As with any law enforcement organization, the "old timers" within the FBI were accustomed to passing on some anecdotes to the younger guys, one of which is "a good Agent doesn't get wet or go hungry." The story below taken from a 1954 copy of the Society's "Grapevine" Magazine seems to indicate that the Agents of the '30s were well aware of that cliche. SA Bain's recollection also proves you "can't believe everything you read in the papers!"

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Among many other Agents, those present during the New Orleans capture of gangster Alvin Karpis, were the Director himself, Clyde Tolson, SA's Clarence Hurt, Travis Bain, Tom Neal, Ray Tollet and John Lunsford.

After the raid was over, SA's Bain and Lunsford were left in the apartment of Karpis to conduct a search and prevent unauthorized people from entering.

According to an account years later by SA Bain, (after he retired) that was the night Lunsford informed the New Orleans Chief of Detectives that if he wanted to help, the Chief should assist in directing traffic! Lunsford didn't let him into the apartment either.

You can tell that what follows clearly reveals FBI Agents didn't change much from generation to generation.

In his account of the arrest, SA Bain states, "John Lunsford and I ate very well the days we guarded the apartment due to the fact that Karpis had it well supplied with the best of food. The day after, the newspapers came out with large headlines that the FBI Agents inside were making a thorough search of the apartment as was indicated by 'sounds of hammering.'

Well, the search was in fact conducted. But SA Bain had to set the record straight on the "hammering" noise the press heard outside. He told The Grapevine, "the sounds of hammering were caused by my tenderizing a steak for John and myself......."