The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-23
DILLINGER DEAD,
PALS NOW COAL
OF U. S. AGENTS
Justice Department Means
Business, Public Is
Assured.
BIZ United Press


bloody evidence before the eyes Of
gangsters today that United States
agents, like the Northwest Mounted,
get their man.
To the public went vivid assur-
ance that the justice department
means business in its drive against
crime.
Criminals who scoffed at federal
authority got their answer when a
quick burst Of bullets wiped out the
nations No. l public enemy as he
walked from Chicago theater
lobby.
Hearty congratulations went from
Attorney-General Homer S. Cum
mings and Director Edgar Hoover
Of the justice division of investiga-
ton to the agents for job well
done.
But in the remorseless drive Of
the federal men against criminals,
the end of Dillinger merely closed
one chapter in an endless war on
enemies of society.
The next move is the roundup of
those few Dillinger associates who
remain at large One, Lester M.
ellis, alias George (Baby Face
Nelson, is marked for a death such
as Dillingers the moment federal
agents get the drop on him. ellis
is the man federal authorities say
killed Agent Carter Baum in the
unsuccessful Little Bohemia (Wis)
trap.
Associates Next Goal
The tactics which eventually cut
down Dillinger after half a dozen
narrow escapes are expected to get
his associates in time.
The actual story of how the JUS
tice department tracked down the
most desperate outlaw of the mid
west never will be told.
The sentiment of the department
was expressed by Mr.. Cummings
just before boarding a train for the
west:
THE search for Dillinger had
never been relaxed for moment.
He had escaped capture on several
occasions by the narrowest of mar
gins. The news tonight is exceed
ingly gratifying as well as reassur-
ing"
Even in their hour of triumph,
federal authorities we're chary of
details about the Dillinger hunt.
| Secrecy is the keynote of govern
ment operatives and an important
/ fo 1T in ho
lieves. Even when a job has been
completed there is much that is
never revealed.
100 Agents Hunted DilIinger
1t is known, however, that about
100 agents have been concentrated
on the Dillinger case.
They established that Dillinger
had kept close to Chicago in recent
months. He and his henchmen
went separate ways when they mar
rowly escaped federal agents after
the gun battle at Little Bohemia.
Although bank robberies from
coast to coast were attributed to
| the gunman and he was seen" in
scores of cities he actually had
divided his time between hideouts
in Chicago and in nearby Illinois,
Indiana and Wisconsin points. Rea-
lizing that the huge city was the
easiest place to hide, he had made
Chicago his headquarters. Always
federal agents were close behind
him. He changed his hiding place
frequently and equally often oper-
atives caught up the trail.
Several times agents believed they
had trap ready to spring, only to
have their plans go awry, sometimes,
they said because of leakage or
bungling by local agencies.
Indiana Officers Praised
The force that finally ended Dill
fingers career last night was led by
Melvin Purvis, a South Carolinian,
who has headed the Chicago office
since 1882. In, the party were
twenty federal men and five officers
of the East Chicago (Ind) police.
Mr.. Hoover gave special recogni-
ton to the Indiana officers. The tip
that Dillinger was to attend the
movie came from the East Chicago
officers. Hoover praised especially
Captain Timothy O'Neil and Ser
geant Martin Zarkovich Of the East
Chicago police.
Mr.. Hoover said most credit should
go to Purvis and Samuel P. Cowley
of Washington, who has been in
Chicago several months. They di-
rected the hunt. Mr.. Purvis him
self led the party that shot Dill
linger.
With Dillinger dead, Hoover pre-
dicted the roundup Of his remain
ing henchmen would be easier.
Besides ellis, those at large are
Homer Van Meter and John Hamil-
ton. ellis is described as even more
dangerous and ruthless than Dill
linger.
Now that Dillinger has been slain,
more agents can be put on the trail
of his associates and of other crimi-
nails. Justice department operatives
total only 430 for the entire country.
Nearly 200 more are being added.
The fresh attention centered on
crime problems by Dillinger's plum
dering and killing was the spark
plug in action by the last congress
TO new laws extending federal au-
thority and granting additional
funds for agents and equipment.
When federal agents took up the
Dillinger hunt the only federal
charge they had was transporting a
stolen automobile across a state line
the automobile of Crown Point
Sheriff Lillian Holley, at that.