John Dillinger Public Enemy No. 1

 In the 1930's, Americans were in the midst of the depression.  Outlaws and criminals who took the law into their own hands became heros in the eyes of of many.  One man would stand out and evoke the Gangster Era, he was John Dillinger.  His crime spree ran from March of 1933 until his death July 22nd, 1934.  A seemingly short time of record, however it was none the less deadly. 

Dillinger and his notorious gang were responsible for killing ten men and wounding seven others.  They robbed banks and police arsenals and staged three jail breaks.  He was considered to be a vicious theif and killer by the police and a Robin Hood to the public.

John Herbert Dillinger was born June 22, 1903.  His father was a grocer by trade who raised his son under a very harsh disciplinarian rule.  His mother died when he was three.  His father remarried six years later and initially Dillinger harbored a great resentment toward his stepmother.  As a child growing up, he was frequently in trouble.  Due to a strained relationship with his father, and troubles with the law due to auto theft, Dillinger joined the Navy.

He left the military as a deserter because his troubles followed him.  After returning to Moorsville Indianna, he married sixteen year old Beryl Hovious.  Unable to find work, Dillinger joined forces with a loan shark known as Ed Singleton.  In a search for easy money, the duo attemped to rob a grocer and they were apprehended.  Singleton plead not guilty and was sentanced to two years.  Dillinger, under the advisement of his father plead guilty.  He was dealt what was considered to be a harsh punishment of joint sentances of 2 to 14 years on one charge and 10 to 20 years in prison on another.  Dillinger was charged with assault and battery with inten to rob, and conspiracy to commit a felony.  He was sent to Indianna State Prison where he became a bitter and hardened man.

On May 10, 1933 Dillinger was released from prison and he began his year and four month long crime spree.  On July 22, 1934 he was at the Biograph Theater with two known prostitutes.  As he left the theater he noticed an FBI agent who lit a cigar to signal Dillingers emergence from the theater.  Upon recognizing this, Dillinger drew his gun and ran toward the alley.  Five shots were fired at Dillinger and three of them made contact.  One entered the back of his head and exited through his eye.  It was this shot that was believed to have killed him.

Dillingers death was surrounded by a great deal of controversy and mystery.  It was believed by many that it wasn't Dillinger who was infact killed, that it was petty criminal Jimmy Lawrence who bore a striking resemblence to Dillinger.  It was also said that a scar that Dillinger incurred during childhood had been removed by plastic surgery and that his finger prints had been removed by acid.  FBI Cheif Melvin Purvis noted that Dillinger drew his gun from his pocket that fateful evening and it was unusual because he always wore his gun at his waist.  It is also said that Dillinger's Father cried out, "That's not my boy." repeatedly when he was sent in to identify the body.

Thousands of onlookers watched the embalming of Dillingers body.  It was said that his fate was to be a lesson to the world.  His funeral was held at the home of his sister and he was burried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.  There have been many movies about the infamous thief and murderer.  The latest movie Public Enemies stars Johnny Depp.