John Dillinger and His Gang
Came to Tucson, Arizona to keep a low profile from law enforcement but were captured 90 years ago this week
John Dillinger (1903 - 1934) was a gangster during the Great Depression. He and his gang were accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Twelve of those bank robberies occurred between June 21, 1933, and June 30, 1934.
On January 25, 1934, Dillinger and his gang were captured in Tucson, Arizona. Read on to learn about this outlaw’s connection to Tucson and “Dillinger Days” which will commemorate the 90th Anniversary of his capture this year.
Public Enemy Number One
A week before the Dillinger Gang's arrival in Tucson, the group robbed the First National Bank in East Chicago, Indiana, which led to the death of a local police officer. This was the last in a string of bank robberies and killings that led the gang to go on the run and keep a low profile from law enforcement. As police began closing in, the men left Chicago to hide out first in Florida and later in El Paso, Texas, where a highly visible police presence dissuaded Dillinger from trying to cross the border there into Mexico. They instead crossed the border further South in Texas, and eventually made their way to Tucson, Arizona.
Dillinger and His Gang Arrive in Tucson, Arizona
On January 21, 1934, John Dillinger and three of his gang members, Harry Pierpont, Charles Makley, and Russell "Art" Clark, arrived in Tucson. The men were joined by their female companions, including Dillinger's companion, Evelyn "Billie" Frechette. The gang had rented a house at 927 North Second Avenue where they hoped to keep a low profile.
The floors of the house had just been waxed so the gang decided to use aliases and check into the Hotel Congress for one night on January 22. The next morning at 7:20 a.m., there was a fire at the Hotel Congress. It broke out in the basement due to a "defective oil furnace" that "ignited an adjacent stack of aged firewood," according to the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation.
Guests on the third floor including, Makley and Clark, were evacuated by a fire ladder. Once the two men were safely removed from the building, they tipped firefighters $12 to retrieve their luggage. The fireman noticed that the luggage was overly heavy and were suspicious of the men due to the fact they wanted their luggage so badly and tipped so generously.
The firemen recognized the men after thumbing through a copy of True Detective (a true crime magazine) who then alerted the Tucson Police.
Dillinger and his Gang are Arrested
The gang members were arrested at different locations and times on January 25, 1934, two days after the fire at the Hotel Congress.
The Tucson Police were able to trace Makley's luggage to 927 North Second Avenue location. Officers went to the address and arrested Clark after a struggle. They found him in possession of $1,264.70 in cash.
Then Makley was followed to the Grabbe Electric & Radio Store on Congress Street, where he was apprehended. He went there looking for a radio capable of picking up police calls. He had $794.09 of cash in his possession.
Pierpont was captured after the police staged a routine traffic stop and lured him to the police station, where they took him by surprise and arrested him. There was $99.81 recovered on Pierpont and $3,116.20 on Mary Kinder (his girlfriend).
By 6:30 p.m. that day, Dillinger was the last gangster to be detained as he arrived at the Second Avenue home with $7,175.44 on his person.
Reportedly, upon his arrest, Dillinger said, "Well, I’ll be damned." Dillinger surrendered to an officer who said, "Reach for the moon, or I'll cut you in half."
The Tucson Police Department confiscated three Thompson submachine guns, two Winchester rifles, five bulletproof vests and over $25,000 in cash, according to the FBI's John Dillinger database. Tucson police officers also found a bulldog puppy at the rented house.
The men were arraigned in "Room 8" at the Pima County Justice Court on Friday, Jan. 26, 1934. That room is currently known as the John Dillinger courtroom.
What Happened to Dillinger and His Gang After Tucson?
After the arraignment, Dillinger was flown back and transferred to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana, to face charges for the murder of the police officer from their last robbery. The others were put on a train to Ohio.
The March 1934 trials in Ohio convicted the three members of the gang. Pierpont and Makley received the death penalty, while Clark received a life sentence. On September 22, Makley was shot dead by guards when he and Pierpont attempted to escape with fake pistols that were carved from bars of soap and painted black with shoe polish. Pierpont was wounded and then executed on October 17. Clark would ultimately be released in 1968 and died of cancer a few months later.
Dillinger escaped from the Crown Point prison a month and a half after his arrival. He was eventually caught and killed by federal law enforcement agents on July 22, 1934, in Chicago.
Dillinger Days and the 90th Anniversary of His Capture
The Hotel Congress hosts their annual two-day event called Dillinger Days that celebrates the capture of Public Enemy Number One. The event recreates Dillinger's capture through a series of reenactments and lectures. There are plenty of vintage cars, live music and 1930s costumed actors. The actual fire truck that assisted in saving the Hotel Congress on that day, will be on-site as well.
This year, a Dillinger Speakeasy will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 for $15 per person. The annual free Dillinger Days reenactments are set to take place at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
Even though Dillinger and his Gang’s stay in Tucson was brief, what occurred in the “Old Pueblo” 90 years ago forever altered Tucson’s history and cultural scene.
Next Time
Next week I will repost the second newsletter I published back in May when I only had sixteen subscribers (I have over 1000 now!! Thank you all for your support!). It’s about the Four Corners Monument where the four states, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah come together. Back in the day, surveying equipment was limited, and the surveyors missed the mark.
What a great article! Things I learned, Dillinger looked so much older then his 31 years, Clark got a life sentence and got out in 68’ to die. Loved the picture of the house where Dillinger got picked up, I’d like to visit that one. Any story about someone taking the bulldog puppy home? I’d hate it if it was taken to doggy jail! Lol! Hope you get to see the reenactment and the old fire truck!
Thank you for the story!