Butch Relates Story of Nice Boy Turned Bad

As a deputy and later on as Sheriff, I was not too concerned with enforcing minor traffic violations, although that is one aspect of the job. I thought that solving serious crimes was much more important. Those whom I arrested for felony offenses came from all walks of life. When interviewing suspects, I noticed that their criminal activity usually stemmed from poor decisions as a result of alcohol abuse, family problems or being with the wrong people at the wrong time. How can a likeable, well-adjusted person who has never been in trouble end up behind bars? Here is one example . . .

Johnny was a precocious little boy who was loved by his parents. His father was strict, but not abusive. He had a very sweet teenage sister who enjoyed dressing him in handsome little suits for church and special occasions. Johnny’s father owned a small grocery and the customers enjoyed talking to Johnny, who was a carefree, likeable youngster. But tragedy struck when Johnny was scarcely three years old when his mother suddenly passed away. During the funeral, Johnny disappeared and was found sitting on a chair next to the casket, shaking his mother to try to awaken her. His mother’s death affected him greatly, but his sister took over the maternal duties and provided great love and care, and the three of them attended church each week, where Johnny’s dad was a deacon.

   About the time that Johnny started school, his father remarried, with his new wife treating Johnny as one of her own with much love and affection. The family moved to the country, where Johnny’s father took up farming. Johnny was not an exceptional student, but he loved reading all of the books he could get his hands on, and he was always immaculately dressed and had a neat and clean appearance. He was a little mischievous at times like most youngsters, but never got into any serious trouble. However, farming was not very profitable, and wanting to earn some money, as a teenager Johnny dropped out of school and began working in a veneer factory. The work was hard and entailed heavy lifting, but Johnny was strong and even helped the other workers who were less physically fit. Johnny was generous and often loaned money or gave it freely to his fellow workers who were in financial straits. Johnny liked to hike in the woods with his dog. He enjoyed hunting, but mostly just enjoyed being by himself out in nature. He also developed a fondness for the game of baseball, and joined a local team. He played second base, and eventually became the team’s leading pitcher. He fell in love with a local girl and attended a Quaker church. Life was good.

   Then began a downward spiral. The parents of Johnny’s girlfriend did not approve of him, and they successfully ended the relationship. Heartbroken, Johnny joined the Navy, but soon tired of the military discipline, and feeling homesick, deserted and made his way back to the farm. Now 20 years old and on the rebound from his first love, he married a 16 year old girl and started hanging around with an older fellow who had served time in prison. The two men spent quite a bit of time in the local pool room, and often went on drinking bouts together, with Johnny leaving his new wife alone at home. He began to get in a few scrapes with the law and enjoyed his new “wild life.”

   Late one night, after Johnny and his buddy had spent an evening of heavy drinking, on impulse they accosted a local businessman, struck him over the head and robbed the man of $50. The two were arrested a short time later. Johnny had no recollection of what had transpired. He did not hire an attorney and was told that if he pled guilty, he would receive a light sentence of probation. Johnny’s father agreed to the deal offered by the judge and prosecutor. Johnny was not yet 21 years of age, was married, came from a respectable family and had no previous criminal record . . . and the crime had been committed while he was under the influence of alcohol and with an older individual. Yet when sentencing occurred, Johnny received the maximum . . . 10 to 20 years in prison. He and his father were stunned, “I just didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer for my boy.” The older accomplice hired a lawyer and got off easy.

   This was Johnny’s first crime. It was also the turning point in his life. While in prison, his wife divorced him. He worked in the prison shirt factory and became acquainted with several other violent felons. After serving several years, Johnny was finally granted parole and decided to come back home and help his father farm. But on the day of his return, Johnny’s stepmother, who he loved dearly, suffered a stroke and died. He cried tears of sorrow at her passing. Johnny tried to be neighborly to the local townspeople when he returned home, but they looked down on a convicted felon.

   Times were tough. Jobs were scarce. Many people hated the banks, as families had lost their money when the banks had closed at the beginning of the economic depression. Johnny, along with the buddies he had met in prison, decided that they would get even with the banks and the law. They began a long string of robbing banks at gunpoint and making fast getaways. The gang even robbed police stations just for fun and to obtain firearms. Many people considered this gang of robbers and killers as heroes, and Johnny was the modern day Robin Hood.

    In my law enforcement career, I learned that one or two silly mistakes or bad decisions, or sometimes fate . . . can change a person’s life . . . .just like Johnny. When I was Sheriff, one day in 1997 I checked the crimes and backgrounds of all the jail inmates. Three-fourths of them were there because of alcohol related circumstances. Today I would wager that three-fourths of the inmates in jail are there because of drug related circumstances. Some change and get their life back together. Some never change. But the majority of these people do not end up like “Public Enemy Number One” in 1934 . . . John “Johnny” Dillinger.

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.