Interesting read. The 'Journal is a place I could trust the "editors" to ferret out and select appropriate "off topic" material now and again. I would be interested to have people familiar with the history of law enforcement weigh in. From the standpoint of "what were the cops doing then that they aren't doing now?" One doesn't seem to hear of people shooting police officers and getting away with it for very long these days. Have practices changed significantly where they're less likely to get shot or are they just better at catching cop-killers more quickly in modern times?
I'm surprised this guy wasn't shot during the arrest. Once you go killing state and federal law enforcement officers, you're painting a target on yourself. Even more surprisingly, he made it all the way out the other side of the prison system. Mysterious custody deaths even happen today in PG County right next to Washington DC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...18/AR2008091801867_2.html?sid=ST2008091903924 As far as romanticizing criminals, we do it all the time. Pirates are my favorite example. We think of them as noble heros stickin' it to the man. Mostly they were in it for the $. Maybe the Somalie pirates today could get some love if they dressed in tri-cornered hats and breeches
49ratfink - The first lesson in starting (or proliferating) an urban legend is getting the easily verifiable facts correct ... Martin James Durkin actually died in 1981 ... not 1983
I watched the movie "Dillinger" last night and one of the gangsters that got killed in the movie was "pretty boy" Floyd...
Thanks Ryan for allowing this story. Most interesting read. How a man can shoot another man under these cir***stances and then be allowed life is quiet beyond me. I do find it interesting that in that time period that he ever made it to jail after killing an FBI officer.
Now they start arguing about the big bugs in the movie that the Actor who's photo Ryan chose for the lead photo was in when the photo was taken. Some of you guys would argue with a fence post as to whether it was ceder or pine. That's an interesting read even if it isn't exactly on topic. Plus it's a bit of history along the way.
Loved it, would like to see more of this type of "car related" subbject matter. Perhaps a special section?
Traditional hot rodding and customizing are parts of nearby history, and all knowledge about those old days is interesting. I don't think this kind of stories are so much off topic, especially ones like this that have something about cars, roadsystems etc.,. Thanks, Ryan!
I found it very interesting and certainly on-topic. It's a part of American history involving old high-end cl***ic cars.
so all "THEM" stolen cars resold without notice or found with altered numbers ...is that why some today have a questionable history... geez fake ***le cards that are 70+ years old ... and the DMV *****es about missing 1 month old tab paperwork... but what happened to the dame? ... the girl on the run ? with a 25 year old known killer ,cross country car thief, impersonating and officer,silk tongued car guy..
I looked in the 1930 Census and it says he was born in Chicago, 1901, to Irish immigrant parents, was married, residing in Joliet Prison. It also said he was a veteran from WW1 era. Didn't say if he actually shipped over though. Not sure, but I think he died 1981 in Florida (lot's of Durkin's called Martin). His dad was a rail yard man in Ward 7
Wild horseridin' gave good stories before the car. For this aussie, I enjoyed the ring of the names- Joliet, Cadillac, El Paso, Rio Grande, Denver etc..
Re: A Professional Automobile Thief <hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> I looked in the 1930 Census and it says he was born in Chicago, 1901, to Irish immigrant parents, was married, residing in Joliet Prison. It also said he was a veteran from WW1 era. Didn't say if he actually shipped over though. Not sure, but I think he died 1981 in Florida (lot's of Durkin's called Martin). His dad was a rail yard man in Ward 7 <hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> Last edited by lolife; Today at 02:29 PM. Reason: correction I find this interesting he would have first hand knowledge, of the working of the RR. It would not have been unusual for the delivery of such a high end car even used in that era of time by rail.Was he on such - guess we will never know? Ryan's pick on a photo for the story - Awesome!
Good story! Hopping all over the country stealing cars and able to change all the engine and ch***is numbers, he must have had some kinda 'kit' with him. Dig those bubble anti-ant gl***es!
The Wages of Sin I recognize this FBI site as one linked to us frequently by our Special Agent friends when they are working on a case. Although the car thief had good taste in automobiles, he wasn’t a genius as they obviously left the keys in the cars at the dealerships, as was a common practice in the late 1920's-early 30's, and that is probably how he stole them. The 1933 Kansas City Union Station M***acre, with four Bureau of Investigation G-men shot down, investigation and conviction resulted in changes at the Bureau Department of Justice that allowed the agency statutory authority to carry firearms (armed with Thompson submachine guns) and make arrests by 1934. Added to the fact that there were a few cop/fed killing bank robbers at large during the years 1930-34 (i.e. John Dillinger Gang, Clyde Barrow Gang, Charles Arthur Floyd) urging the necessity. He's lucky he got taken alive. My first instinct is that he had inside help at the R/R -had to. AND that he made a deal with the Feds revealing his accomplices, that's why they didn't give him a life or death sentence. Martin Durkin is almost as crafty as Alvin Karpis. <O</O Rest ***ured the Wages of Sin are exacted by a Higher Law.<O</O ~Michelley <O</O
The Jalopy Journal
