1986: Reagan lights Statue of Liberty
President Ronald Reagan led the ceremonies to unveil the newly restored Statue of Liberty tonight. He appointed a commission to "save, restore and preserve" the statue in 1984, and after a $66 million restoration process, Liberty was returned to her glory.
"The 150-foot-tall Statue of Liberty will stand cloaked in darkness. President Reagan's finger will touch a button on Governor's Island and send an arrow of laser light across the hushed waters to illuminate the tablet in the statue's left hand, bearing the date of independence. Then the light will spread, to the crown and face, to the body, and finally to the right arm lifting the torch, and the entire reconditioned statue, the world’s best-known symbol of freedom, will glow in brilliant white light," the Syracuse Herald Journal reported on July 3, 1986.
NOTE: It took nine years to construct the Statue of Liberty, and after money was raised for the base, the massive statue was dedicated in 1886. One hundred years later, Americans celebrated the cherished monument that continues to be a symbol of refuge to the world.
Syracuse Herald Journal
July 3, 1986
Dillinger and Purvis
John Dillinger and Melvin Purvis are back in the public spotlight with the Friday release of Michael Mann's Public Enemies. Johnny Depp is playing the role of Public Enemy John Dillinger, while Christian Bale is his FBI pursuer Melvin Purvis. While the movie will surely be entertaining, the coverage in newspapers during the '30's was almost more sensational.
A Historical Perspective
Dillinger's first robbery, in 1924, ended in capture and a 10-to-20 year sentence. He was paroled after eight-and-a-half years, but during his stint in prison Dillinger had embraced the criminal lifestyle and learned from seasoned criminals. When he emerged from prison, he was a much more thoughtful robber - but his next heist went much as the first had. "John Dillinger, 30, identified as having taken part in the robbery of the Citizen's National bank of Bluffton August 14, in which four unmasked bandits obtained approximately $2,100, was in the Allen-co jail Thursday afternoon," reported The Lima News on September 28, 1933 (free newspaper page). "Sheriff Jess Sarber, who signed the warrant against Dillinger, charging him with participation in the Bluffton robbery, said that the man was identified at Dayton by Roscoe Klingler, cashier of the Bluffton bank."
Dillinger began his real notoriety by escaping from prison four days after his capture. "Six men, all fugitives from the Indiana state prison, have been identified as members of the gang that raided Allen-co jail last Thursday, killed Sheriff Jess L. Sarber and freed John Dillinger, confessed bank bandit," explained The Lima News on October 19, 1933 (free newspaper page). "Following identification of the men, the Allen-co board of commissioners Thursday increased reward for the men, dead or alive from $5,000 to $7,000. It was was [stet] explained that $1,000 would be paid for each man brought in."
John Dillinger and his gang the perpetuated a string of robberies throughout the midwest, but he was once again captured while hiding out in Tucson, Arizona, on January 25, 1934. On March 3, he escaped from the "unescapable" Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana. "At the point of a wooden revolver he had whittled out in his cell, John Dillinger, America's most murderous outlaw, walked out of the Lake county jail today," explained The Lincoln Star on March 3, 1934 (free newspaper page). "Before leaving the jail, Dillinger locked up in a cell the only three guards on duty. Then he locked all doors of the jail. Other guards on duty outside the jail did not learn of the escape for some time." Because Dillinger stole a car during the escape and crossed state lines with it, the FBI became fully involved - led by Melvin Purvis.
John Dillinger continued his bank-robbery spree. One of NewspaperARCHIVE's papers, the Mason City Globe-Gazette (free newspaper page) , reported on their town's robbery on March 13, 1934: "The First National bank of Mason City was robbed of between $25,000 and $50,000 by seven men armed with machine guns at 2:40 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. One of the gang was identified as resembling John Dillinger, escaped Indiana convict." The paper continued, "With the building protected on the south and west sides by machine guns planted in doorways the bandits herded all the employees of the institution out the back door, surrounded their car with a wall of men and women for protection and drove calmly away."
In April of 1934, the Dillinger gang killed their first FBI agent, W. Carter Baum. "Baby Face" Nelson shot Baum after the FBI surrounded the "Little Bohemia Lodge" in northern Wisconsin. "Hundreds of federal agents and possemen swarmed through a huge wilderness area today searching for John Dillinger and a half dozen associates after three desperate battles in which two men were killed, four others were wounded, one critically," informed the Stevens Point Daily Journal on April 23, 1934 (free newspaper page). "The battles which raged through the dark forest of this resort country followed 48 hours in which Dillinger and his henchmen had held Emil Wanetka, proprietor of Little Bohemia lodge, captive in the resort with his wife, his 8-year-old son and two employees."
Dillinger left the FBI with no leads, but on July 21, a prostitute in Chicago contacted the police with information about the criminal. On July 22, Dillinger was shot and killed while leaving the Biograph Theater in Lincoln Park, Chicago. "John Dillinger's life history was ended today on the books of law. In a drab coroners office just removed from the ice filled vault where Dillinger's body lay, a solemn jury wrote the last chapter," reported The Brainerd Daily Dispatch on July 23, 1934 (free newspaper page). "It read: 'Justifiable homicide by officers of the federal government.' The man who ran him down was not present, the man whose bullet killed him was not named and the informant who led him to his death was not mentioned." Thus ended one of the most infamous crime sprees in history.
Links to the Past
Bluffton Bank Holdup Laid To Prisoner
The Lima News, September 28, 1933
Sarber Killers Identified
The Lima News, October 19, 1933
Bandit-Outlaw Prisoner Uses Wooden Pistol
The Lincoln Star, March 3, 1934
First National Bank Robbed
Mason City Globe-Gazette, March 13, 1934
Two Men Killed As Dillinger Escapes
Stevens Point Daily Journal, April 23, 1934
Feds End Dillinger Career
The Brainerd Daily Dispatch, July 23, 1934
The Brainerd Daily Dispatch
July 23, 1934
Daily Herald
July 4, 1988
Valley Morning Star
July 4, 1970
1863: General describes Battle of Gettysburg
Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered a charge against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s troops on Cemetery Ridge today, in what is known as “Pickett’s Charge.” "The enemy opened at 1 p.m. with about 150 guns on my left and centre, continuing for about three hours without intermission. At the expiration of that time he assaulted my left and centre twice, being upon both occasions handsomely repulsed with severe loss to him, leaving in our hands nearly 3,000 prisoners," dispatched Union General George Meade on the night of the battle, to be printed in the Janesville Daily Gazette on July 6, 1863. NOTE: While Union forces lost about 1,500 killed and wounded, Confederate forces suffered the loss of 6, 555 troops.