PHOTO BY TONY VALAINIS
OVER 10 MONTHS, John Dillinger and his gang killed 10 men, robbed banks and police arsenals, and staged three jailbreaks across the Midwest. This framed extra edition of The Indianapolis Times, an 1888–1965 evening newspaper, dated July 23, 1934, was donated to the Indiana State Police Museum by local resident Marge Walker. Raised in Indianapolis and Mooresville, Dillinger’s colorful personality and the fact that his notorious crime spree coincided with the worst years of the Great Depression led the media to portray him as somewhat of a Robin Hood figure. The sensationalism spurred J. Edgar Hoover to invest in tactics to fight organized crime. On Sunday, July 22, 1934, FBI agents ambushed Dillinger as he left a Chicago theater. His demise at age 31 is said to be the beginning of the end of the gangster era.
The Indianapolis Times
Vintage: 1934
Resides at the Indiana State Police Museum
