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Thompson Evidence Needham, Mass. Bank Robbery 1934 Photographs


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Interesting Trial Photographs & History I thought Forum Members would enjoy


Francis Oliver "Frank" Haddock who, along with fellow patrolman Forbes McLeod

were killed in the line of duty while responding to a bank robbery In Needham, Massachusetts. They were the first two officers in Massachusetts State History to be murdered by an assailant using a sub-machine gun, and the crime attracted attention across the northeastern United States. Their sacrifices are commemorated by the city of Needham, Massachusetts through its Haddock-McLeod Plaza.



The Needham robbery on February 2, 1934 was like a scene right out of a gangster movie, with sub-machine guns blazing and a terrified bank employee hanging on to the running board of the getaway car as it raced through town. Needham police officers Forbes McLeod and Frank Haddock were gunned down by the robbers; McLeood when he responded to the bank alarm and Haddock as he stood with a Needham fireman in front of the Needham firehouse.

After finding the burned out wreckage of the getaway car in a wooded area of Norwood, police were able to trace a battery repair job to Irving and Murton Millen and their friend Abraham Faber. Millen, his 19 year old wife and brother Irving managed to escape to New York, but were captured after a wild gun battle in the lobby of a New York City hotel. Faber was apprehended in Boston. While the brothers and Murton’s young bride rode the famed Yankee Clipper train back to Dedham to face justice, Abraham Faber began to talk.


The scene at the Readville train station on March 2, 1934 was just a preview of the frenzy that would surround the Millen Brothers’ case over the next year. Several thousand people gathered at the station to greet the brothers upon their arrival from New York. The crowds continued to gather throughout the trial, with curious onlookers from all over the country heading to Dedham to get a look at the accused and the beautiful young bride, Norma. School kids played hookey and waited in front of the court house to see the defendants brought from the jail. People dressed in suits and carrying briefcases tried to pass themselves off as lawyers in order to sneak into the court room. With Faber’s confession already in hand, the trio would have had a difficult time proving their innocence, and so their lawyers pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Incredibly, Faber’s confession in late February included the details of a Lynn theater hold-up and murder for which 2 cab drivers were on trial in Salem. The judge suspended the trial and freed the 2 men just as the DA was about to present his closing argument. This bizarre chapter in the Millen Brothers case was later dramatized in the 1939 film “Let Us Live,” starring Henry Fonda.



June 7, 1935- Irving Millen, Murton Millen, and Abraham Faber are executed in the electric chair at Charlestown State Prison a year after their convictions in the Dedham Court for the murder of Needham police officerers during a robbery at The Needham Trust Company. Faber and the Millen Brothers, all in their early twenties, had begun a short but violent crime spree in the fall of 1933 and winter of 1934, robbing banks and other businesses in the Greater Boston area and leaving four men dead.







1 Capt. Charles J. Van Amburgh, state police ballistics expert with gun that shot Needham policemen.jpg

2 Charles J Van Amburg - Ballistics expert with gun used in Needham murders 2.jpg

3 Charles J. Van Amburg - Ballistics expert with gun used in Needham murders.jpg

4 More Evidence Nedham Bank Robbery.jpg

5 More Evidence Nedham Bank Robbery.jpg

6 More Evidence Nedham Bank Robbery.jpg

7 Thompson Machine Gun Evidence going into court 1934 Needham Bank Robbery Trial.jpg

8 Other Guns Evidence Needham Mass Bank Robbery.jpg

9 Colt Pistol Needham Bank Robbery Evidence.jpg

10 Evidence Needham Bank Robbery.jpg

11 More Evidence Nedham Bank Robbery.jpg

12 Evidence Thompson Price Display In Court.jpg

13 Norma Millen held for accessory.jpg

14 Suspects Millen Faber Bank Robbery.jpg

15 Torched getaway car Millen-Faber bank Robbery Needham Mass.jpg

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Interesting that they had the horizontal forearm on the Tommy and not the vertical.

 

Mike,

 

Comparing the auction photo with the 1934 trial photos, it is evident that the original Colt Navy forearm and butt stock with Enfield offset swivels were substituted at some point with WWII wood and swivels.

 

post-110-0-86240100-1518826849_thumb.jpg post-110-0-55339400-1518826833_thumb.jpg

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Interesting that they had the horizontal forearm on the Tommy and not the vertical.

 

Mike,

 

Comparing the auction photo with the 1934 trial photos, it is evident that the original Colt Navy forearm and butt stock with Enfield offset swivels were substituted at some point with WWII wood and swivels.

 

attachicon.gif 012.JPG attachicon.gif #7438 1934 bank hold up.jpg

 

Art,

It is interesting that the forearm is not the original to the gun as in the 1934 photo, but has the same rack mark towards the front of the forearm on the left side. Where is the lower? Now, everyone start checking your lowers.

Do we know who bought the gun then or has it now?

Now, back to tonight's movie - Zero Dark Thirty or Strike Back

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Is this thread in response to the post on the Gangsters & Outlaws forum? I posted a series of write ups and pics about 2 hour before this one started - if not amazing coincidence.

I grew up in Needham and this was very much alive in town lore in the 60's.

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Is this thread in response to the post on the Gangsters & Outlaws forum? I posted a series of write ups and pics about 2 hour before this one started - if not amazing coincidence.

I grew up in Needham and this was very much alive in town lore in the 60's.

 

Both this and the post in the Gangsters & Outlaws forum caught my interest, so I searched for the Boston Globe Archives and you can buy copies of the articles relating to this case from them.

https://secure.pqarc...1979&By=&Title=

Stay safe

Richard

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The photographer: Leslie Jones has a website / archive and has the 324 pics on line. Each one can be enlarged significantly with no loss of detail - quite amazing.

For me - all of this is utterly fascinating. I grew up in Needham and my father and grandfather would take me to that bank to show me the bullet impacts. All the buildings, the bank, the courthouse, the Dedham jail where they were held and where a guy attempted to bust them out of are still virtually untouched - it is really cool. Officer McLeod had a relative on the Needham PD when I was growing up - not sure if he was the son or grandson or some other relation.

The gang had established themselves as quite prolific - known as the "Box Office Boys" they had been knocking off theaters all around Boston and it's suburbs. The wife grew up in Natick - daughter of a minister. Needham and Natick are bordering towns. Their former home site is less than a 1/2 mile from where I work.

For more there is an excellent book on this - Tommy Gun Winter by Nathan Gorenstein. Also the local Needham cable channel did a documentary on this a year or two back. Not sure how to access it though.

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Is this thread in response to the post on the Gangsters & Outlaws forum? I posted a series of write ups and pics about 2 hour before this one started - if not amazing coincidence.

I grew up in Needham and this was very much alive in town lore in the 60's.

Amazing coincidence I just saw these cool photos and thought they would go right in the Thompson forum

Your post was very cool also!

Edited by azboater
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Arthur,

Thanks for saving the auction pictures on NO 7438.

 

Are you sure about the change in fore ends. I have to agree with Mike that the fore end appears to have the off set swivels and the same mark on the left side front on the fore end. These pictures are very small but take a look.

 

All good stuff!

 

11 More Evidence Nedham Bank Robbery - crop with arrow.jpg _7438 1934 bank hold up - crop with arrow.jpg

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Just supposition here - but I'd offer that the gun and all the other stuff that was stolen from the State Police were returned to the them, who it turn, put it back into service. My guess is that the MASP had far more than one TSMG.

The drums and other accessories were probably divided up among various guns when they were sold off.

It is also interesting to note that during one of their robberies - a box office clerk refused to give them the $$. One of them stuck a pistol through the window opening and fired twice - she still wouldn't give up the cash, so they fled. In her statement to police she told them that the pistol wasn't loud - it was more of a "pfft" Turns out they were using a home made suppressor on a Colt Woodsman. That pistol is in some of the evidence photos.

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Just supposition here - but I'd offer that the gun and all the other stuff that was stolen from the State Police were returned to the them, who it turn, put it back into service. My guess is that the MASP had far more than one TSMG.

The drums and other accessories were probably divided up among various guns when they were sold off.

It is also interesting to note that during one of their robberies - a box office clerk refused to give them the $$. One of them stuck a pistol through the window opening and fired twice - she still wouldn't give up the cash, so they fled. In her statement to police she told them that the pistol wasn't loud - it was more of a "pfft" Turns out they were using a home made suppressor on a Colt Woodsman. That pistol is in some of the evidence photos.

this one, I assume..........

3 Charles J. Van Amburg - Ballistics expert with gun used in Needham murders.jpg

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Are you sure about the change in fore ends. I have to agree with Mike that the fore end appears to have the off set swivels and the same mark on the left side front on the fore end.

 

As Maxwell would say, would you believe only the butt stock is WWII? The marks on the foregrip are much more pronounced in the 1934 photo than the 2006 photo, but looking at the right side of the foregrip instead of the left side, it becomes apparent that it is indeed a Navy foregrip with Enfield swivel as shown in 1934 photo. I could have sworn Strzok and Page were Mulder and Skully. Clarity is hit and miss with me.

 

post-110-0-70787200-1518894762_thumb.jpg

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Thanks for posting these pictures. I just got the chance today to really look them over in detail, they are incredible. The desk, chair, newspapers, books, hat, electric cords, amazing what is included in all the photos if you look beyond the Thompson. The scenes outside the courthouse tell a story even without words if one takes a moment to take it all in. Great stuff.

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Arthur,

Did you save any additional auction pictures?

 

My 3rd Edition of Gordon's book does not list any information about NO 7438. Is there any information in the 6th Edition? Does anyone know the serial number on mismatched frame?

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