Title: PE #6 Dillinger's Crown Point Escape
Karen - March 8, 2008 02:01 PM (GMT)
Dillinger's lawyer, Louis Piquett wanted Dillinger to stay in Crown Point rather than be transferred to Michigan. Dillinger wanted to break out and he had a good chance of escaping from Crown Point.
Mrs. Lillian Holley had become county sheriff there in January of 1933 when she succeeded her husband, Roy after he was killed in the line of duty only seventeen days into his second term as Sheriff.
Sheriff Lillian Holley on the left
According to Burrough's book (pg 220 - 221)
Mrs. Lillian Holley had become county sheriff there in January of 1933 when she succeeded her husband, Roy after he was killed in the line of duty only seventeen days into his second term as Sheriff.
Sheriff Lillian Holley on the left
According to Burrough's book (pg 220 - 221)
| QUOTE |
| On Monday, Feb. 12, 1933, "Dillinger pleaded with Piquett to block the move." |
(of Dillinger from Crown Point) Burrough continues with:
| QUOTE |
| "In Judge William Murray's chambers, Piquett listened as Sheriff Holley argued that the prison was the only place they could guarantee Dillinger could not escape. Piquett easily short-circuited her request with a sly bit of flattery. "I think that's a very nice jail you have here." he said to Mrs. Holley. "What makes you think there's anything wrong with it?" "There isn't anything wrong with it," Mrs Holley said. "It's the strongest jail in Indiana." "That's what I thought," Piquett said. "But of course, I don't want to embarrass Mrs. Holley. I appreciate that she's a woman, and if she's afraid of an escape --" "I'm not afraid of an escape," the Sheriff said. "I can take care of John Dillinger or any other prisoner." History proves otherwise when three weeks later, Dillinger busted out of Crown Point using a wooden gun. |
On page 242, in his footnotes, author Burrough provides information confirming that Dillinger did use a wooden gun that had been smuggled in by Piquett's associate, Art O'Leary
To add insult to injury, Dillinger further embarrassed the town, as well as then-42-year-old Sheriff Lillian Holley, by driving off in her brand new V-8 Ford.
Do you think that Piquett could have used a similar tactic of putting the Sheriff on the defense if the Sheriff had been a man? Why or why not?
nurseanne8 - March 8, 2008 05:00 PM (GMT)
No this lawyer used the best skills in his "bag of tricks" that being manipulation and attacking the ego of a woman who was employed in a male dominated profession-it still goes on today even with "equality of the sexes". Dillinger was lucky to get this guy to be his attorney. B) Anne r
Karen - March 8, 2008 06:11 PM (GMT)
I wonder how a different reaction from Sheriff Holley could have made things different?
nurseanne8 - March 8, 2008 06:53 PM (GMT)
I think that if the sheriff had ignored Piquette's comments and insisted that Dillinger be moved to the prison he might have not escaped and would have stood trial and been excuted. Anne r
herestoyou - March 9, 2008 05:40 AM (GMT)
I agree that if Holley had insisted on prison, that Dillinger may have had his crime spree ended sooner. However, I think Holley was out to "prove" herself as Anne said ,in a male dominated world. Women were just beginning to take more prominent positions in the work force and I believe there was pressure to prove a woman could do a man's job. Piquette might have pulled a similar tactic even if the sheriff was a man. He really didn't want Dillinger to be moved, so taunting whoever was in charge would be a challenge. It's unfortunate that Holley didn't stick to her guns and inisist the JD be moved.
-Donna
-Donna
HeidiGrant40 - March 9, 2008 09:45 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Karen @ Mar 8 2008, 12:11 PM) |
| I wonder how a different reaction from Sheriff Holley could have made things different? |
Did she think her jail could hold him? I know she said "I can take care of John Dillinger or any other prisoner."
Karen - March 10, 2008 01:13 AM (GMT)
Maybe she really thought that she could!?
Ellen - March 29, 2008 04:45 PM (GMT)
Female or male, I don't think anyone realized how serious this whole thing was. Dillinger planned on breaking out, whether the sheriff was male or female. It just seems that people were too busy trying to get their picture in the paper.
The escape is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in the movie.
The escape is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in the movie.
Karen - March 29, 2008 08:28 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Ellen @ Mar 29 2008, 11:45 AM) |
| Female or male, I don't think anyone realized how serious this whole thing was. Dillinger planned on breaking out, whether the sheriff was male or female. It just seems that people were too busy trying to get their picture in the paper. The escape is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in the movie. |
Me too Ellen. And I think that Piquette really manipulated the situation as best as he could for his client.