and John Dillinger's Signature on the Stock

On November 20, 1933 in Racine, Wisconsin at 2:20PM, two men entered the American Trades Bank and Trust company at Main St and Fifth Street. They were bundled up in overcoats and sauntered into the bank through the front Main St. doors. One was tall, blond and suave; the other was short, chunky and red faced. Both were armed with machine guns which they kept hidden under their coats until they got inside the bank. The blond, later identified as Harry Pierpont. walked into the railed space of the bank officials at the front of the bank and calmly pasted up two Red Cross posters over the window. He then pulled out the machine gun from under his overcoat. The other one, Russell Clark, took up a position behind the cages where he could view all of the bank clerks both west and north. He waived his machine gun in a menacing manner. He was followed into the bank by Dillinger with a machine gun and Charles Makley carrying two sacks. Makley started scooping up all of the money in the various cages. All bank officials, clerks and some customers were ordered to the rear of the bank and to lay down on the floor face down. Clark joined Pierpont at the front of the bank.

Ass't cashier Harold Graham had been in the process of counting a pile of bills when he heard the command "Hold them up" and he turned to face Makley in front of the window. He was about to comply when Makley fired directly at him with his revolver. As he dropped to the floor. he reached out and pressed the alarm button alongside him giving the alarm to the police. The bandits did not know that the alarm was sounded.

Dillinger had rounded up bank president Grover Weyland, cashier L.S.Bonwne and his assistant. Leslie Rowan and hearded them back into the vault. He ordered Mr. Weyland to open the door to the bank deposits it was a double combination and he told Dillinger he only knew one of the combinations. At this point Mr. Rowan, who knew the other combination. leaped down the back stairway, stepping on a hidden button attached to a burglar alarm setting it off. The bandits scooped up all the money behind the cages and in the vault and started out of the bank.

Sgts Wilber Hansen and Worsley were al the station when the alarm that Graham had sounded came in. Hansen grabbed one of two Thompson machine guns and Worsley strapped on his revolver. Officer Cyril Boyard just arrived at the station in a police squad car and the three hurried off to the bank. The police station was about three blocks north of the bank. Officer Boyard was in front as they entered the bank. The bandit in the front of the bank. Pierpont. ordered him to "stick 'em up. " He complied at once. As Sgt Hansen entered directly behind him. Dillinger shouted "get the cop with the machine gun." Russell Clark with his Thompson machine gun started to shoot directly at Hansen who dropped to the floor with a bullet grazing his right hand and inflicting a wound to his right side Pierpont then shouted "get the other cop's gun." Clark left Hansen on the floor and walked over to Boyard and yanked the holster with the revolver in it from Boyard's bait.

Sgt Worsley who drove the squad car to the bank. was outside in the squad car. After Hansen and Boyard had gone into the bank., a pedestrian warned Worsley that Hansen and Boyard were "stuck up." Worsley went back to the station to get more men.