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STORIES FROM IOWA'S PAST
The famous (and infamous) who have had a lasting impact on the state and the world
John Dillinger robs Mason City bank
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John Dillinger was a household name by the time he and his gang robbed the First National Bank in Mason City of $52,000 on March 13. 1934. He had been one a year long bank-robbing spree across the Midwest and was approaching the end of his run, weeks away from getting ambushed by FBI agents outside of a movie theater in Chicago on July 22, 1934.

The take was a small fortune during the depression, but only a fraction of the nearly $300,000 the bank reportedly had on hand on the day of the robbery. Given the response of vigilante citizens and local law enforcement officials, Dillinger was probably glad to escape with his life.

Dillinger was joined that day by seven others: John "Red" Hamilton, Baby Face Nelson, Eugene "Eddie" Green, Tommy Carroll, Homer Van Meter and either Joseph Burns or Red Forsythe.


John Dillinger
According to various newspaper reports that day, Dillinger and his gang parked a blue sedan on State Street, near the alley behind the bank. Two gangsters remained in the getaway car, Tommy Carroll stood lookout near the doorway of a nearby drug store, and Baby Face Nelson stood watch across the street. The rest of the gang entered the bank at 2:40 p.m, shouting orders and shooting their guns into the ceilings and walls.

When the robbery began, the bank’s guard, Tom Walters was in an elevated bulletproof observation booth near the front entrance. When he saw what was happening, Walters fired a tear gas cartridge into the lobby, striking one of the robbers in the back, but the tear gas gun jammed and Walters knew he was outnumbered. One of the gang members sprayed the bulletproof booth with bullets, shattering the glass but missing Walters. Some members of the gang
began working to empty the cash drawers while another took bank cashier John Hamilton to the vault. Meanwhile, another employee named Tom Barclay, hurled another tear gas bomb into the main room of the bank.

A switchboard operator at the bank who was stationed on a second-floor balcony had a bird’s-eye view of the hubbub and quietly crawled to a window to scream a warning to people outside. “The bank is being robbed,” she yelled to a man she saw standing outside. It was Baby Face Nelson, who reportedly responded, “You’re telling me, lady?”

Word of trouble spreads quickly in a small town and that was the case in Mason City. While the robbers worked inside, a group of onlookers gathered outside. As many as two dozen people were grabbed by gang members to form a human shield on the running board of the Buick the gang was traveling in. Police offficer James Buchannan, alerted to the crime in progress, grabbed  shotgun and took position behind a monument in the nearby Central Park. Gangsters standing watch in front of the bank took shots at him but miss; Buchannan didn’t fire back for fear of hitting one of the human shied. Other police offers faced the same frustration, including the Mason City Police Chief.

During the day only one onlooker was hurt. R.L. James was unaware of the robbery as he proceeded to the bank. But when he heard gunfire he turned tail and attempted to hide. Baby Face spotted him fleeing and ordered him to stop and then sprayed bullets at his feet; one bounced off the pavement and his him in the leg.

Police and the gang members continued to exchange gunfire as the Buick fled out of town. In fact, one gang member reportedly told a hostage that if they cops didn’t stop fire, someone was going to get hurt. Police officers tailed the car as it drove west out of town, releasing hostages along the way. All the hostages were eventually released unharmed and the Buick was found in a quarry four-miles south of Mason City.