1933 bank heist like straight out of the movies

[Villain]

Since most of us are quite bored because of the current situation, ive decided to post one quite interesting story regarding a robbery that occurred in Indiana in 1933, and involved future Chicago Outfit member and crew boss Lenny Patrick. The story is compiled from several newspaper articles and reports from that period.

By the end of Prohibition, the Patrick bros belonged to a gang that went robbing banks all over the Midwest, but in May 1933, a situation occurred just like in the movies we see on daily basis.

You see, that same year the gang planned to do a robbery of the State Exchange Bank of Culver, Indiana. On May 29, six gang members got in a car and rolled into Culver. At the wheel was Joe Switalski aka Jack Shea, a former Chicago policeman and former chauffeur of Joe Saltis, the infamous Chicago beer baron. Other members in the car was the gang's alleged leader Danny McGeoghegan, followed by Emmett Kearns aka Edward Murphy, Walter Grabowski, Lenny Patrick and his brother Jack.

Once the car got near the bank, they were noticed by a barber, who poked his head out for air and saw the bandits car, bristling with guns and yelled out "Bandits!!!", noise that was heard down the blocks.

The president of the bank was standing beside one of the windows and saw the robbers adjusting their masks and he instantly set off the burglar alarm. Five of the gangsters rushed into the bank, leaving their driver in the getaway car. Once in the bank, they pistol whipped few pedestrians and bank clerks and forced the rest of the customers to lie down on the floor. One of the bandits ordered Carl Adams, the assistant cashier, to open the vault door, which he did.

Now this is where the real action started...the bandits had scooped some $12,000 from the tills and vault. The robbery lasted for two or three minutes, but in that short interval, a gun fire started outside.

The problem that some local armed men gathered or created their own vigilante group and started shooting at the robbers. Switalski, with his automatic gun, exchanged fire with the vigilante group, formed by local men. A moment later, a bullet cut into the forehead of Switalski and another one into his shoulder.

McGeoghegan rushed out and saw that his buddy was wounded and rushed back in to assemble his associates. They all acted cool and at gun point they took few hostages and used them as shield from the vigilante’s fire.

They threw the stolen cash into the car and shifted Switalski, who was bleeding profusely, from under the wheel to the back seat, and a new driver took the wheel. The hostages were ordered to stand on the running boards and the car thundered away to the west in a cloud of dust and gunfire. Once they got outside the city limits, the bandits ordered their hostages to jump from the car.

But the action didnt stop there...some local medical doctor, who had witnessed the bloody conflict, jumped into his car and rapidly went after the bandits and followed them. But he made a mistake because he came to close and one of the bandits noticed him, jumped to his feet and fired at the doctor’s car at close range, thus stopping him.

They ordered him out and cursed him soundly for trying to follow them. An argument ensued between the bandits over leaving the wounded Switalski amd so McGeoghegan ordered them to leave him with the doctor.

The robbers continued to a combined woods and swamp near the little town of Ober. While driving through the woods they crashed with their car and got stuck between two trees and could not go further. A small party of armed local vigilantes and government people followed the car tracks along the dirt road. They found and arrested the wounded Switalski who was left by the road and proceeded to chase the remaining five gangsters in the woods. They cautiously followed the tracks of the bandits car into the woods and in just few hours they found and arrested all of the gang members, including the Patrick brothers and McGeoghegan.

On June 28, 1933 all of the gang members stood for trial and received prison sentences. Most of the gangsters, including Lenny Patrick received a 10 year prison terms, except for McGeoghegan and Murphy, who in turn both received 25 years. Lenny first went to the Indiana State Reformatory and on February 22, 1934 he was transferred to the Indiana State Penitentiary.

After serving 7 years, Lenny was paroled on March 11, 1940 and was released from prison. During that period Patrick joined the Chicago Outfit and by the mid 1940s Patrick allegedly asked some of the Outfit’s higher ups to use their political influence and to help his old friend and prison mate Edward Murphy, who was still in jail for the bank robbery.

Murphy’s parole was granted on November 11, 1944 by an order issued by the governor of Indiana and on January 8, 1945 he was discharged from parole by executive decree. Later Murphy became a silent partner of the Patrick and Yaras bros in the bookmaking business in the 22nd, 23rd and 24th wards.

[bert]

Now that's story. Great one.

[Villain]

Now that's story. Great one.

Thanks man. The old days were crazy as hell. Later ill post another quite interesting short story....

[aleksandrored]

Thanks man, this story is very good, the years 1920-1950 were really crazy times.

[Villain]

Thanks man, this story is very good, the years 1920-1950 were really crazy times.

No problem. The following stories are going to be from the same era or should i say 30s and 40s....