The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
JOHN DILLINGER

OI1N O1LLlNIEn WOulO De
alive today, in all probability
and in Alcatraz prison -
- but for one thing: determin-
alton never to be taken alive by
officers of the law.
With the permission of ]. Edgar
Hoover, director of the federal bu-
reau of investigation, this writer
has been privileged to delve into
the grim files of the F. B. I. on
the lurid case of the late public
enemy number one.
1 have seen for myself-and am
able to reveal publicly for the first
tlme-intimate details of the care
fully laid plans which led up to
the fatal shooting of Dillinger out
side Chicago movie house on the
night of July %, 1884.
Those plans, locked in a steel
cabinet at the Department of JUS
tice and guarded until now from
any but official eyes, disclosed a
number of interesting things bear
ing on the recently agitated ques-
ton: Was the shooting to death
of Dillinger justified?
l. Specific orders were issued by
Hoover that Dillinger must be taken
alive, if possible.
2. Four men were stationed on
the sidewalk, near the theater en-
lance, with instructions to "seize
Dillinger bodily as he passes"
8. BY Hoover's order, relayed to
the agents, by Inspector Samuel P.
Cowley, there were no machine
guns, rifles or shotguns at the scene.
The agents were armed only with
pistols and warned not to draw
them unless absolutely neces-
sary."
4. Dillinger quickly saw two
agents starting to close in and seize
him, turned to face them, bent to
a crouching position, whipped out
a .38 caliber automatic pistol and
was about to fire when three agents
beat him to the draw.
Unjustifed? Well, of course, the
agents could have let this known
killer fire first, but in so doing, they
would have endangered not only
their own lives, but the safety of
gathering crowd of men, women
and children emerging from tn e
theater.
The circumstances surrounding
the shooting of Dillinger have been
the subject of an "ill-advised' in
quiry by secret service men. They
went to the Chicago police for in
formation, it is said, but the Chicago
police knew nothing of the plans.
Those plans were made in the
Chicago office of the F. B. l., after
telephone conversations with
Hoover at Washington. Only one
other law enforcement agency was
in on them. That was the police
department of East Chicago, Ind,
a sergeant of which had brought to
the F. B. l. a woman who said she
knew the whereabouts of Dillinger.
This woman was after $4,000
which the Department of Justice
had offered for informatio leading
to the capture of the gangster,
After Dillinger's death, she calmly
collected the money and signed an
extraordinary receipt in which she
released the government from any
further obligation whatsoever. -
More about that receipt later.
The woman was Anna Sage. Her
identity was guarded closely by the
Omen after Dillinger's death be-
cause they had promised solemnly
not to put her on the spot" Since
Mrs. Sage herself has elected to
disclose her connection with the
case, the bureau no longer feels
obligated to adhere to the promise
OF secrecy and consequently has
given me the whole inside story OF
the Dillinger trap.
Mrs. Sage, well-known to police
OF East Chicago, told Inspector Cow
ley on the afternoon of July 81.
1884, that she had been ATTENDING
movies with a man who had been
introduced by a girl friend as
Frank Sullivan" The other wom-
ans identity will not be disclosed
Her first name was Polly.
Mrs. Sage asserted she recognized
Sullivan" as Dillinger and asked
him outright if he were not the
much-hunted fugitive. Dillinger adj
mitted his identity. She declared
she accompanied Dillinger and
Polly to the Marbro movie theater
in Chicago on several occasions, and
that she would be willing, for SIS, 900,
to tip off the agents when another
visit was planned.
Cowley and his men bided their
time anxiously the remainder of
that Saturday evening, but no fur
Their word came from the woman.
All available agents in the Chi
cago area we're ordered to "stand
by in anticipation of the tip that
would start them into action. The
agents sat around restlessly in the