December 5th 1933: Prohibition ends
On this day in 1933, Prohibition officially ended in the United States upon the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. Utah was the final state to ratify the amendment, and this gave the measure the required 75% of state approval. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment of 1920 which had imposed Prohibition, which banned alcohol in the United States. This is the only time in US history when one amendment overturned another.
“Stranger, stop and wish me well,
Just a prayer for my soul in Hell.
I was a good fellow, most people said,
Betrayed by a woman all dressed in red.”
On September 16, 1924 John Dillinger spent his first night in Pendleton. For the assault and attempted robbery of Frank Morgan, Johnnie is sentenced to 10 - 20 years… his partner, Ed Singleton, would get 2-14 and be back on the streets within months.
Johnnie’s prison number - #14395
June 11 - Order to Arrest John Dillinger
Dated June 11, 1934, this arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court for the Hammond District for the Western Division of Indiana for the apprehension of John Dillinger for auto theft in Crown Point, Indiana. Bail was set for $25,000. The warrant lists Dillinger’s many aliases, including John Hall, John Donovan Hall, Clarence Cruse, Joseph J. Harris, J. H. Donovan, and Kirtly.
This limited edition death mask of John Dillinger will be one of the many items up for sale at an upcoming Gangster and Lawman Auction. Pre-bid estimates have it at $400-$600.00
For more information, see www.rrauction.com
The end of Estill’s career…
John Dillinger - Character vs. Real
On the run in Chicago, gangster John Dillinger was cornered by Federal agents outside a theater and killed on July 22, 1934. (Another cheesy re-enactment courtesy of “Your FBI.”)
Seventy eight years ago John Herbert Dillinger was gunned down outside of the Biograph Theater in Chicago. Cheers to the officers who finally stopped him and cheers to J.D. himself. A true American folk hero, J.D.’s wild ride changed the course of U.S. history whether or not Hoover and high school text books agree.
So pull up a chair, put on Manhattan Melodrama and dig in to some fried chicken and coconut cream pie.
