| The Final Count Dillinger Plans His IRA; Van Meter Goes Scouting |
By the time summer arrived in 1934, Nelson and the other gang members were the most sought after criminals in the country. Rumors, some logical and others completely off the boards, were appearing almost daily in newspapers, over the radio and on street corners. Dillinger was postitively identified in London; Nelson had robbed four banks in a single day in Toronto; Van Meter was organzing a super gang that included Dillinger, Nelson, Alvin Karpis and Pretty Boy Floyd. Their plan included the kidnapping of FDR and holding him hostage for $5 million (a sum of money almost beyond comprehension in 1934). The simple truth was, there was no truth to these rumors. The gang had gone its separate ways and was keeping low profiles. Van Meter was back in St. Paul; Dillinger had undergone plastic surgery to try and alter his appearance; Nelson was moving around but apparently committing no major crimes. The one piece of truth in all the rumors, however, was that the gang was planning a major heist. They were tired and frightened. They had prices on their heads and most of them wanted out. Although Nelson still seemed to enjoy the action and the attention he was getting, Dillinger was making plans for a permanent escape. He had set his sights on Mexico months earlier, and his original plan called for going there with $100,000, but that figure was now down to less than $40,000. He wanted - needed - one big score. He wanted a major heist that would put the needed money into his pocket, and Van Meter had just the place - the Merchants National Bank of South Bend, Ind. Van Meter, whose talent was finding banks to hit, assured Dillinger this one was a winner. The post office, he learned, deposited large amounts of cash at the bank and if hit just right, it could net the gang a minimun of $100,000. Van Meter figured they would need about five men for the job. Contrary to belief, the Nelson/Dillinger gang wasn't "locked in stone." There were no set members and they certainly weren't "good friends." Dillinger and Van Meter seemed to get along, but there doesn't appear to have been a strong bond other than their common desire to steal enough money to "retire." Dillinger didn't trust Nelson because of Nelson's quick temper and apparent love of violence; Nelson was jealous of Dillinger's "fame" and felt he should be getting the headlines and big reward offers (Dillinger had a $15,000 price tag on his head, Nelson had about $1,000 offered for him.) As for Van Meter and Nelson, there was absolute hatred. Nelson referred to the tall and lanky Van Meter as "that scarecrow"; Van Meter called the short, husky Nelson "a tree stump" and "a stupid little runt." Dillinger once said he'd be surprised if the two didn't someday kill each other. (There might be truth to that prediction. That story can be found on the "what happened later" page, which will be posted soon. Also, on another page to be posted, readers will be interested in learning the history of Van Meter and Nelson. They actually started out as close friends). There was, however, one common link that kept them working together. Each was completely trustworthy on a job. They were professionals and each knew the others could be counted on if there was trouble. Nelson, especially, was absolutely fearless in a gun battle. Tommy Carroll once said of Nelson: "That guy would walk into hell and back on a job. He's a mental case otherwise, but he would fight the devil when we were hitting a bank." So in early June, Van Meter, Nelson and Dillinger began planning what Dillinger hoped would be his last robbery. (It was, but not for the reasons he thought). Because of the intense heat on the gang, the trio were having difficulty finding others willing to work with them, but Nelson said he knew of two guys who would do it. Eventually three others were signed on. The FBI was most certain one of the three was John Paul Chase, Nelson's longtime partner from their days together running illegal liquor in California. The identify of the other two remain questionable, but several sources suggest one was "Pretty Boy" Floyd. If so, it was the only time Floyd, Nelson and Dillinger worked together. The other unidentified man was believed by police to be Jack Perkins, Nelson's childhood friend and first crime partner. Perkins was eventually arrested and tried for the crime but aquitted. However, many believe the second man was Adam "Eddie" Richetti, Floyd's longtime crime partner. The true identity of the three men, however, will probably never be known for certain (until you get to the end of this story). The date for the robbery was set for Saturday, June 30. It would be the gang's last robbery together, and one the citizens of South Bend would remember for a long time.....partly for the excitment of the day, but mostly for the bloodshed. |
| Like most every story on this site, there are two versions. The official version, and the other version. What follows in the next few pages is the official version. At the end of the story you'll have an opportunity to read the other version. |