FBI Report on Dillinger

Special Agent Deveruex communicated by telephone from South Bend, Indiana, with _____ and learned from him that he had received some information that Dillinger and two other men had stayed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from Wednesday night, May 2, 1934, to about 4:20 p.m. May 3, 1934, and desired to talk with Agent in more detail than could be had over the telephone. Agent interviewed ____ in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He stated that at about 4:00 p.m. May 3, 1934, he received a telephone call at his office from a man who refused to reveal his identity. This man stated that he had some information concerning Dillinger and that he was afraid of being charged with harboring Dillinger if he didn't tell what he knew about him. He stated that Dillinger, Van Meter and another man had come to his home the night of May 2, 1934, and left the afternoon of May 3, 1934. The three men drove up to the unknown man's home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, about 9:00 p.m., May 2, 1934, and entered, one of the men announcing that he was Dillinger. One of the men was recognized by the unknown man as Homer Van Meter, whom he had known in Fort Wayne, Indiana, prior to the present trouble and before Van Meter was sent to the penitentiary. The trio announced that they were staying for the night and proceeded to bring the contents of their Ford V-8 automobile into the house. The unknown man had a wife and a child as a family. The trio brought in four machine guns, one of which was in a metal box about two feet long and several inches across, the box having a handle and was painted green, bearing a resemblance to a fishing tackle box. Each of the men had sidearms. Each wore a bullet proof vest and several more vests were carried into the house in their arms. Two of the men carried in a case being so heavy that two of the three men had to carry it.

The car in which the three men arrived was a Ford V-8 sedan or coach with unknown license numbers attached, the car being very dusty or muddy, but even then recognized as being new. While the men made themselves at home in the residence of the unknown informant they did a lot of talking, seemingly not paying any attention to the presence of the unknown informant. Two of the men took possession of the bedroom in the house occupied by the unknown informant and his wife, while the third of the trio stood guard. The trio had removed their bullet proof vests, but continued carrying their sidearms about the house, at all times keeping one hand on the butt of the guns strapped to them. The unknown informant was made to take his own car out of the garage and one of the invaders put the Ford V-8 in the garage for the night.

During the night, and presumably before any of the trio went to bed, they talked to one another, and the unknown informant related that Van Meter seemed to dominate over Dillinger and the other man. This impression was gained through the fact that Dillinger and the other man would ask the advice of Van Meter about different things or what they should do. The trio, in their talking stated that they would have to get in touch with the other members of the gang because of the fact that the other members had more money, ammunition and guns than did the trio. The talk continued to the effect that the trio would never be taken alive, and Dillinger stated that they'd never get him alive and that before he went he would take several with him; the inference being that he would manage to kill a few officers before he could be taken.

Dillinger also stated that he was sore about the fact that the newspapers thought that he had bought his way out of the Crown Point jail, stating that the credit for the best trick he had ever pulled was taken away from him. He also stated that he had rounded up ten trusties and seven deputy sheriffs before he managed to get his hands on a real gun.

Dillinger also remarked that the gang and himself knew that the owner of the resort -- Little Bohemia -- in Wisconsin had given the information of their being there and that he intended to "get" this man for informing against him. He said that he knew that it was the resort owner's wife who had written the letter to the Department of Justice, but that he was not blaming her for it, since it was her husband who had her write the letter. He also showed what he said was a copy of the letter which had been sent to the Department of Justice to the unknown informant. Dillinger also stated that he had received his information about the letter from theChicago office of the Department of Justice....

The unknown informant asked the trio why they stayed around this part of the country and why they didn't go to Pennsylvania, and Dillinger stated that if they went to Pennsylvania they would get all tangled up in the roads; that the best place to stay was right around here (probably meaning Indiana) since there were all kinds of roads by which the gang could elude pursuers. He also made the remark that Michigan was no good because of the roads.

Dillinger also made the remark that he got a big kick out of filling station attendants asking him whether he had seen Dillinger. Dillinger and the other two men expressed the utmost contempt for local police departments, calling them a "lot of clucks." He stated, however, that they were afraid of the "Feds" because of the fact that if a Federal Agent wanted an airplane he got one and if they wanted more men they got them and that the "Feds" had all the money they needed to keep up the search. The only conversation concerning the gun battle in Wisconsin was to the effect that after the battle, Dillinger and some of the rest went back to the resort and recovered some ammunition which had been cached nearby. They had to do this because of the fact that they were out of ammunition and needed what they had hidden very badly.

Dillinger also stated that the car they had was the third they had in ten days; that three days before they wrecked a Hudson which the third man of the trio was driving, the car getting out of control when the steering mechanism broke and running it off the road into a tree. Dillinger made the remark that it was lucky they weren't all killed in this wreck. The trio also stated that they needed another car badly. Dillinger does not limp, but has two bullet wounds in one of his legs, one of the wounds being healed but the other wound having been broken open in the Hudson auto wreck.

The trio had a suitcase with them filled with money which they opened and then emptied into a gunny sack, which oneof the men carried over his shoulder when they left the house the afternoon of May 3, 1934. The unknown informant asked them whether they were going to leave a small bundle of the money behind and they stated they were not since they needed all they had and some more too.

The morning of May 3, 1934, the trio insisted upon having steaks for breakfast and also had steaks for lunch the same day. The trio had an atlas of the United States with them which they showed to the unknown informant. This atlas showed every road in the country and its condition, whether paved, etc. The Ford V-8 was equipped with a short wave radio set which the trio tuned in during the night to listen to any broadcasts concerning them.

During the day of May 3, 1934, Dillinger gave the unknown informant's wife a large quantity of small paper slips, about 4" X 7", similar to bank deposit slips, and told her to burn them, and after she returned from the basement he went down to see that they had been destroyed. The remark was made during the night of May 2, 1934, that he, Dillinger, had gotten about $210,000 since his escape from the Crown Point jail.

Among the stuff which the trio brought into the house when they arrived at about 9:00 p.m. on May 2, 1934, was a bundle of about two dozen different license plates, and when Dillinger was arranging the plates, Van Meter directed him to put the Ohio plates on top. When the trio arrived at the unknown informant's home, they were dressed as farmers, in overalls and other articles of dress which would make them appear like farmers. Before they left the house the next day, however, they changed this clothing and dressed in ordinary civilian clothes. Dillinger carries a long deep money purse which is commonly used by farm people.

While the trio was at the home of the unknown informant, they ordered the informant to cut short any telephone calls coming into the house and also ordered the occupants of the house not to make any outgoing calls. They would not permit the child of the family to go to school during the day of May 3, 1934, but inquired of the unknown informant what time he was due to go to work and told him to go at the regular time. They also asked whether he came home to lunch and when told that he did, the trio ordered him to follow his regular practice. He accordingly went to work and returned home for lunch. They then asked him whether his wife ever drove him to work after lunch and when he said that she did, they ordered her to drive the husband to work and bring them back some cigarettes. They warned the unknown informant that if he tried to inform against them, he was to remember that his wife and child were in the house with the trio and also, when the wife drove the husband to work after lunch, they were both told that they had better not talk, since the child was staying in the house with them.

When the unknown informant arrived home from work about 3:30 p.m. on May 3, 1934, his wife told him that the trio had gone off in their car baout 4:20 p.m. that same day taking everything with them. The trio made no attempt to hide their guns when they entered the house the night of May 2, 1934, or when they left the afternoon of May 3, 1934....

The unknown informant stated that the third man of the trio looked like Dillinger and he presumed that he was his brother. He was certain about the identification of Dillinger and of Van Meter. When the trio left they stated that they would be back the next night.

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