Harry "Pete" Pierpont (October 13, 1902 – October 17, 1934) was a Prohibition era gangster, convicted murderer and bank robber. He was a friend and mentor to John Dillinger.
Described as handsome and soft-spoken, Pierpont was a bright, natural-born leader. Fiercely loyal, he had a reputation for taking care of those around him and not squealing on his friends. He disliked publicity, and was content to let others, especially Dillinger, take credit for the bold bank robberies committed after the Michigan City prison break.
Pierpont was executed in the electric chair on October 17, 1934.
Early life
Pierpont was born in Muncie, Indiana, to Joseph Gilbert and Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont. Harry Pierpont was the middle child with an older sister Fern (b. September 21, 1900), who died of tuberculosis when he was a teenager, and a younger brother Fred (b. July 5, 1906). His father was from Kentucky, and his mother, from Jay County, Indiana, was of German ancestry.
By the 1910 census, the family was residing at 1145 McLain Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Harry's father's occupation was listed as a woodworker at a carriage factory. In the 1911 and 1912 directories of the city of Indianapolis, the family was living at 1234 Lee Avenue.
Pierpont graduated from the eighth grade at Assumption School in Indianapolis. He had above-average intelligence and did well in school.
Pierpont's troubles with the police began after an accident in the summer of 1921, in which he received a severe head injury. The second and third toes of his feet were grown together.
Criminal career
Carrying concealed weapon, 1921
In 1921 at Indianapolis, Pierpont was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He was held for ten days and then dismissed. Concurrently with his first arrest, Pierpont was committed to the state hospital.
In the record of Inquest held on September 19, 1921, his mother stated that he became sullen, suspicious, and prone to outbursts after his injury and, two days later, he was committed to the state hospital for the mentally ill, Central Indiana Hospital.
While being held in jail at Terre Haute, Pierpont failed in an escape attempt, sawing through the bars of his cell. The superintendent of the prison wrote that Harry was "as wild as a March Hare".
Parole granted, 1924
Pierpont's mother Lena often visited the superintendent and told him about Pierpont's mental illness.
After his release, Pierpont worked in Brazil, Indiana, where, during his first stint in prison, his family had moved; his father operated a sand and gravel business for several months. He continued to associate with several known bank robbers, and may have robbed the Sourwine Theater in Brazil.
Most members of the gang were arrested and convicted before Pierpont was arrested in Detroit in the spring. Mrs. Everett Bridgewater was arrested at her home in Indianapolis and sentenced to two to fourteen years; James Robbins arrested at Lebanon, Indiana; Marion "Red" Smith arrested at Indianapolis; George Frazer arrested at Marion; and Robert Morse arrested at Indianapolis were all given sentences of between ten and twenty years; and Mrs. Emily Morse pleaded guilty and was given a sentence from two to fourteen years. Their arrests were reported as one of the biggest roundups of any gang of robbers in the state.
South Marion State Bank, Marion, Indiana, November 26, 1924
At 2:45 in the afternoon of November 26, 1924, seven men led by Pierpont held up the South Marion State Bank at Thirty-first and Washington streets in Marion, Indiana, robbing the bank of approximately $4,000 in cash. No one was injured and not a shot was fired. Five men went inside, two stayed outside. Grant County Sheriff Bert Renbarger and his deputies stopped a Nash car matching the description at Sweetser, Indiana, but the occupants were found to be out of town businessmen.
While three robbers rushed to the rear of the bank to cover officials, the other three ordered several customers and the cashier to hold up their hands. The leader of the bandits repeatedly cautioned his associates to listen for an alarm.
Shelby Hardware Store, Lebanon, Indiana, December 22, 1924
On December 22, 1924, the John D. Shelby Hardware Store of Lebanon, Indiana, was robbed of two rifles, two double-barreled shotguns, a hammerless double-barreled shot gun, two single-shot rifles, a Marlin repeating rifle, two Remington repeating rifles, eight pocket knives, a six-inch barreled pistol, a German .32 automatic revolver, about fifty boxes of ammunition, four flashlights, several batteries, and other articles.
Boone County Sheriff Joe C. Cain notified Grant County Sheriff Renbarger of the list of items stolen from the Lebanon store and stated that the robbers were driving a Moon sedan with the license 443-554 that was stolen from Indianapolis the night of the Lebanon robbery.
The bandits attempted to lock the cashier and a female employee in the bank vault. Finding that the safe would not work, they began scooping up all of the money in sight, as well as all the money in the safe, consisting of paper and silver. Robbins confessed to his involvement in the Upland State Bank robbery, the attempted robbery at Noblesville, and the robbery of the Lebanon hardware store. Smith had been tracked down by an operative of the Webster Detective Agency of Indianapolis, and was arrested after returning via train from Springfield to Indianapolis. She denied having anything to do with the robbery, and claimed to not be with the gang when other robberies were committed. She had been visiting relatives in the southern part of Indiana and was not aware of the other arrests. Morse and his wife both admitted to being part of the gang of seven people, five men and two women, who took part in the South Marion robbery, but denied being a part of the gang at Upland or Noblesville.
On January 10, 1925, George R. Frazer, 23, of Kokomo, was turned into the Marion police by his father as being part of the bandit gang who robbed the South Marion and Upland banks. Frazer stated that Mary Bridgewater and Emily Morse knew all about the robberies, and that Mrs. Bridgewater had scouted out the South Marion bank by cashing a check just before the robbery. The bandits locked the employees and customers into the safe and took $6,000 in cash and $4,000 in bonds from the vault. Peace officers throughout the Midwest were wired descriptions of the men and advised to take no chances. The certificate of title was in the name of Lester Isaacs of Indianapolis. However, the possession of the Ford roadster they were driving was found to be legitimate and they were released. This car was later identified as one that was used in the getaway from the South Kokomo bank robbery. The bandits made off with $4,828.40 in cash and $4,300.00 in Liberty bonds. Escaping in a blue Moon touring car, the bandits were witnessed by local resident, J.E. Fernung, switching their car for two Ford cars, which then headed south.
Initial reports stated that an additional $2,000.00 in non-negotiable securities had been stolen as well. The bandits tore the telephone from the wall, broke a shotgun and took away the extra cartridges. Reports of the bandits tracked them fleeing in two autos to Warsaw, Indiana, but failed to generate new leads. Due to the similarity of the robberies and its location, Pierpont and his gang were suspected.
Wabash County Sheriff Summerland went to Marion in response to call from the Grant County sheriff. Other clues had the bandits stopping in Lagrange County, Indiana, where there were reports of three men in a Willys-Knight car. After leaving the bank, they sped away in a Ford touring car and headed north before any alarm could be given.
Arrest in Detroit, Michigan, 1925
Pierpont, along with Thaddeus "Ted" Skeer and Skeer's girlfriend, Louise Brunner, were arrested by the Detroit police at their apartment on April 2, 1925. Pierpont was alleged to be the leader in the robbing of the South Marion, Upland, and South Kokomo banks. while one report indicated this amount was found on Skeer.
Other reports indicated that $4,000 in cash was found on Pierpont, with securities totaling $5,400 recovered in the apartment. Reports indicated that Pierpont, alias Mason, was wanted in Marion for the robbery of the Upland State Bank and the South Marion State Bank.
It was determined by the Kokomo police that members of the gang had been in the city for several weeks prior to the robbery of the South Kokomo bank. Pierpont, Skeer, and Hayes were known to have rooms with Pearl Mullendore at 718 North Main Street.
While being held in the Howard County jail in Kokomo, an escape attempt by Harry and Skeer was thwarted with the discovery of ten saw blades in the cells.
Trial, Howard County Circuit Court
Pierpont's parents came to Kokomo from their home in Brazil, Indiana, on Saturday, April 4, 1925 Pierpont's attorneys did not yet admit that his name was anything other than Frank Mason, the alias given in Detroit.
On May 6, 1925, Pierpont took the stand and in a surprise defense move, practically admitted to all the evidence contained in Skeer's confession. Pierpont told of entering and holding up the bank and then fleeing to Fort Wayne, where the loot was divided among him and three others. However, Pierpont stated that Skeer was the planner of the robbery. Pierpont was convicted and sentenced to serve a sentence of ten to twenty-one years, and fined $1000.00. In Pendleton, Pierpont was the convict Dillinger looked up to the most. Forever trying to escape, Pierpont constantly fought with the guards and was frequently confined to solitary confinement. He was known for his ability to withstand hunger and beatings. Pierpont headed a prison clique that included Russell Clark, Charles Makley, John "Red" Hamilton, and Dillinger, after the latter's July 1929 transfer. Harry's ability to endure hunger and beatings won him the respect of all the prisoners.
Burklow was able to sound the alarm, and a combined group of city police, fireman, and guards were able to force the inmates to surrender. Burns had fashioned a key from a spoon, allowing the inmates to escape their cells. Pierpont's fellow conspirators were Charles Makley, John "Red" Hamilton, and Russell Clark. This operation would depend on accomplices on the outside who had money for guns, bribes, and a hideout. It would also need someone dependable on the inside who was about to be released. Pierpont approached John Dillinger about helping them to escape. In return, he would be offered the opportunity to join their bank-robbing team. He began to reveal the detailed techniques of the remarkable bank robber, Herman Lamm. By the spring of 1933, the plan was set.
Pierpont was aided on the outside by his girlfriend Mary Kinder, who agreed to help with the break-out if her brother, Earl Northern, was added to the list of escapees. Mary's brother, Earl Northern, was Pierpont's old partner. Pearl Elliott, the Kokomo madam who had been involved in Pierpont's Kokomo robbery, was to get money to those who would bribe prison guards.
Request for clemency, August 1933
The Indiana state clemency commission heard Pierpont's appeal to be released from the state prison under the contention that he was a man of strong character and a "leader and not a follower" on August 24, 1933.
Briefs filed highlighted the fact that when Pierpont was sentenced to the state prison in May 1925, he had told authorities that he would try to escape and it was their duty to prevent it.
On September 13, 1933, three loaded revolvers, wrapped in Chicago newspapers, were found near the west wall of the prison by two prisoners. Each man swore an oath not to be recaptured without a fight. Stevens was soon overpowered by the rest of the gang. Walter Dietrich sought out deputy superintendent Albert E. Evans, telling him that a fight was in progress, leading him into the trap as well. Foreman Dudley Triplett came to the basement for supplies and was also soon captured.
When they arrived at the first steel gate, Stevens told guard Frank Swanson to open the gate because the prisoners were armed and would kill if he did not. The escaped prisoners ended up splitting into two groups. The first group included Dietrich, James Clark, Fox, and Burns. The second group included Pierpont, Hamilton, Russell Clark, Makley, Shouse, and Jenkins.
With the alarm sounding, the Dietrich group encountered Sheriff Charles Neel, who had just dropped off some prisoners. Overpowering him, they took his weapons, and forced him to take three of them in his automobile. They headed west for a few miles, hiding in a farmhouse around 2:30 p.m. She immediately asked about her brother, Earl Northern. Northern was originally part of the escapee plan, but was ill in the infirmary at the time of the break. Mary had arranged a place for the escapees to stay at the home of Ralph Saffell, her reluctant boyfriend. The convicts sent Saffell and Mary downtown to buy civilian clothes.
The next evening, the gang was joined by Michigan City parolee Harry Copeland, Dillinger's partner before the arrest, who told the gang he had arranged for a house at 1054 South Second Street in Hamilton, Ohio. Indiana State Police Captain Matt Leach became aware of the theft, and threw up a blockade that almost resulted in the gang's capture. During an attempt to getaway from the police, the door of their auto opened and James Jenkins fell out.
Pierpont's tenure with Dillinger
First National Bank, St. Mary's, Ohio, October 3, 1933
While in Hamilton, Pierpont realized that the group needed more money to help bust Dillinger out. Makley suggested they rob the First National Bank in his hometown of St. Mary's, Ohio, only a few miles away from Lima. Mary Kinder rejoined the gang and agreed to travel permanently with Pierpont. The bank had been closed by the Treasury Department, but had cash on hand to facilitate its re-opening. The gang had to wash and dry the money a number of times to eliminate the "new" feel of the bills in order to pass them.
On October 5, Ralph Saffell revealed the details of the gang's stay at his Indianapolis cottage to Matt Leach. Leach raided Mary Kinder's apartment, but was infuriated by the nonsensical answers given by her younger sister, Margaret Behrens. When Sarber requested their credentials, Pierpont fired two shots, hitting Sarber once in the abdomen. Makley and Pierpont then beat Sarber, demanding the keys to Dillinger's cell. While Sarber refused, his wife dug the keys out of a drawer in order to stop the beating. The gang then freed Dillinger, locked up Sarber's wife and Deputy Wilbur Sharp, and the group escaped. Sarber died about ninety minutes later. During news interviews, he made a point of calling them the "Dillinger Gang", instead of the "Pierpont Gang". The ruse backfired, as Pierpont could not have cared less what people called the gang.
The search for the gang in Ohio had become so intense that, two days after freeing Dillinger, they decided to split into two groups and meet in Chicago.
Police station raids
On October 14, 1933, Dillinger, Pierpont, and Walter Dietrich raided the Auburn, Indiana, police station for guns and bulletproof vests.
Dillinger and Van Meter had posed as tourists at the Peru, Indiana, police station prior to Dillinger's arrest to scout out their arsenal. The Indiana National Guard was put at the disposal of the state police, and volunteer posses were formed throughout the state.
Central National Bank, Greencastle, Indiana, October 23, 1933
Plans for the gang's first major robbery—of the Central National Bank in Greencastle—and escape routes had been sketched out by Pierpont. Makley scouted the area and learned it was homecoming weekend for DePauw University, and the robbery was planned for Monday, October 23. The gang moved freely about Chicago.
On November 16, one day after Dillinger and Frechette had escaped an attempted police ambush, the gang made the final details for the robbery of a bank in Racine, Wisconsin. At the same time, Copeland's drinking and Shouse's womanizing were causing friction within the gang. That afternoon, Pierpont, Makley, and Mary Kinder drove to the American Bank & Trust Company in Racine. Mary changed a bill while she cased the bank, and the gang then drove around exploring the best getaway routes. That evening the gang decided to get rid of Shouse, and the next morning they threw money at him and threw him out. On his way out, Shouse stole Clark's car and headed to California. When the teller, Harold Graham, failed to comply, Makley shot him in the elbow. With the vault cleaned out, Dillinger and Pierpont rounded up the cops, three female hostages and a bank president as hostages.
Hiding out in Daytona Beach, Florida
Due to the unwelcome attention generated by their crimes and an incident in which Hamilton had killed a CPD detective, the gang and their women took a long vacation at a beach house in Daytona Beach, Florida, highlighted by a New Year's Eve barbecue which was climaxed by Dillinger emptying his Thompson submachine gun at the moon at the stroke of midnight.
First National Bank, East Chicago, Indiana, January 15, 1934
On January 15, 1934, Dillinger and Hamilton robbed the First National Bank in East Chicago, Indiana. Pierpont waited in the car while the other two emerged with the money and hostages. They faced several cops who had taken up positions outside. One officer, William O'Malley, fired at Dillinger, but failed to injure him, as Dillinger was wearing a bulletproof vest. Dillinger returned fire, killing O'Malley. The other officers opened fire as Dillinger and Hamilton ran for the car, and Hamilton was wounded.
Downfall and arrest
Heading out west to lie low, Pierpont, Dillinger, Makley, and Clark ended up in Tucson, Arizona. Flush with cash and careless, the gang made several minor mistakes which led to their being recognized and captured, one by one, on January 25, 1934. All four men and their girlfriends were extradited back to the Midwest; Dillinger to Indiana for O'Malley's murder, the other three to Ohio for Sheriff Sarber's murder.
Trial, Allen County Circuit Court, 1934
Testimony from Shouse, one of the first members of the Dillinger gang, helped convict the others. In early March 1934, Pierpont, Makley, and Clark were convicted of the murder. While Clark got a life sentence, Pierpont and Makley were sentenced to die in the electric chair.
After Dillinger stunned the country by breaking out of the jail at Crown Point, Indiana, with a wooden gun on March 3, 1934, it was suspected that he would try to break his pals out of the death house in Columbus, Ohio. Elaborate precautions were taken to keep Pierpont and Makley locked up, on the assumption that Dillinger would show, but he did not, as he had teamed up with Baby Face Nelson.
Fatal escape attempt
With Dillinger's death at the hands of the FBI on July 22, 1934, and time running out for them, Makley and Pierpont resorted to other means to get off death row: they would try to duplicate their old friend's feat.
On September 22, 1934, exactly two months after Dillinger's death, Pierpont and Makley carved phony pistols out of soap cakes, and painted them black with shoe polish, and made their move. Brandishing the toys, they managed to get out of their cells and to the main door of the death house before rifle-wielding guards opened fire. Makley was mortally wounded and Pierpont was riddled with bullets. Although he survived, he was seriously injured.
Execution
Pierpont was executed at the Ohio Penitentiary on October 17, 1934. Still suffering from injuries incurred during his attempted escape, he had to be carried to the electric chair where he was successfully put to death, and pronounced dead at 12:14 a.m. His death certificate lists his age as 32 years and 4 days, with a date of birth of October 13, 1902 in Muncie, Indiana. His occupation was listed as former engineer and his marital status was given as "married". His mother, Lena Pierpont, of R.R. 2, Lakeville, Indiana, was the informant.