Did John Dillinger really die at the Biograph?

[Blackjack]

After reading some papers written by Roger Touhy when he was in prison, there are some questions about the honesty of one Melvin Purvis G man. Apparently, according to some he was on the take to the Capone organization big time and due to the fact that the FBI could NOT catch Dillinger and and was getting funding cut I'm sure Hoover would have made a deal to save face as it is. Theres a lot of compelling information on the web about the strange coincidences concerning Dillinger's death it's worth looking into and re-thinking. Supposedly there is a picture taken in the late 40's of Billie Frechette with a man who looks more than a little like Dillinger taken on an Indian reservation in Wisconsin.

Hmmm.....
Much of the controversy surrounding Dillinger’s death has to do with the post-mortem identification of his body. There are some who believe that the individual who was shot and killed by FBI agents on the night of July 22, 1934 outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, IL was not John Dillinger, but perhaps Dillinger-look-alike and petty criminal Jimmy Lawrence. Dillinger had in fact been using the pseudonym Jimmy Lawrence around Chicago for quite some time.

There may have been a good reason too for the FBI to cover up a mistake on their part, if in fact it was not John Dillinger who they killed. Just a few months before his death, Dillinger and his gang settled in to the Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin, where they hid out of sight of the authorities. The innkeepers found out who they were harboring but were promised that no harm would befall them. Meanwhile, Dillinger didn’t trust them, and made sure that a member of his gang followed them into town, watched their every move, and listened in on all their phone calls and conversations. On one occasion, though, word was transmitted to the FBI that Dillinger was hiding out at the Little Bohemia Lodge, and FBI Agent Melvin Purvis assembled his team to storm the lodge and capture Dillinger. The execution didn’t work out as planned, and on top of the entire Dillinger Gang escaping the Lodge unharmed, Purvis and his agents managed to kill several innocent bystanders and lost a member of their team in a gunfight exchange. The incident nearly lost Hoover his title of Director of the FBI and the incident embarrassed the entire Bureau and cast doubt on their ability to maintain order. A second embarrassment of that nature during another Dillinger capture might well have been grounds for dismissal of many of the top FBI officials, and perhaps even graver repercussions for the Bureau.

There were other dubious circumstances surrounding the events that followed Dillinger’s death. The informant who notified Purvis where Dillinger would be that evening, Anna Sage, was promised U.S. citizenship in exchange for her information; however, when the dust finally settled, she ended up being deported after all. Another point of contention was that the person who was killed that night was even carrying a weapon. FBI agents claimed to have seen Dillinger reach for a weapon before he set off running into the side alleyway. The FBI even showcased in their headquarters the gun that was supposedly on Dillinger’s body the night he was killed. It turns out, however, that the small Colt semi-automatic pistol on display at the FBI was only manufactured after Dillinger’s death, making it impossible to have been the one he was allegedly carrying.

And then there were the autopsy findings, which were equivocal. Forensic analysis of the victim showed that he had stippling patterns on his neck, which is due to close range fire, and when writer Jay Robert Nash conducted his reconstruction of the crime scene in 1970 it showed that Dillinger had to have been in a prone position when he was shot. This would suggest that Dillinger was somehow tackled to the ground and was defenseless. (Note: Nash is not a trained or licensed crime scene investigator or forensic scientist, and the bases of his findings have not been scientifically referenced nor validated). Several physical discrepancies also existed. The scar on Dillinger’s face was not present at autopsy, which could have been the result of successful plastic surgery, but upon viewing the victim, Dillinger’s father exclaimed that it was not his son. A close up of the corpse face showed a full set of front teeth, however, it was known through various documented photographs and dental records that Dillinger was missing his front right incisor. The corpse’s brown eyes also did not match that of Dillinger, who supposedly had grey eyes. Finally, the body showed signs of certain illnesses and heart conditions that were inconsistent with prior medical records and Dillinger’s level of activity.

 

[Rathdown]

There is a lot of urban myth (and junk science) surrounding the fatal shooting of John Dillinger, just as there are those who still insist that Oswald wasn't the only shooter when Kennedy was assassinated. Did Purvis kill John Dillinger? Yes. Was he "on the take" from Capone? No. Not a shred of credible evidence to back up the assertion.

But then some people will write anything to sell a book.

 

[Blackjack]

Ok, but just to play the Devils advocate here, sometimes things that ARE true don't have a shred of credible evidence to back them up, too much time has passed and everyone involved is dead. Chicago was (is) a corrupt town politically, I can easily see how someone like Purvis would be on the take, it happens all the time here, and when you add up all the odd circumstances surrounding the events that followed Dillinger’s death I'd have to say there is "something" to this. What I'm not sure but there is something. Keep in mind also Dillinger's own father said "thats not my son" when he viewed the body.

 

[Connery]

^^^
Apparently, "Dillinger had received some rather crude plastic surgery some time before his death." This may also account for the lack of certainty.

This was supposedly before and after surgery

 

[Blackjack]

Yeah, that would fool me...LOL

 

[Connery]

^^^

lollollol just adds to the lore.

 

[Feraud]

Keep in mind also Dillinger's own father said "thats not my son" when he viewed the body.

Dillinger's father may have had personal reasons for not wanting to identify his son to the Feds.
Also, there are enough physical changes which occur to a body after death to understand how a father could not identify the body of his son who was a criminal on the run, had plastic surgery, was shot in the back of the head, fell facedown on pavement, and sat in a morgue in July.

 

[Blackjack]

Agreed, but that's just one small part of the whole weird scenario...

 

[m0nk]

Conspiracy theories are fun, but with so much time having passed, it's difficult to confirm or deny anything and all we really have is the written history. Of course, we're still learning new things about Ancient Egypt...

 

[Feraud]

Agreed, but that's just one small part of the whole weird scenario...

Weird is a subjective viewpoint. The problem with conspiracy theorists is they use the un-provable to attempt to prove something. Instead of forming theories based on accumulated or discarded facts they select an unknown and demand others disprove it! When one cannot prove that aliens landed and took Dillinger away on a spaceship, conspiracy theorists view this as a viable possibility. The result of such illogical thinking is a field of study like cryptozoology.

It's odd that with such rich reality based history and sciences to study people go off on fantasy inspired tangents.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Keep in mind also Dillinger's own father said "thats not my son" when he viewed the body.

There's a lot of ways that phrase can be taken, though. Perhaps Dad Dillinger was saying "I don't accept that my son became a criminal. My actual son died a long time ago."

Of course, if people are really serious about wanting to know the truth, they could always dig him up and do a DNA test. There ought to be a History Channel special or two in that, at least.

 

[Feraud]

The History Channel ran a program called Death Masks where they used computer-facial-whathaveyou programs to bring the likes of Dillinger, Lincoln, and Shakespeare to life.
A part of the Dillinger episode dealt with his death mask image versue photos, considering his plastic surgery, and the violent manner of his death.

It's a sure bet Dillinger died at the Biograph.

 

[RBH]

The death of Purvis in 1960 of a gunshot to the head also could make you wonder about the ''whole weird scenario.''

I believe it was Dillinger that was shot by the way.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It was J. Edgar who had Purvis done in, everybody knows that. Long-delayed payback for the whole Post Toasties scandal.

 

[Blackjack]

Hoover was a nutcase, no doubt about that and if he thought his little empire was going to crash down around him Im sure a deal would have been in the works. Growing up near Chicago I know for a fact what kind of politics we have here. Touhy lived in my hometown, I put nothing past our government, local and otherwise to keep the machine oiled. This is not conspiracy as much as it is "it wouldn't surprise me in the least". Theres too many "facts" the the feds offered up after the fact that don't jive and as the old saying goes, follow the money and you'll get to the truth. In this case the money was funding to the FBI.

 

[Blackjack]

Some more of interest...I may have to take a drive up to Little Bohemia and take a look at this

Many people no longer believe it was Dillinger who was killed, but a small-time criminal named Jimmy Lawrence.
Wanatka received generous compensation for the damage that Purvis and his men had inflicted on his lodge. And he took advantage of the fact that the Dillinger gang had left all their clothing and other property behind. He used those belongings to set up a Dillinger "museum." And that led to the first serious questions about the identity of the man gunned down July 22, 1934.

Long after the shootings at Little Bohemia and the Biograph Theater, in the spring of 1968, Chicago Land Magazine editor Jay Robert Nash dropped by the Dillinger Museum. Emil Wanatka, Jr., son of Dillinger's unwilling host, showed him a mysterious letter he had received. It read:

Emile Wanatka, Jr.
Little Bohemia Lodge
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

Dear Sir:

Am sending a letter and photo of Dillinger as he looks today for you to place on exhibit in your museum. The man shot was James Lawrence who told the woman in red, Anna Compana, (sic] that he was Dillinger.

After the shooting Dillinger moved to Hollywood where he has worked ever since under an assumed name.

J.E. Hoover stated, "There is every indication that the man shown was Dillinger except the proof It's customary to send into headquarters the fingerprints of every man shot by the FBI, but no fingerprints have come in spite of a regulation burial."

The fingerprints were taken of the man shot, but they did not match those of Dillinger, therefore they were not sent in, because if they were the FBI would have to admit that the wrong man was killed.

Dillinger's sister Audrey said she could positively identify her brother by a scar on his leg.

After viewing the body, she said, "There is no question in my mind. Bury him." But what she was really looking for was a birthmark, which was not there. But naturally by saying this she protected both Dillinger and the FBI.

The man shot had black hair and brown eyes, to [sic] large for Dillinger.

Yours Sincerely,
John H. Dillinger

With the letter was a picture of a man who might have been Dillinger thirty-four years after he was supposedly killed. The letter and picture started Nash on a series of inquiries and interviews. Among other things, Nash checked with the Colt factory and learned that the .380 automatic displayed in Hoover's office as the gun Dillinger was carrying had not left the factory until five months after the outlaw was reported to be dead. That discovery raised the suspicion that the man shot outside the Biograph had been unarmed, despite the FBI report to the contrary.

The other item displayed with the pistol were the eyeglass frames the man had been wearing when he was shot. Dillinger had perfect eyesight, according to naval (he had been a sailor for a short time, but had deserted) and prison records. The FBI said the spectacles were sunglasses. However, Nash learned frames of that type were used only for prescription glasses in the 1930s.

The Dillinger autopsy was not in the coroner's office. One elderly employee believed it had never been filed. But Nash learned that Dr. J. J. Kearns, the chief pathologist at the time, had a copy. The autopsy showed that the supposed Dillinger had brown eyes. In addition, because the body had black hair, the FBI said the brown-haired Dillinger had dyed his hair.

Although you can change your hair color, you can't change the color of your eyes. Nash checked his interview notes and old records for the color of Dillinger's eyes. According to the Navy, in 1923, they were blue. According to the FBI, in 1934, they were gray. His long-time girlfriend, Evelyn Frechette, said they were bluish-gray. A boyhood neighbor, May Jeffers, said they were "kind of blue." William L. Tubbs, a reporter who knew him, said "They were about the color of this [indicating a bluish gray metal ashtray]." Some attempts to explain the change of eye color have attributed it to trauma to the head or to the 100-degree temperature that night, both of which are ridiculous.

The autopsy also showed that the dead man had a rheumatic heart condition and arteriosclerosis. There is no record of Dillinger having either condition. He had been an outstanding baseball player as a semi-pro and was noted for his speed and agility in prison games. He had also joined the Navy when that service was small and highly selective. And his athleticism as a bank robber had earned him the attention of the press. None of these things would have been possible for the subject of the autopsy.

The scars on the body did not correspond with those Dillinger was known to have, including one from a bullet wound in the shoulder. The recent wounds on the body refuted the FBI report of how Dillinger was shot while running away. The angles of entry and exit showed that the dead man had been shot while lying prone on the street.

The Mysterious Man Who Shot "Dillinger"
According to FBI folklore, the man who killed Dillinger was Charlie Winstead, a former Texas cowboy and deputy sheriff. Winstead had joined the Bureau in 1926, before J. Edgar Hoover got there. He was one of several tough gunfighters Hoover had placed on the "Dillinger squad" because he thought the lawyers and public accountants he had hired might need help with motorized bank robbers like Dillinger.

Winstead is something of a mystery. Jay Robert Nash, in his book The Dillinger Dossier, reports that Joseph Pinkston, a collector of Dillinger memorabilia, inquired about Winstead and was told that the FBI never had an agent named Charles Winstead. However, William C. Sullivan, later number two man in the Bureau, worked for Winstead as a young agent.

Winstead was special agent in charge of the El Paso office, which covered all of New Mexico. Other agents told Sullivan his new boss was sour, eccentric, disagreeable, and impossible to work with — all of which Sullivan found to be true. Winstead especially disliked "big city boys from the East." But when he learned that Sullivan was a farm boy from the East who said, "I worked around cattle and horses all my life, and I think I made a big mistake leaving the farm," they became fast friends and often rode horseback through Winstead's desert jurisdiction.

In 1942, after sixteen years in the Bureau, Winstead had had enough. He told J. Edgar Hoover to "go to hell," and took a commission in the Army. Sullivan inherited Winstead's Stetson, boots, saddle, lasso, and revolver, a .357 Magnum, when Winstead died in 1974.

Nash found eyewitnesses to the shooting who said that a "big man" had grabbed "Dillinger" and threw him on the ground, after which he had been shot. Charlie Winstead, the reputed gunman, was short and wiry. The description of the big man did fit the appearance of Martin Zarkovich, the cop from East Chicago, Indiana.

The body had been identified as Dillinger's by an older sister who had practically raised him after his mother died. As the letter-writer said, she had protected Dillinger. The FBI said that Dillinger had been living in Chicago using the alias Jimmy Lawrence. But there was a real Jimmy Lawrence, a small-time crook who had moved to Chicago from Wisconsin. He was never seen in Chicago or anywhere else after the day of the murder.

The body might have been exhumed to double-check these points — if someone was willing to spend a vast amount of money. Howard T. Wood, executive vice president of the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, where "Dillinger" is buried, said the outlaw's father, John W. Dillinger, came back the day after the burial and requested changes in the grave.

He had them dig down again and cover the coffin with a mass of concrete mixed with scrap iron. Then four huge slabs of concrete reinforced with chicken wire were placed at staggered intervals over the concrete-covered casket. According to Wood, anyone wishing to dig up the body would need one of the biggest cranes in the world to get the coffin up. And then the only way to open it would be to blast. "There wouldn't be enough left [of the remains] to put in a cookie jar," he said.

The grave-sealing project cost thousands of dollars, money the retired John Wilson Dillinger just didn't have. John Herbert Dillinger, however, had stolen somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million — a sum that could go a long way in the Depression. Is the famous bank robber buried in Indianapolis? The FBI and others say yes. But many no longer believe it.