John Herbert Dillinger

pronounced “DILL-IN-GUR” (6/2/1903 - 7/22/1934)

PEOTONE POSSE SEARCHES FOR DILLINGER

On

March

3,

1934,

a

reporter

for

United

Press

covering

the

story

on

Dillinger's

escape

from

Crown

Point

jail,

conducted

interviews

in

Peotone,

Illinois,

with

hostages

Deputy

Ernest

Blunk

and

mechanic

Edward

Saager.

The

stolen

getaway

car

was

owned

by

Lake

County,

Indiana,

Sheriff

Lillian

Holley.

To

avoid

detection,

Dillinger

had

Youngblood

remove

the

police

light

mounted

on

the

center

grille,

and

ordered

Blunk

to

drive

at

a

reduced

speed.

Per

these

first-hand

accounts,

Dillinger

directed

their

travel

from

Crown

Point,

West

to

Route

41,

South

to

151st

Avenue

and

West

again

into

Illinois

traveling

through

Beecher.

As

they

drove

West

toward

Peotone,

the

sheriff’s

car

unexpectedly

veered

off

the

road

becoming

stuck

in

the

mud.

Dillinger

ordered

fellow

escapee

Youngblood

to

keep

the

two

hostages

covered

with

a

Thompson

Submachine

gun,

while

he

installed

snow-chains

on

the

tires

for

traction.

Somewhere

just

outside

of

town

the

two

hostages

were

released.

Deputy

Blunk

had

been

tossed

from

the

slow-moving

car,

suffering

no

serious

injuries

and

was

luckily

picked

up

by

a

farmer,

Ed

Rust.

Rust

immediately took Blunk and Saager into town to notify the Sheriff.

Due

to

Blunk’s

reports,

the

News

of

Dillinger's

whereabouts

were

rapidly

broadcast

using

short-wave

radios,

telling

law

enforcement

that

Dillinger

was

cornered.

Blunk

knew

that

Dillinger

headed

South

on

Route

49

(today

Route

50)

and

said

to

pursue

him

in

the

areas

from

Peotone,

South

to

Kankakee

but

North

of

Champaign.

Sheriff

Haley

and

4

deputies

quickly

arrived

from

Crown

Point

to

provide

support

to

a

law

enforcement

posse

made

up

of

Peotone's sheriff and a few quickly-deputized citizens.

What

happened

next

is

based

on

old

newspaper

accounts

from

The

Hammond

Times

,

and

several

stories

that

have

been

handed

down

from

generation

to

generation.

As

word

spread

about

Dillinger’s

escape,

reports

of

his

sightings

came

in

from

as

far

away

as

Morris

and

Harvey.

Chicago

Police

dispatched

police

cars,

armed

with

detectives,

to

the

South

in

search

of

the

escaped

outlaw.

Several

roadblocks

were

set

up

in

Morris,

Monee,

Harvey

and

including

Manteno,

Kankakee

and

Peotone.

Law

Enforcement

thought

they

had

Dillinger

cornered.

But

the

only

official

and

verifiable

sighting

had

been

the

one

from

Peotone,

Illinois,

by

the

two

freed

hostages.

Dillinger,

traveling

South

from

Peotone

on

Route

49,

disappearing

out

of

sight,

never

to

be

found

by

the

massive

army

of

Illinois

and

Indiana

state

police,

Chicago

PD, multiple county sheriffs and local constables.

The

posse

stories

vary,

but

the

one

consistent

fact

has

been

that

“those

in

the

know”

claimed

that

Dillinger

went

to

Miami

Gardens

to

escape

capture.

Miami

Gardens

was

a

well

known

Capone

roadhouse

/

speakeasy

frequented

by

Al

Capone,

Frank

Nitti

and

other

Prohibition-era

gangsters.

Miami

Gardens

provided

hidden

underground

parking,

fuel,

lodging,

food,

entertainment

and

a

great

place

for

John

Dillinger

to

refuel

after

his

break-

out.

Peotone

rumors

have

always

supported

that

John

Dillinger

did

go

to

Miami

Gardens,

on

Route

49,

to

avoid

being

caught.

The

legend

is

that

Baumann

was

“tipped

off”

by

a

phone

call

from

Peotone,

and

when

law

enforcement

was

coming

to

Miami

Gardens,

Dillinger

made

his

getaway.

That

phone

call

is

consistent

with

Baumann

still

having

“Capone’s

protection,” just like during Prohibition.

Per Tom Adamsick, author of “Greetings from Peotone, Illinois; Pictorial

History of Early Peotone, Illinois,” The posse gathered at Dan Knolton’s drug

store on Second Street. Pictured (left to right) are Paul Conrad, Dan V.

Knolton, Jack Cowing, Emil “The Count” Mausehund and Ted Cowing.

Peotone was filled with police, politicians and newspaper reporters

following this event.

Sheriff Holley’s Car

Hammond Times March 3, 1934 Crown Point Jail Today

The Hostages

Mechanic Edward Saager and Deputy Ernest Blunk