John Dillinger – Public Enemy Number 1

John Herbert Dillinger, a name synonymous with daring bank robberies and dramatic escapes, carved a notorious niche for himself in the annals of American crime during the tumultuous years of the Great Depression. More than just a common criminal, Dillinger became a symbol, a figure both feared and, paradoxically, admired by a public grappling with economic hardship and a sense of injustice. His exploits, often embellished and romanticized, cemented his status as John Dillinger, Public Enemy Number 1.

"I don’t smoke much, and I drink very little. I guess my only bad habit is robbing banks." This infamous quote, attributed to John Dillinger, encapsulates the audacious and somewhat cavalier attitude that defined his criminal career. A career marked by the murder of law enforcement officers, the audacious plundering of banks across the Midwest, and a knack for eluding capture that bordered on the legendary.

The era of the Great Depression provided fertile ground for figures like John Dillinger to rise to prominence. As poverty gripped the nation and faith in institutions waned, some Americans found themselves drawn to outlaws who brazenly defied the system. These figures, like Bonnie and Clyde and Ma Barker, became anti-heroes, embodying a rebellious spirit that resonated with the disenfranchised. Among these, John Dillinger stood out, his name becoming indelibly linked to the Gangster Era.

He was more than just a bank robber; he was a master of theatricality. John Dillinger earned the moniker "the Jackrabbit" for his agility and grace during his heists. Witnesses recounted how he would leap over counters with ease, a spectacle that contributed to his almost mythical persona. His daring escapes from the clutches of the law further fueled his legend, solidifying his image as an elusive and formidable adversary.

The escapades of John Dillinger and his gang, alongside those of other notorious criminals, consumed the attention of the American press and captivated the public imagination. This intense scrutiny, in turn, spurred the development of a more sophisticated and centralized law enforcement apparatus, giving rise to the modern Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The need to apprehend criminals like John Dillinger pushed law enforcement agencies to evolve and adapt, forever changing the landscape of crime fighting in America.

Born on June 22, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, John Dillinger’s early life offered few hints of the path he would eventually take. He grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, nurtured by a father who was a grocer. His father’s parenting style swung between extremes, sometimes strict and authoritarian, at other times lenient and permissive. The death of Dillinger’s mother when he was just three years old cast a long shadow over his childhood, further complicated by his resentment towards his stepmother after his father remarried six years later.

As a teenager, John Dillinger began to display a rebellious streak, often finding himself in trouble. He eventually dropped out of school and took a job at a machine shop in Indianapolis. Despite his intelligence and work ethic, he soon grew restless and succumbed to the allure of the city’s nightlife. Concerned that the city’s temptations were corrupting his son, Dillinger’s father sold his property in Indianapolis and moved the family to a farm near Mooresville, Indiana, hoping for a fresh start. However, rural life proved no more appealing to the young John Dillinger, and he continued to engage in reckless behavior.

His early brushes with the law culminated in his arrest for stealing a car. Faced with legal consequences, he opted to enlist in the Navy, hoping to escape his troubles. However, his rebellious nature persisted, and he deserted his ship when it docked in Boston, Massachusetts. Returning to Mooresville, he married 16-year-old Beryl Hovious in 1924. The couple moved to Indianapolis, but Dillinger struggled to find steady employment. In search of easy money, he fell in with Ed Singleton, a local pool shark.

Their criminal partnership began with an ill-fated attempt to rob a Mooresville grocery store. The duo was quickly apprehended, and Singleton pleaded not guilty, resulting in a two-year sentence. Following his father’s advice, John Dillinger confessed to his involvement and was convicted of assault and battery with intent to rob and conspiracy to commit a felony. He received a harsh sentence of 10 to 20 years in the Indiana State Prison. The severity of the punishment transformed him into a bitter and hardened man. His marriage dissolved in divorce in 1929.

After serving nine and a half years, John Dillinger was paroled on May 10, 1933. However, amidst the economic devastation of the Great Depression, legitimate employment opportunities were scarce. He quickly reverted to crime, robbing his first bank on June 10, 1933, in New Carlisle, Ohio, netting $10,000. Another bank robbery followed on August 14 in Bluffton, Ohio. Dayton police apprehended him on September 22, and he was incarcerated in the county jail in Lima, Ohio, awaiting trial.

During the search of John Dillinger, Lima police discovered a document that appeared to outline a plan for a prison break. Dillinger denied any knowledge of the plan, but four days later, eight of his associates escaped from the Indiana State Prison, utilizing shotguns and rifles that had been smuggled into their cells. Two guards were shot during the daring escape.

On October 12, three of the escaped prisoners, along with a parolee from the same prison, arrived at the Lima jail where John Dillinger was being held. Posing as law enforcement officials, they claimed they were there to return Dillinger to the Indiana State Prison for violating his parole. When the sheriff requested to see their credentials, one of the men drew a gun and shot him before beating him unconscious. The bandits then seized the jail keys, freed John Dillinger, locked the sheriff’s wife and a deputy in a cell, and fled the scene, leaving the sheriff to die.

Although these men had not violated federal law, the FBI was asked to assist in identifying and locating the criminals. The four men were identified as Harry Pierpont, Russell Clark, Charles Makley, and Harry Copeland.

In the meantime, the Dillinger Gang committed several bank robberies and raided police arsenals in Auburn and Peru, Indiana, stealing machine guns, rifles, revolvers, ammunition, and bulletproof vests. On December 14, John Hamilton, a member of the Dillinger Gang, fatally shot a police detective in Chicago. A month later, the gang killed a police officer during a robbery at the First National Bank of East Chicago, Indiana. They then traveled to Florida and subsequently to Tucson, Arizona. On January 23, 1934, a fire broke out in the hotel where Clark and Makley were hiding under assumed names.

Firemen recognized the men from their photographs, and local police arrested them, along with John Dillinger and Harry Pierpont. Authorities seized three Thompson submachine guns, two Winchester rifles modified as machine guns, five bulletproof vests, and over $25,000 in cash, some of which was from the East Chicago robbery.

John Dillinger was held at the county jail in Crown Point, Indiana, awaiting trial for the murder of the East Chicago police officer. Despite authorities boasting that the jail was "escape-proof," Dillinger, on March 3, 1934, threatened the guards with what he later claimed was a wooden gun he had carved and forced them to open his cell door. He seized two machine guns, locked up the guards and several trustees, and made his escape.

It was at this point that John Dillinger made a critical error that would ultimately lead to his downfall. He stole the sheriff’s car and drove across the Indiana-Illinois state line, heading for Chicago. By doing so, he violated the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act, which made transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines a federal offense. A federal complaint was filed, charging Dillinger with the theft of the vehicle, which was later recovered in Chicago. After the grand jury returned an indictment, the FBI became heavily involved in the nationwide search for John Dillinger.

Pierpont, Makley, and Clark were returned to Ohio and convicted of the murder of the Lima sheriff. Pierpont and Makley were sentenced to death, and Clark received a life sentence. During an escape attempt, Makley was killed, and Pierpont was wounded. A month later, Pierpont was executed.

In Chicago, John Dillinger reunited with his girlfriend, Evelyn Frechette. They then traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Dillinger joined forces with Homer Van Meter, Lester "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis, Eddie Green, and Tommy Carroll, among others. The gang continued to rob banks.

On March 30, 1934, an FBI Agent spoke with the manager of the Lincoln Court Apartments in St. Paul, who reported two suspicious tenants using the names of Mr. and Mrs. Hellman. The manager stated that the residents acted nervously and refused to admit the apartment caretaker. The FBI began surveillance of the apartment, and the next day, an agent and a police officer knocked on the door. When Evelyn Frechette opened the door, she quickly slammed it shut, and the agent called for reinforcements to surround the building.

While waiting, the agents saw Homer Van Meter enter a hall near the Hellman’s apartment. When questioned, Van Meter drew a gun, and shots were exchanged. Van Meter fled the building and forced a truck driver at gunpoint to drive him to Eddie Green’s apartment. Suddenly, the door of the Hellman apartment opened, and a machine gun began firing into the hallway. Under the cover of the machine-gun fire, John Dillinger and Evelyn Frechette escaped through a back door. They also drove to Green’s apartment, where Dillinger was treated for a bullet wound.

At the Lincoln Court Apartments, the FBI found a Thompson submachine gun with the stock removed, two automatic rifles, one .38 caliber Colt automatic with twenty-shot magazine clips, and two bulletproof vests. Across town, other agents located one of Eddie Green’s hideouts, where he and Bessie Skinner had been living as "Mr. and Mrs. Stephens." On April 3, when Green was found, he attempted to draw his gun but was shot by the agents and died in a hospital eight days later.

John Dillinger and Evelyn Frechette fled to Mooresville, Indiana, where they stayed with his father and half-brother until his wound healed. Frechette then went to Chicago to visit a friend and was arrested by the FBI. She was taken to St. Paul, Minnesota, for trial on a conspiracy charge to harbor a fugitive. She was convicted, fined $1,000, and sentenced to two years in prison. Eddie Green’s girlfriend, Bessie Skinner, received a 15-month sentence on the same charge.

Meanwhile, John Dillinger and Van Meter robbed a police station in Warsaw, Indiana, of guns and bulletproof vests. Dillinger stayed for a while in Upper Michigan, departing just ahead of a posse of FBI Agents. Shortly after, the FBI received a tip about suspicious guests at the Little Bohemia Lodge, about 50 miles north of Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

An FBI task force set out for Little Bohemia from Rhinelander. Approaching the resort in darkness, the agents were met with barking dogs and machine gun fire from the roof. As the agents took cover, one called for reinforcements.

While the agent was telephoning, the operator interrupted to report trouble at another cottage two miles away. Special Agent W. Carter Baum and a constable went to investigate and found a parked car belonging to a local resident. As they approached, "Baby Face Nelson" held three residents at gunpoint inside the car. Nelson opened fire on the lawmen, killing Baum and severely wounding the constable and another agent. Nelson fled in the Ford.

John Dillinger was gone when the firing subsided at the Little Bohemia Lodge. Agents found only three frightened females inside. Dillinger and five others had escaped through a back window before the agents surrounded the house.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover assigned Special Agent Samuel A. Cowley to lead the efforts against John Dillinger. Cowley established headquarters in Chicago, where he and Melvin Purvis, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office, planned their strategy.

On July 21, 1934, Anna Sage, the madam of a brothel in Gary, Indiana, contacted the police with information. Anna, an undesirable alien facing deportation, was willing to trade information about Dillinger for a cash reward and help preventing her deportation.

At a meeting with Anna, Cowley and Purvis promised her the reward if her information led to Dillinger’s capture but could only promise to bring her cooperation to the attention of the Department of Labor. Satisfied, Anna revealed that her girlfriend, Polly Hamilton, had visited her establishment with John Dillinger, whom Anna recognized from a newspaper photograph.

Anna told the agents that Polly Hamilton and John Dillinger would likely attend a movie the following evening at either the Biograph or the Marbro Theaters in Chicago. She would notify them when the theater was chosen and would wear an orange dress for identification.

On July 22, Special Agent Samuel A. Cowley ordered all agents of the Chicago office to be ready for urgent duty. Anna Sage confirmed the plans that evening but did not yet know which theater they would attend. Agents and policemen were sent to both theaters. At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton entered the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama. Purvis informed Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph.

Cowley contacted Hoover for instructions, who cautioned them to wait outside to avoid a shooting inside the crowded theater. Each man was instructed to prioritize his own safety and told that if Dillinger resisted, it would be every man for himself. At 10:30 p.m., John Dillinger exited the theater with his two female companions. As they walked past Purvis, the agent lit a cigar to signal the other men to close in. Dillinger quickly realized what was happening, grabbed a pistol from his right trouser pocket, and ran toward the alley. Five shots were fired by three FBI Agents. Three bullets struck Dillinger, and he fell face down on the pavement. At 10:50 p.m. on July 22, 1934, John Dillinger was pronounced dead in a room at the Alexian Brothers Hospital.

The Agents who fired at Dillinger were Charles B. Winstead, Clarence O. Hurt, and Herman E. Hollis. J. Edgar Hoover commended each man for their fearlessness and courageous action. None of them ever revealed who fired the fatal shot. The events of that night marked the beginning of the end of the Gangster Era. Twenty-seven people were eventually convicted in Federal courts for harboring, aiding, and abetting John Dillinger and his gang. "Baby Face Nelson" was fatally wounded on November 27, 1934, in a gun battle with FBI Agents in which Special Agents Cowley and Hollis also lost their lives. John Dillinger was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

From September 1933 until July 1934, he and his violent gang killed ten men and wounded seven others.

But was he really killed, or was it all a mistake?

Controversy over Dillinger’s Death

Rumors immediately surfaced that the FBI had shot the wrong man. Some believed the man killed was a small-time criminal named Jimmy Lawrence, who was set up to take the fall. Coincidentally, Lawrence disappeared on the same night Dillinger was allegedly shot. Eyewitnesses and even Dillinger’s father claimed the dead man was not John Dillinger. Autopsy reports were questioned and went missing.

Before the shooting, John Dillinger was known to use the alias "Jimmy Lawrence," a man who bore him a striking resemblance. Jimmy Lawrence, a petty Chicago criminal who had recently moved from Wisconsin, lived in the same neighborhood as Dillinger and frequented the Biograph Theater. A photograph taken from Dillinger’s girlfriend, Polly Hamilton’s purse, showed her with a man who resembled the man killed at the Biograph, who also looked very much like Jimmy Lawrence.

After the shooting, the body was taken to the Cook County morgue for an autopsy. Witnesses claimed that the corpse did not resemble the notorious gangster John Dillinger. Dillinger’s father initially stated, "That’s not my boy." The autopsy reports contained inconsistencies: the corpse was too tall and heavy, the eye color was wrong, and it had a rheumatic heart, which Dillinger did not suffer from. Even the fingerprints on the body didn’t match.

The report indicated brown eyes, while Dillinger had gray eyes. The Cook County medical examiner, Dr. Robert Stein, claimed that the eyes become cloudy after death and color is difficult to determine. The report noted a rheumatic heart condition since childhood, but Dillinger’s Navy service records showed a perfect heart. Known scars and moles were not reported, and the fingerprints didn’t match, but the FBI claimed they were altered during plastic surgery. A close-up of the corpse’s face showed a full set of front teeth, but Dillinger was missing his front right incisor. The autopsy report then disappeared for fifty years.

Respected crime writer Jay Robert Nash, in his book, The Dillinger Dossier, argued that Dillinger was not killed and that Chicago Police Officer Martin Zarkovich, Louis Piquette, Dillinger’s lawyer, his girlfriend, Polly Hamilton, and her friend, Anna Sage, were all involved in an intricate plot.

Other events fueled the conspiracy theories, including letters claiming to be from John Dillinger sent to the Indianapolis Star and the Little Bohemia Lodge in 1963. A gun displayed at the FBI headquarters, allegedly used by Dillinger outside the Biograph Theater, was proven to have been manufactured after his death. The original gun has never been recovered.

The FBI maintained its story, but the rumors persisted. Some believe the FBI agents covered it up, fearing the wrath of J. Edgar Hoover, who demanded they "get Dillinger or else." Others believe Hoover himself orchestrated the cover-up to protect the FBI’s reputation.

In 1984, the autopsy records were found in a shopping bag at the old county morgue. An exhumation was considered, but Dillinger’s body had been buried under five feet of concrete and steel. In 2006, the Discovery Channel explored the case and concluded that the FBI killed John Dillinger.

So, if they are wrong, and he lived, what happened to the real John Dillinger? Some claim he married and moved to Oregon, disappearing in the late 1940s. Robert Nash contends that Dillinger moved to California, working as a machinist under a witness protection program.

Legends of Hidden Loot

After serving time in an Indiana prison, Dillinger was paroled in May 1933. Amid the Great Depression, he returned to a life of crime, robbing his first bank on June 10, 1933. By the following year, he and his gang had robbed at least a dozen banks, netting around $500,000, equivalent to approximately $7 million today.

After Dillinger’s death, rumors circulated about hidden loot. One legend claimed that John Dillinger had $200,000 in cash when hiding at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, in April 1934. During the FBI ambush, Dillinger supposedly buried the cash in a suitcase in the woods north of the lodge. He never returned to retrieve it.

Another legend emerged after Harry Pierpont’s execution. The story suggested that the Dillinger Gang had buried loot from a bank robbery on the Pierpont farm. With lawmen in pursuit, they buried the loot in a wooded area near the farmhouse and fled. The FBI reportedly hid in cornfields near the farm after Pierpont’s execution, waiting to see if anyone would return for the cash. However, no one ever appeared.

A third story, allegedly stated by the FBI, claimed that John Dillinger had buried $25,000 at his father’s farm near Mooresville, Indiana.

While some believe these legends to be true, most historians dismiss them as mere folklore, suggesting that the cash would have disintegrated long ago.