head for Chicago. Florence, S.C., Feb. 29—Melvin H. Purvis, 56, who headed the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the early 1930’s and led the group of FBI men and police who shot down John Dillinger on July 22, 1934, died Monday of a … Purvis died of a gunshot wound at his home in Florence on February 29, 1960. Famed FBI Agent Purvis Kills Himself. The FBI initially reported his death as a suicide, but later reports stated that he died accidentally. He eventually drove Melvin Purvis out of the agency and put up roadblocks as Purvis sought other employment. Did Melvin Purvis really commit suicide? Despite that Purvis remained loyal to the FBI, refusing to write a 'tell all' expose despite big bucks being offered. https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a32612359/john-dillinger-true-story According to Melvin Purvis's obituaries, he shot himself through the jaw with a .45 caliber automatic pistol in the upstairs hallway of his Florence, South Carolina home on February 29, 1960. He was the son of a bank director and plantation owner in South Carolina; he left a small-town law firm to join the division in 1927. Contributed by Public Affairs Books In 1934, SC native Melvin Purvis was the most famous man in America, second only to FDR. Gus Winkler, good natured, smart and smooth, had started out as a member of Eagan's Rats, and, by age 20, he was a safe-blower of some note. After these exploits he received much public claim and fame, which ran him afoul of FBI director, who did not like FBI agents to receive so much public attention. Melvin Purvis was Hoover’s kind of agent. He did time from 1920-26 for assault and wounding with a deadly weapon.