Charles Omer Makley (November 24, 1889 – September 22, 1934), also known as Charles McGray and Fat Charles, was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...
.
Early life and education
Makley (Pronounced Make-lee) was born in
St. Marys, Ohio, to Edward Makley and Martha Sunderland Makley. Charles was the oldest of five, with two brothers, George and Fred, and two sisters, Florence and Mildred. Makley dropped out of school in the eighth grade and turned to crime in his teens, first with petty theft, then
bootlegging and
bank robbery
Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank- ...
in at least three Midwestern states.
[Newton, M. (2002). ''The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers. Checkmark Books, an imprint of Facts on File, Inc. . pp. 183-184.] Makley's father worked as a stone cutter and in the 1910 Ohio census a 20-year-old Charles is listed as working in his father’s profession. His parents had divorced by this time.
On his prison paperwork, Charles often listed his occupation as salesman. He also listed his wife as Edith Slife Makley, a woman married to his brother Fred.
Early criminal career
Makley did not begin a criminal career in earnest until his early thirties. On November 21, 1921, he was arrested for
receiving stolen property in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. He was found not guilty. Over the next three years, Makley was arrested various times in Missouri.
On July 30, 1924, he was arrested in
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...
, for bank robbery, under the
alias
Alias may refer to:
* Pseudonym
* Pen name
* Nickname
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film
* ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006
* ''Alias the ...
of Charles McGray. He was sentenced to 15 years, but was paroled in May 1928. A few days later, he robbed a bank in
Hammond,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. He was apprehended on June 2, 1928, and sentenced to 10 to 20 years. Makley entered
Indiana State Prison
The Indiana State Prison is a maximum security Indiana Department of Correction prison for adult males; however, minimum security housing also exists on the confines. It is located in Michigan City, Indiana, about east of Chicago. The average ...
in
Michigan City on June 25, 1928.
Meeting John Dillinger
At the time of Makley’s incarceration, Indiana State Prison was on the silent system. Prisoners remained silent during work hours and in the dining hall. Makley was not a model prisoner, but incurred only minor infractions during his stay at Indiana State: possessing contraband cigarette papers, having an electric stove, and wearing first grade uniform to a ball game.
It was here that Makley became friends with a number of prominent bank robbers, including
Harry Pierpont
Harry "Pete" Pierpont (October 13, 1902 – October 17, 1934) was a Prohibition era gangster, convicted murderer and bank robber. He was a friend and mentor to John Dillinger.
Described as handsome and soft-spoken, Pierpont was a bright, natural-b ...
,
Homer Van Meter
Homer Virgil Van Meter (December 3, 1905 – August 23, 1934) was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
Biography
Early life
Van ...
,
John Hamilton,
Russell Clark, and
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...
. Dillinger was paroled in May 1933, but swore to liberate his friends, and had pistols smuggled in to Makley, Pierpont, Hamilton, Clark, and several other convicts. The pistols were smuggled in a crate of thread that was delivered to the prison shirt shop. On September 26, 1933, a total of ten armed men escaped from the main gate of Indiana State Prison.
The ten escapees were Harry Pierpont, Russell Clark, Charles Makley, John Hamilton, James Jenkins,
Ed Shouse
Ed, ed or ED may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Ed (film), ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc
* Ed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media
* Ed (TV ser ...
, Walter Dietrich, James Clark, Joseph Fox and Joseph Burns.
Crime spree
The ten escapees immediately split into two groups. Dietrich, Fox, Burns and James Clark commandeered a car at gunpoint from a sheriff that was taking a prisoner to Michigan city and split from the others. Makley remained with the group headed by
Harry Pierpont
Harry "Pete" Pierpont (October 13, 1902 – October 17, 1934) was a Prohibition era gangster, convicted murderer and bank robber. He was a friend and mentor to John Dillinger.
Described as handsome and soft-spoken, Pierpont was a bright, natural-b ...
. They went to the home of Pierpont's girlfriend,
Mary Kinder Mary Northern Kinder (August 29, 1909 – May 21, 1981) was a Prohibition era gun moll, most noted for being the girlfriend of Harry Pierpont and associate of John Dillinger. Along with Pearl Elliott, she was one of two women listed by the Chicago P ...
, to change out of their prison uniforms, and then hid out at a farm owned by Pierpont's parents near
Leipsic,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.
It was around this time that the gang learned that Dillinger had himself recently been arrested for bank robbery and was being detained at the
Allen County jail in
Lima, Ohio. Determined to free Dillinger, the gang needed cash to fund an escape. On October 3, 1933, the gang robbed the First National Bank of
St. Mary's,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.
Nine days later, on October 12, gang members converged on the jail where Dillinger was being held. Pierpont, Makley, and Russell Clark entered the facility, while
Ed Shouse
Ed, ed or ED may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Ed (film), ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc
* Ed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media
* Ed (TV ser ...
remained outside as a lookout. The three men confronted Sheriff Jesse Sarber—in the presence of Deputy Wilbur Sharp and Sarber's wife—and stated that they were from Indiana State Prison with a transfer request for
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...
. When the sheriff asked to see their credentials, Pierpont shot him in the abdomen. Makley and one other man then physically assaulted the sheriff, mortally injuring him. They locked the deputy and Sarber's wife in a cell and left Sarber for dead while they made their escape.
On October 14, Dillinger, Makley, and the gang stole guns, ammunition and
bulletproof vests from a police station in
Auburn, Indiana
Auburn is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,820 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1836 by Wesley Park (1811–1868), the city is the county seat of DeKalb County. Auburn is also known as Home of the Classics.
Hi ...
. On October 20, they pulled a similar heist at a police station in
Peru, Indiana
Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,417 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Miami County. Peru is located along the Wabash Rive ...
. On October 23, the gang used its new arsenal to rob a bank in
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylv ...
, escaping with $74,782. By the end of the year, Makley ranked fourth on Illinois' list of "public enemies", behind Dillinger, Pierpont, and Hamilton.
Capture and trial for murder
On January 25, 1934, while the gang was lying low in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, a fire broke out in a leaky furnace at the Hotel Congress, where Makley and Clark were staying. They were rescued by the fire department, and bribed a fireman, William Benedict, to retrieve their suitcases, which contained their guns. Days after the fire, Benedict identified Makley from his mugshot in a ''True Detective'' magazine.
Makley was apprehended at the Crabtree Electric Company, shopping for a radio, using the alias "J.C. Davies". The rest of the gang was apprehended shortly afterwards. Dillinger was extradited to Crown Point, Indiana to stand trial for the murder of Officer William O'Malley during the gang's robbery of the First National Bank in East Chicago on January 15, while Pierpont, Makley and Clark were sent back to Indiana State Prison under the supervision of Sheriff Don Sarber, the son of the
Allen County sheriff they had killed.
All three were later extradited to Lima, Ohio, to stand trial for Sheriff Sarber's murder. Testimony from
Ed Shouse
Ed, ed or ED may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Ed (film), ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc
* Ed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media
* Ed (TV ser ...
saw Makley, Clark and Pierpont convicted in three consecutive trials over the course of two weeks in March 1934, while Dillinger, who had escaped Crown Point and joined up with
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...
, robbed banks in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Mason City, Iowa. On March 24, 1934, Makley and Pierpont received death sentences, while Clark received a life sentence. On March 27, the three were transferred to the Ohio State Prison in
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
.
Final escape attempt
While waiting for their turn in the electric chair, Makley and Pierpont carved a pair of revolvers from large bars of soap, and blackened them with shoe polish. On September 22, 1934, the two used these props to attempt an escape. They assaulted a guard and freed Clark from his cell nearby. Before they had gone far, Clark, who was not looking at an imminent death sentence, lost his nerve and retreated to his cell. Moments later, armed guards arrived and shot Makley and Pierpont. Makley, hit in the
thorax
The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...
and abdomen, died on the scene. Pierpont was seriously wounded, but survived and was later executed. Makley's death certificate states that internal hemorrhaging from these wounds caused his death. He is buried in the Sugar Ridge Cemetery in
Leipsic, Ohio
Leipsic is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,093 at the 2010 census.
History
Leipsic was platted in 1857. The name is a variant spelling of Leipzig, one of the largest cities in eastern Germany.
Two buildin ...
.
Temperament
While a habitual criminal, Makley cultivated the appearance and demeanor of a prosperous legitimate businessman. In between crimes he worked as a salesman and insurance agent, and could easily pass for a respectable citizen. A story often told of Makley is that some time in the mid-1920s after robbing a bank he went straight to a civic luncheon at which he was giving the keynote speech. The story itself is most likely apocryphal, but its popularity gives an insight into the man's charisma.
Other media
In the 2009 film ''
Public Enemies'', Makley is played by
Christian Stolte
Christian Stolte (born October 16, 1962) is an American character actor. He portrayed corrections officer Keith Stolte on the TV series '' Prison Break'' and Charles Makley in the film '' Public Enemies''. He starred as chief appraiser David K ...
References
Footnotes
Other sources
* 1910 United States Census Ohio
* Prison Record for Charles Makley Indiana State Prison Michigan City
{{DEFAULTSORT:Makley, Charles
1889 births
1934 deaths
American bank robbers
American people convicted of murdering police officers
American people who died in prison custody
American prisoners sentenced to death
Depression-era gangsters
Deaths by firearm in Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Prisoners who died in Ohio detention
Prisoners sentenced to death by Ohio
People convicted of murder by Ohio
People from St. Mary's, Ohio