John Dillinger

Introduction

John Herbert Dillinger, the most notorious bank robber in the history of the United States, attracted many imaginations and baffled the minds of a vast number of police and federal agents. Dillinger is known for the thirteen month duration of bank robberies was considered as a sign of stress and terror. He committed crimes throughout 1933 and 1934. Although participating in the United States Navy for a short time, Dillinger turned to robbery where he got started. (Marilyn, 54-78) undoboubtely that time was depression and war. (Marilyn, 54-78)

John Herbert Dillinger, the son of John and Mollie Dillinger, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 22, 1903. Mollie Dillinger, an ailing woman, died of apoplexy in 1906, when little John was only four. John, Dillinger's father, was not the dad that Dillinger wanted. Always tending to his thriving grocery store and many houses that he rented out, Dillinger's father found his oldest daughter taking care of and becoming the mother figure for little Johnny. Soon Audrey, Dillinger's sister, married and started having children, seven in fact. Although having seven kids, Audry still treated John like the rest of her kids. When Dillinger's father remarried Dillinger went back with his dad and his new step mother. All through school, Dillinger was not any tougher or meaner than any of the other students. Dillinger being an average student, was not an average fist fighter. No one could beat Dillinger in a fight, even if he was dueled by more than one boy; however, by his nature John did not look for trouble. Many teachers of Dillinger noted that he showed little interest in school, but was one of the few boys that did not steal change out of the teacher's desk. John had a good character, tipping his hats to teachers and adults in which he knew on the street. Moving to a farm with his father, John dropped out of high school and began to work at a veneer mill. Starting this job at sixteen, John was described as the 'right guy(944)' at work, helping out his fellow employees when they were needing assistance. Dillinger joined an amateur baseball team where he was an excellent infielder; during this time, Dillinger fell in love with Francis Thorton. John quickly asked for her hand, but was denied when Francis' father wanted her to wait. Dillinger was crushed and felt rejected, which lead to the start of drinking problem. Passing through his drunkenness stage, Dillinger picked up gonorrhea from a prostitute in Indianapolis. On the night before Dillinger turned twenty, John produced his first crime. (Marilyn, 54-78)

Explanation On June 21, 1923 John Dillinger committed his first crime. Dillinger was standing in front of a church in Mooresville, when he spied a key in the ignition of a car belonging to Oliver P. Macy. Witnesses watched as Dillinger entered the car and drove off. Dillinger had just committed the first of many crimes in his day. Dillinger drove to Indianapolis, where he parked the ...