John "Red" Hamilton
John was born around 1899, 5'8 and 160 pounds. He had several fingers missing on his right hand and was often called “Red” or Three Finger Jack. At one time he had worked as a carpenter as prison records state and lived in South Bend, Indiana. After attempting to rob the State Bank of South Bend, Indiana in early 1927, John landed in Michigan City. John escaped from the prison with Pierpont and the others on September 26, 1933.On December 14, 1933 while having his car repaired on Broadway in Chicago, the police were tipped off that the car belonged to a member of the Dillinger mob. When Hamilton came to retrieve the automobile, Sergeant William Shanley was waiting. Instead of surrendering, Hamilton shot and mortally wounded the police officer. John had been made for a bullet. He had been shot during several robberies, but it was the last bullet that finally got him. The gang had hid out the Little Bohemia Lodge in northern Wisconsin on April 22, 1934. The F.B.I. lead by Melvin Purvis raided the lodge. All the gang had escaped through a back window. Dillinger, Van Meter and Hamilton ran to a nearby lodge and took a car there. After this car broke down, they flagged down a another and drove off taking the passengers as hostages. After releasing them unharmed, they encounter the police, who in turn gave chase. The police fired at the bandits car and a bullet hit Hamilton in the back. It proved to be fatal. There are several stories on where Hamilton actually died. It is believed he died in Chicago at a hideout of the Barker-Karpis gang around April 27, 1934. Human remains had were found at gravel pit near Oswego, Illinois in August of 1935. They were identified as John's by dental records. He was later reburied in an unmarked grave at the Oswego Cemetery.
Photos of Hamilton's Graves Courtesy of Estella Cox
