First off, Happy 59th Birthday to my better half, who is making his way out of Texas and heading to our next house sit in Colorado.
Today ended up being a bit of an education for me on criminal events in the Tucson area, but I’m going to start with a sign that was posted in one of the stores that I walked by on my way downtown.
A few days ago when I was in the Tucson Visitor’s Center, there was a sign posted about the Dillinger Courtroom upstairs. I didn’t check it out then but have been thinking about it since, so I decided I would go back and see what it entailed. It was an interesting exhibit, much more than just the Dillinger story.
I initially went into the courtroom that Dillinger and his gang were arraigned in following their capture. Dillinger and his gang had robbed banks and committed other crimes in the Midwest and were wanted in Indiana when they were captured.
The exhibit consisted of a mock 1930s news program about the capture and the court proceedings that began once you stepped into the courtroom. The gang was captured because they had been staying at the Hotel Congress in Tucson, and they were forced to evacuate due to a fire. Two of Dillinger’s gang offered a guy who had responded to the fire a $12 tip to get their bags out of their room. The guy did it because $12 was an incredible tip for that time but his interest in these individuals was further peaked after seeing all the guns in their room. He told the cops about what had happened, and the police were able to capture the gang.
As I left the courtroom, I noticed a wall which chronicled a number of significant local court cases/police activity over the years. See below. There are a few famous names, as well as some horrific cases.
Peckish Travels 