John Callahan (1866 – June 8, 1936) was an American outlaw and bank robber during the closing days of the Old West. He eventually became the leading underworld figure in Wichita, Kansas during Prohibition, specifically becoming involved in bootlegging and narcotics. He was also considered one of the top fences in the Midwestern United States buying negotiable bonds and laundering money.Wellman, Paul Iselin. ''A Dynasty of Western Outlaws''. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986. (pg. 7, 11, 14, 16, 296-297, 308-315, 324-327, 362) Wallis, Michael. ''Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994. (pg. 102-107, 117, 123, 204) Newton, Michael. ''The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers''. New York: Facts On File Inc., 2002. (pg. 49) His partnership with corrupt police officials in the Wichita Police Department allowed the city to become a haven for criminals, much like

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during the 1930s, and served as a mentor to many future outlaws of the " Public Enemy"-era such as

Edward J. Adams Edward James Adams (April 23, 1887 – November 22, 1921) was a notorious American criminal and spree killer in the Midwest. He murdered seven people—including three policemen—over a period of around 14 months, and wounded at least a dozen ot ...

and Pretty Boy Floyd. Floyd may have, in fact, gotten his start in the underworld by transporting bootleg liquor for Callahan before becoming a bank robber.King, Jeffrey. ''The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd''. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1999. (pg. 16) Callahan was eventually convicted of drug smuggling and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. He would serve only seven years before his release and retired to Wichita where he died in his sleep on June 8, 1936, at age 70.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callahan, John 1866 births 1936 deaths American outlaws Depression-era gangsters People from Wichita, Kansas