The Life & Crimes of John Dillinger

There exists a macabre fascination with gangsters and mobsters in American culture and perhaps nobody captures people’s interest more than that of John Dillinger. Not only have most people heard of him, but he remains relevant in pop culture with movies still being made about his exploits, such as the 2009 film Public Enemies. Of course, this romanticized view of men such as Dillinger doesn’t quite capture the violent and reckless reality. 

Early Life

John Herbert Dillinger was born on June 22, 1903, in Indianapolis, IN. His mother died just before his fourth birthday and John was essentially raised by his older sister until his father remarried in 1912. Dillinger had a fairly rough childhood and often was  involved in petty theft and small crimes. His actions got him in trouble more than once and in 1921, his father decided to move the family away from the city of Indianapolis, which he believed was the reason for his son’s rebelliousness, south to Mooresville, Indiana. This did not change Dillinger’s ways and in 1922, he was arrested for stealing a car. 

In 1923, Dillinger enlisted in the United States Navy and was assigned to the battleship USS UTAH; however, after a few short months onboard, he deserted when his ship was moored in Boston (he was later dishonorably discharged). Dillinger headed back to Indiana.

After years of tumult, Dillinger attempted to settle down and on April 12, 1924, he married Beryl Ethel Hovious. Because he was unable to get a job, he decided to rob a local grocery store with his friend, Ed Singleton. During the robbery, DIllinger used a heavy bolt wrapped in a hankerchief to beat the elderly grocer. They were arrested the next day and after he was convinced by his father to plead guilty, Dillinger received a 10-20 year prison sentence (primarily because of the assault). From 1924 until 1933, Dillinger was imprisoned at the Indiana Reformatory and the State Prison. Supposedly after he was admitted, Dillinger said: 

I will be the meanest bastard you ever saw when I get out of here.

During his imprisonment, Dillinger befriended many other criminals and they planned future robberies to be carried out once they were released. Additionally, Dillinger closely studied bank robbing techniques used by Herman Lamm. Thanks to his father, who petitioned for the release of his son, Dillinger was paroled on May 10, 1933, after 9 1/2 years in prison. Between his bitterness towards the legal system and the plans he made in prison, it was only a matter of time before Dillinger carried out his first bank heist. 

Bank Robberies & the Dillinger Gang

On June 21, 1933, Dillinger carried out his first successful bank robbery when he stole $10,000 from the New Carlisle National Bank. Then in August he robbed a bank in Bluffton, Ohio; however, he was tracked down and caught shortly thereafter. Amidst these robberies, Dillinger had put into motion a pre-conceived plan to break-out inmates he had met while in prison. These men were able to escape and consisted of Harry Pierpont, Russell Clark, Charles Makley, Ed Shouse, Harry Copeland, and John Hamilton- they became known as “The First Dillinger Gang.”

Three of these men traveled to Ohio to break-out Dillinger. They impersonated Indiana State Police officers and once challenged, shot a sheriff and released Dillinger. The group returned to Indiana with the others to plot their next move. 

Between June 1933 and June 1934, the Dillinger gang carried out at least 12 bank robberies throughout Indiana and the Midwest. Interestingly, Dillinger and his gang were captured by police in Tucson, Arizona on January 25, 1934. Dillinger was brought back to Indiana and imprisoned at Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana. He was formally charged with the murder of a police officer, who was killed on January 15th during a robbery in East Chicago, IN. 

It was openly touted that this jail was escape-proof; however, Dillinger proved them wrong. On March 3, 1934, he and 15 other inmates made their break during morning exercises. Soon thereafter, the FBI instituted a nation-wide manhunt for Dillinger- he was public enemy number one. 

After his escape, Dillinger met up with his girlfriend, Evelyn “Billie” Frechette, and other members of his gang. They merged with Baby Face Nelson’s gang and in the coming weeks, carried out bank robberies in South Dakota and Iowa. In late March, Dillinger and Frechette, now using aliases, moved into the Lincoln Court Apartments in St. Paul, Minnesota. Very quickly the property owner grew suspicious and reported what she observed to the FBI. This began a two-man surveillance of the apartments by the bureau. 

Shootout at the Lincoln Court Apartments

On March 31, 1934, Rufus Coulter (an FBI agent) and Henry Cummings (a local police detective) knocked on the door of apartment 303, where Dillinger and Frechette lived. Frechette cracked the door and stated she wasn’t dressed and asked they come back later. As the men waited, Homer Van Meter, a member of Dillinger’s gang, walked down the hallway. He was questioned by Coulter and Cummings, to which Van Meter replied he was a soap salesman. When he denied having any credentials and headed downstairs, Agent Coulter soon followed. When he reached the lobby, Van Meter pulled out a gun and began shooting at Coulter (Van Meter escaped).

Frechette told Dillinger that the police had shown up at the door and when Van Meter began shooting, Dillinger began shooting a Thompson machine gun through the front door. Detective Cummings took off and Dillinger came out into the hallway and continued to fire. Cummings was not hit and fired his revolver and hit Dillinger in his left calf. Amidst the chaos, Frechette and Dillinger were able to escape out a back door and drove off in their Hudson. They headed to Minneapolis, where Dillinger’s gunshot wound was treated. 

Hiding in Chicago & Dillinger’s Final Chapter

In April 1934, Dillinger and Frechette headed to Mooresville, Indiana; however, Dillinger and his gang realized that the farm was under surveillance and they quickly departed for Chicago. It was in the Windy City that Dillinger’s demise would finally come about.

While in Chicago, Frechette was captured by police, but Dillinger managed to escaped. He was distraught by his girlfriend’s capture and wanted to make an attempt to rescue her. In order to get bullet-proof vests for a rescue operation, Van Meter convinced Dillinger to rob a police station. The two kidnapped an Indiana police officer and held him at gunpoint as they approached a police station. They successfully stole bullet-proof vests and numerous guns and made their way north. After nearly being captured on April 22, 1934 at a vacation lodge in Wisconsin, Dillinger returned to Chicago and used the alias Jimmy Lawrence.

Perhaps the most fascinating chapter of Dillinger’s life occurred in the Spring and Summer of 1934. Dillinger underwent plastic surgery and had several moles removed and tied back both cheeks. Then in June, Dillinger had additional surgery done, to include on his fingertips (Van Meter also had his fingertips worked on). 

While Dillinger and his gang hid out in Chicago, J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI established a task force, headquartered in Chicago, to find Dillinger. On July 21, 1934, a brothel worker named Anna Sage, who was acquainted with Dillinger, called the FBI. Sage was a Romanian immigrant and was about to be deported; therefore, she decided to turn in Dillinger with the hope of being able to stay in the United States. She told the FBI that she, Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton (another prostitute), were going to see a movie the next day. This would either be at the Marbro Theater or Biograph Theater- so the FBI staked out both.

Just as planned, Dillinger, Sage, and Hamilton attended the Biograph Theater on the night of July 22, 1934, to see the gangster film Manhattan Melodrama, which featured Clark Gable. After the movie ended, the three left the theater and walked right into the snares of the FBI. Agent Purvis stood near the theater doors and once he saw the three, he lit his cigar as a signal to the other agents. Dillinger looked directly into the agent’s face and it was clear he knew the gig was up. Dillinger proceeded to a nearby alleyway and some accounts state he pulled out a gun. Regardless, three agents fired at him (Charles Winstead, Clarence Hurt, and Herman Hollis) and Dillinger was hit four times, with the fatal shot entering the back of his neck, severing his spinal cord, and exiting under his right eye. John Dillinger was dead.

Funeral & Burial

After his death, John Dillinger’s body was put on public display at the Cook County morgue and perhaps unsurprisingly (he was a celebrity at that time, such as Bonnie & Clyde), over 15,000 people came to view it. To add to Dillinger’s celebrity and legend, multiple death masks were also made.

From Chicago, John Dillinger’s body was brought back to his home town of Indianapolis, where he was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery (one of the largest cemeteries in the United States). His original grave marker and subsequent markers have been replaced over the years, because visitors chipped away pieces to keep as souvenirs.

Sources:

• https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/john-dillinger
• https://www.in.gov/isp/about-isp/history/the-pursuit-of-public-enemy-1/