John Dillinger – The Creation of the First Public Enemy #1
During the early 1930’s the Great Depression and the collapsing banking system was not the only thing being talked about by many Americans; or a constant topic for newspapers and radio discussions. In 1933 and 1934 John Dillinger was a hot topic among people; as well as a main headline for the news. Who was John Dillinger and how could one man cause so much chaos, in so many places, in such a short amount of time? Was he born with something that caused him to be bad or did his circumstances (losses, prison, the Depression, and the publicity) help to create another America’s Public Enemy Number One? This has been a highly debated topic through the years with opinions varying from one …show more content…
Some say Johnnie was a “good boy”. While others say he “committed small time pranks and petty theft with his neighborhood gang, the Dirty Dozen” (Biography.com). Then, as he became a teen he had some delinquency and cruel behavior issues. Johnnie quit school when he was sixteen, many believed he quit because he wanted to work and earn money instead of the fact he was in any trouble.
John Sr., remarried in 1912 to an Elizabeth Fields and had more children. Some accounts say Johnnie did not get along with his new stepmother. However, she did send a letter on his behalf petitioning his parole. In 1920 John Sr., sold the grocery store and moved the family to Mooresville, a small town outside of Indianapolis. There he bought a little farm for the family to work. Audrey, Johnnie’s sister, said he spent more time at her house in Indianapolis than he did with his father’s family in Mooresville. He seemed to prefer the larger city and all it had to offer to the small town way of life.
TROUBLE ON THE …show more content…
Shortly before his transfer to Michigan City, Beryl finally filed for divorce in early 1929. Some say he asked for the transfer to be closer to friends he had made at Pendleton; on the other hand, there was a letter John wrote to his sister, that his transfer came because Michigan City wanting him to play on their baseball team. Either way, this transfer led to furthering his criminal education. Throughout his incarceration, he was far from a model inmate. He was constantly in trouble for something. None the less, family members and friends were constantly writing the parole board to try and get him paroled. Meanwhile, John Dillinger spent the rest of his incarceration with friends such as Harry Pierpont and Homer Van Meter, who would later play a major role in his last year. Upon his release John “promised everyone in Mooresville that he had learned his lesson in prison. Indeed, he had.” (Gorn
During the early 1930’s the Great Depression and the collapsing banking system was not the only thing being talked about by many Americans; or a constant topic for newspapers and radio discussions. In 1933 and 1934 John Dillinger was a hot topic among people; as well as a main headline for the news. Who was John Dillinger and how could one man cause so much chaos, in so many places, in such a short amount of time? Was he born with something that caused him to be bad or did his circumstances (losses, prison, the Depression, and the publicity) help to create another America’s Public Enemy Number One? This has been a highly debated topic through the years with opinions varying from one …show more content…
Some say Johnnie was a “good boy”. While others say he “committed small time pranks and petty theft with his neighborhood gang, the Dirty Dozen” (Biography.com). Then, as he became a teen he had some delinquency and cruel behavior issues. Johnnie quit school when he was sixteen, many believed he quit because he wanted to work and earn money instead of the fact he was in any trouble.
John Sr., remarried in 1912 to an Elizabeth Fields and had more children. Some accounts say Johnnie did not get along with his new stepmother. However, she did send a letter on his behalf petitioning his parole. In 1920 John Sr., sold the grocery store and moved the family to Mooresville, a small town outside of Indianapolis. There he bought a little farm for the family to work. Audrey, Johnnie’s sister, said he spent more time at her house in Indianapolis than he did with his father’s family in Mooresville. He seemed to prefer the larger city and all it had to offer to the small town way of life.
TROUBLE ON THE …show more content…
Shortly before his transfer to Michigan City, Beryl finally filed for divorce in early 1929. Some say he asked for the transfer to be closer to friends he had made at Pendleton; on the other hand, there was a letter John wrote to his sister, that his transfer came because Michigan City wanting him to play on their baseball team. Either way, this transfer led to furthering his criminal education. Throughout his incarceration, he was far from a model inmate. He was constantly in trouble for something. None the less, family members and friends were constantly writing the parole board to try and get him paroled. Meanwhile, John Dillinger spent the rest of his incarceration with friends such as Harry Pierpont and Homer Van Meter, who would later play a major role in his last year. Upon his release John “promised everyone in Mooresville that he had learned his lesson in prison. Indeed, he had.” (Gorn