Next Up - Crown Point!

Crown Point - Monday

should I call the blog Public Enemies - Crown Point???

What happened in Crown Point that makes this town interesting?

On March 3rd 1934 Dillinger was awaiting trial for the murder of a Chicago cop. Using a toy gun he had whittled from a wooden washboard and smeared with black shoe polish he took command and locked up 33 people including the warden and deputies and then drove off in a brand new V-8 Ford.

So - Crown Point - welcome to Public Enemie-itis! Filming begins Monday and it's basically a repeat of what happened here - fake snow - expecting crowds, cobblestone and all the rest. You are will have a BLAST.

If anyone gets good photos of the set or stories to tell, be sure to leave them in the comments(or email me) - MANY people are would like to hear of YOUR adventures.

Dillinger with his toy gun - always looking for a photo op!

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I received an email from danielr thanking me for writing about or adventure here in Columbus and just the good time everybody is having with this.

Then he mentioned something that surprised me.

He said "maybe you should ask for a dollar or so from some of the people that go to the P.E. site???? This could cover gas, time, film, hand warmers etc. I will become the 1st contributer if I know where to send it"

WELL - I could always use a dollar. SWEET.

He is not the first to express his feelings in this way. Many people have thanked me (more then I EVER dreamed) and thanked Columbus for it's hospitality.

But then I got thinking. I do not write for money, I write because I like to write. The reason so many people are making new friends is not ME, it's because the city of Columbus had the foresight to keep it's buildings intact. To keep the flavor of Columbus as is.

So - even though I'm getting $1 from danielr which I feel honored, I have a request for YOU.

If you feel like helping and bringing a smile to me and you can spare $1, could you send it to this address to help out Columbus. To show your appreciation for this event that has brought us all together.

If you want you can email me saying you sent a buck and that will be all I need to bring a big goofy grin to my face.

address all of your $1 donations to

Public Enemies - Columbus blog
c/o Columbus Auditorium Corporation
PO Box 365
Columbus WI 53925

What this will go for is the Auditorium in the City Hall. You see there was this Auditorium behind locked doors of the City Hall building. Many many many MANY years went by and no one actually looked at it. It was just an old room upstairs behind locked doors.

Then one day someone opened the doors and WOW - However it needs fixing and money is short. Funds go to all sorts of other Historical things.

So every dollar really does help.

OK - Pledge drive over. I'll mention this again from time to time for new people . This would bring a smile to my face (and we all want that right).

Funny - they don't know I'm doing this - Like to see the look on their faces with a few 41 donations LOL.

BTW - that is REAL snow - we received 11 inches. I had a three foot drift in my driveway.
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In OTHER news - even though Public Enemies has left Columbus does not mean public enemies and crime has left this blog. I intend to keep up the flavor with a little history and so forth between begging for "set" information from the other towns (I see Aurora is in the mix now).

The Public Enemies Army is on the march and Universal can not escape us!
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Unless you are like 12 with an eagle eye probably best to click on this to enlarge it

My (non-paying) research assistant Samantha Bulgerin came up with this.

Most of them were strictly small time, but "Big Dave" Earsman was a fairly well known racketeer and "safe-cracker" in Illinois who appears to have done some work for Capone. He seems to be most well known, however, for the fact that he was one of the few Chicago gangsters who died of natural causes (his appendix burst in 1930).

What I find especially intriguing is the gang's use of roofing tacks in their escape. This was a signature move of Dillinger's but obviously, the crime predating Dillinger's own career by seven years, they did it first. As far as I have found, they were the only criminals who used this tactic pre-Dillinger. I wonder if a certain later bank robber was inspired by this? Complete speculation of course, but it makes you wonder :)

I wonder if Mr. Burroughs would comment on any of the above - fill in any interesting details?
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One last thing - I received this email that is so so sweet I have to share.

It is from a Japanese girl and I want to give her a big hug.

I will always have a look at it happily.

I am Japanese Johnny Depp fan.

I do not get off with a sudden email.

I am sorry I translate an article and a photograph of your blog into my blog, and to use it.

I can know information about Johnny quickly here and really look forward to daily life. I support you all the time from now on.

I can speak English, and please permit a sentence it because there is not it if there is an error.

Thank you supamabo830 - consider yourself hugged!
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I'll have a story from one of the OTHER actors that were in Columbus next time - sort of funny!

Cheers
Rod M.