18 replies to this topic

[OCM]

Little piece of interesting history I guess- Found a letter sent to me by Ursula Patzke. She was one of the hostages the Dillinger gang took, at the Racine bank robbery in Nov 1933. I got to know her through the collection and all. She happened to be an extra in the TV movie Dillinger with Mark Harmon also. 

Anyway, I had asked her about her 45 minute ride with the gang in a 1933 Buick model 90 7 passenger sedan with jump seats . This is the same car I have now, but not the one the gang used. This is where Makley picked up his 21/28 overstamp Thompson that was recovered in Tucson.

 

This is the second page of a letter she sent me starting about what Dillinger's voice sounded like and then some other stuff about her ride. In other phone conversations with her she said she was scared to death. She sat in the middle backseat with Pierpont on one side Homer on the other, Russel Clarke was in a jump seat, the other jump seat  folded down covered with money bags. Dillinger was driving, Makley in the passenger seat giving get-a-way directions from a map they had made and the new stolen 28N Thompson.  

 

So, here's the letter and the 1933 Buick get-a-way car ..( mine, not John's ) 

 

OCM 

 

Note: I should add that the Racine Bank President, Grover Weyland was in the backseat too, sort of sitting on Leslie Homer's right leg, next to Ursula. 

The picture I've added is the shoelaces that Pierpont used to tie Miss Patzke to Mr. Wyeland  to a small tree after they let them off in the country. 

Ursula had kept them in a scrape book with newspaper clippings and such.  

  

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•  DSCN3265.JPG   169.56K   48 downloads
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•  shoestring.jpg   11.47K   21 downloads

Edited by OCM, 03 December 2017 - 05:06 PM.

[Adg105200]

Very interesting!

Andrew

[Colt Chopper]

Very cool letter.

[ghostsoldier]

That's cool as hell, Sandy...thanks for sharing.

 

Rob

[OCM]

Glad people can see & enjoy this stuff, I've added another picture and copy to the story. BTW, if you didn't know it, the Makley Thompson is on display at the Racine PD. Unfortunately the internals are now GI. 

 

OCM 

[Mike Hammer]

Here's a link to a previous post with some photos I took of the Racine Dillinger gun.

 

http://www.machinegu...c=13135&hl=3363

 

Mike Hammer

[OCM]

Here's a picture of it , at the Tucson arrest, 1934- Third from the right without the butt stock.  It was taken by Makley, at the Racine robbery, November 20,1933.  The Thompson, # 3363, was brought to the robbery, without the butt stock, by Racine PD Sergeant William Hansen. Two months later they got it back in Tucson.

( short loan )  

 

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•  001 (3).jpg   125.49K   18 downloads

[full auto 45]

That letter is the best. I love the "real" stories like that from those who were really there. It is amazing you have that. 

[OCM]

Sheriff Hudson had visited the Racine PD, a number of years ago. The young officer that met them , started by saying the Thompson was captured in Texas-  As you know, this is the way this era is going. I had loaned some things to the Gerald Ford Museum for a history thing they were doing for a year. Dillinger's bullet proof vest, Bonnie & Clyde's death hats, family photos things like that ( replica BAR scattergun).  President Ford was kind enough to send me a personal letter, thanking me for the items. In part he said it was nice to show the kids on tour, things about American history that aren't  in the history books. 

When I first visited the John Dillinger Museum at the Little Bohemia Lodge I was about 9 years old. It was then housed in the Baby Face Nelson cabin next to the lodge. I remember not understanding what it was really about , this was just some bad person.  Bet the kids at the Ford museum may of thought the same. 

 

Like the Wicked Witch of the West, " I'm fading, I'm faaaaaaaaading "  Haaaaaa

 

OCM  

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[OCM]

From the above photo I posted: 

 

Here is a question for the Dillinger outlaw historian experts- A hard one ( maybe). Not counting the automobiles, how would one know this was 1937 . Why not 1934 after the Little Bohemia Battle.?  Or later that year or say 1935 the next year ??? 

Grand opening of the Dillinger Museum at Little Bo- Dillinger SR was there too. Emil and John Sr had a little business going on this. 

 

These are original pictures I had in the collection......

 

Winner gets to meet Colt Chopper & the Nelson gun and do a C dump. 

 

OCM 

Edited by OCM, 09 December 2017 - 08:23 PM.

[Mike Hammer]

Sandy, didn't the owners do some remodeling at Little Bohemia in or around '36, and as a result the facade was different.

 

Mike Hammer

[OCM]

You win , Hammer. The bar, to the left of the entrance was built in 1936. Damnit, I thought that would be a stumper.  Little Bo was a fairly popular place to visit, with the Dillinger activity, till the war hit. After the war my parents would fly up there to visit friends, who owned ( and still do ) homes up in the area, in a 2 seat " Airknocker " Chief.  When my brother & I got older we'd drive up there every year  ( mid 50s).  

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•  SR.jpg   29.17K   15 downloads

[Mike Hammer]

Sandy, born, raised and educated in Wis., I lived there for 30 yrs., was all around that area on vacation when I was young but never made it to Little Bohemia as it just wasn't on my radar at the time. Upper Wis. is a great place to vacation, that's why all the gangsters from the mid west hung out there in the summertime.

Spent many summers fishing from a rowboat  right next to the pier of the cottage that big Al Capone used to stay at on Squirrel Lake. Many early mornings with the sunlight coming up, the mist rising off the water and I always pictured big Al sitting there in a chair at the end of the pier in his bathrobe holding his fishing rod waiting for a bite. Glory days my friend, glory days.

 

 Let me know where to show up to claim that C drum dump from Colt Choppers' Nelson gun. O.K., I won't hold my breath on that one.

 

Mike Hammer

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•  Al Capone.jpg   125.47K   5 downloads

[OCM]

AND.................... the sound of the Loons. Muskie fishing , Friday night fish frys with Walleye, blueberry pancakes, seeing Colt Chopper everywhere with a White Metal Detector.  Beautiful area.   

[full auto 45]

Have a photo of CC looking for treasures around the lake.

 

[OCM]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!   

looks like he's found a bunch of Baby Face Nelson shells. 

[Colt Chopper]

Mike,

 

I can't believe you found an old picture of yourself on the beach, must have been your honeymoon with your third wife!

[jim c 351]

Colt Chopper,

Thanks for jogging my memory. I thought I recognized Mike but wasn't sure.

Jim C

[OCM]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA