The much ballyhooed movie “Public Enemies” starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger is set to hit theaters July 1.  Early reports say the director was scrupulously careful to get the details right to the early 1930s – the clothes, the cars, the locales, and yes, the guns.  Backtracking to last year in this blog, you can see what some of the scenes look like today, including the Biograph Theater in Chicago, outside which Dillinger was killed by Federal agents in July of 1934.
Doubtless riding the coattails of an anticipated wave of renewed interest in all things Dillinger after the movie premiers, the high profile auction house of Leslie Hindman in Chicagoland will offer what they claim is “the gun that killed Dillinger.”It is scheduled to go under the gavel in late July to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the legendary shooting.
The revolver in question is a Colt Army Special, caliber .38 Special, which belonged to Captain Timothy O’Neil of the East Chicago, Indiana Police Department.
Only trouble is, no records indicate that Captain O’Neil ever fired that revolver, or any gun, on the night in question.
FBI records indicate that the only rounds discharged at the scene were fired by three agents of J. Edgar Hoover’s Division of Investigation, which would soon after be re-named Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Charles Winstead triggered three rounds; Clarence Hurt fired twice; and Herman Hollis got off a single shot before Dillinger collapsed with his Colt .380 auto pistol in his hand, drawn and fully loaded but unfired.
Clarence Hurt was famous for his skill with a service revolver, but I don’t recall what handgun he was using that night. Herman Hollis was known to carry a Colt Super .38 semiautomatic. Charles Winstead stated in his official FBI report that he shot Dillinger with a DOI-issue Government .45 automatic.  It is generally believed – and was certainly believed by Hoover – that Winstead was the one who inflicted the gunshot wound that actually killed Public Enemy Number One.
Leslie Hindman has an excellent reputation as an auctioneer. I hope she and her staff do a little research before the auction.
I’m looking forward to seeing “Public Enemies.” Some of y’all will doubtless get to see it before I do. You’re welcome to post reviews and comments here.

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