My Dad & John Dillinger by Tim Fealy
My dad died in 2002 of pancreatic cancer. On most days, at some point in the day, I will think of him. Growing up, we didn’t share a lot of one on one time. Time together consisted of either family time or, when it was just us, it was me accompanying him to a hardware store or running an errand. This time consisted mainly of me being in the background while he interacted with other adults, buying nails or insulation or discussing a project.
All this changed when I was 13 and we went on our very own vacation to Kentucky. Not with the rest of the family… it was just us! And for 7 days, we saw all kinds of fun sites including the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory, Mammoth Cave and Cumberland Falls. This was different than any time we had spent together before because here we were interacting together, sharing and participating in the same experiences.
Finishing up the trip on our way home to Merrillville, we passed a billboard for “S.O.B.’s”. A long time ago, it was a restaurant in the boiler room of the Crown Point Jail (where Carriage Court Pizza is today) and the sign boasted that you could eat in Dillinger’s cell! I had know idea who Dillinger was and so I asked my dad.
One of the great talents my dad had was he could tell a story! And so he related the story of Dillinger sitting in the jail, carving a gun from an old washboard and covering it with black shoe polish. And then.. at just the right moment… he used his wooden gun to make his escape! I was hooked! For me, it was a great adventure story because it was real and local and it was told by my Dad.
He didn’t get into the morality of the story. He didn’t need to. My morality came from what my parents taught me and from church. So, for him and for me, it was just a fascinating piece of history. And local history at that! Over the years, I would learn more about Dillinger, and also about men like Melvin Purvis who dedicated their lives to stopping criminals like him. And, like most of us, I can appreciate the stories and the history without glamorizing the criminals.
So, at the Public Enemy 5K/2K, along with supporting the police K-9 unit and seeing a demonstration by them after the race, we will have the actual wooden gun Dillinger used in his escape. A piece of wood that ties back to a fascinating time in history and to a story my dad would tell to me and that would help spark my interest in history.
Join us Sunday, June 30th, 8 am at the Fairgrounds as we use our past to benefit our community at the Public Enemy 5K/2K.
Excellent memory! Thanks for sharing!