Summary
Overview
This Morbid podcast episode explores two of America's most notorious prison escapes: John Dillinger's daring 1934 escape from Crown Point jail using a fake wooden gun, and the legendary 1962 Alcatraz breakout by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers. Both stories showcase remarkable ingenuity, craftiness, and determination during America's most challenging economic period, the Great Depression.
John Dillinger's Early Criminal Life and Rise to Infamy
John Dillinger was a notorious criminal who began his life of crime as a teenager in the Dust Bowl era. After serving in the Navy and struggling to find work during the economic hardships of the 1920s Midwest, he turned to robbery. His criminal education accelerated in prison where he met experienced bank robbers Harry Pierpont, Russell Clark, and Charles Mackley, who taught him advanced criminal techniques that would later make him Public Enemy Number One.
- Dillinger engaged in petty crime as a teenager, arrested for minor thefts and fights
- He avoided serious consequences for car theft in 1922 by enlisting in the military
- After being dishonorably discharged in 1924, he married Beryl Hovias but struggled to find work
- He robbed a grocery store with friend Ed Singleton and was sentenced to several years in prison
- In prison, he met experienced bank robbers who taught him advanced criminal techniques
" Few, if any, names were as notorious, feared and revered as John Dillinger "
Dillinger's Devastating Divorce and Prison Break
While serving nearly 10 years in prison, Dillinger maintained contact with his wife Beryl through letters and visits. However, just two days before his birthday in June 1929, she requested and was granted a divorce, devastating Dillinger and providing what he claimed was motivation for his subsequent crime spree. After his release in May 1933 during the peak of the Great Depression, he immediately returned to crime, robbing a bank in New Carlisle, Ohio for $10,000—ten times the average annual income.
- Beryl divorced Dillinger in June 1929, just two days before his birthday
- Dillinger cited the divorce as a motivating factor for his crime spree
- Released in May 1933 at the peak of the Great Depression with no wife or job prospects
- Robbed a bank in New Carlisle, Ohio for $10,000—ten times the average annual income
" She said, happy birthday, we're divorced "
" Men love to blame women for everything "
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