Chapter 11
Four days arrived, and it was now Sunday, February 19th, 1933.
Jack had managed to steal a 1930 Chevrolet four-door sedan from a town in Ohio. He also switched license plates with another Chevy in Ackerman late last night. Hud was ready to resume their crime spree, so he held another meeting Sunday evening after Ester's meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner.
"Like I mentioned before. We'll start by hitting a jewelry store in Lansing. Then we'll do a bank next month. I think that would change things up a bit since we hadn't hit a bank for a couple of months," Hud told the guys.
Willie smiled and cracked his knuckles on both hands. "I'm looking forward to that. I miss those jobs," he said with a smile.
"Good, we'll hit a store in Lansing on Saturday night," said Hud then he paused. "And Jack, that way I can try out your cousin," he added.
"Got it," Jack replied.
"Then Ester, Jack and I will drive to Springfield to fence the jewelry. We'll go in my car," Hud told everybody.
They all nodded that they understood Hud's plan.
Hud and the gang relaxed around the motor court for the next five days.
Saturday night rolled around and Hud, Jack, Harold and Willie took off in the Chevy. Jack drove off to Lansing, Ohio.
The town of Lansing was nice and quiet while Jack drove the Chevy down the main street. It was around 2:00 a.m.
Jack drove around and eventually found Sidney's Jewelry Store off a side street. He drove and parked the Chevy down a little ways from the store.
Hud, Jack, Harold, and Willie got out of the Chevy. The immediately scanned up and down the street for any signs of the Lansing cops. The street was quiet, so Hud motioned for the guys to head off to the jewelry store.
Hud, Jack, Harold, and Willie snuck around in the darkness to the rear of Sidney's Jewelry Store.
Willie used his tools and was able to pick the lock of the rear door.
He slowly opened it.
Everybody was relieved that an alarm did not blare, so they stepped inside the store.
Hud closed the door behind him.
The gang snuck through the darkened back office of the store.
Willie saw the safe on the opposite Sidney's wooden desk.
"This one is straightforward. I got trained on this old style of safe," Willie said while he got down on his knees in front of the safe.
Jack and Harold headed off into the sales area to watch for any cops.
There they saw four glass cases that were emptied since the store owner placed all the jewelry in the safe when he closed hours ago.
Willie pressed his ear to the safe while he slowly turned the combination lock. He found the first number of the combination.
Hud sat down at Sidney's desk. He opened up the side drawer and rummaged through the items.
There was nothing of value, so he closed the drawer.
He opened the second drawer and found a bottle of scotch. He removed the bottle, opened it, and took a good swig of scotch. He preferred whiskey, so he put the cap back on then placed it back in that drawer.
Willie still had his ear pressed to the safe while he slowly turned the combination lock. He found the second number of the combination.
Hud opened up the large middle desk drawer.
He started rummaging through the items.
He found a loaded 38 Special. He left it alone.
Next, he found a small piece of paper with "10 – 18 – 7 – 25" jotted down on it in pencil.
Willie still had his ear pressed to the safe while he slowly turned the combination lock. He found the third number of the combination.
Hud got up with that piece of paper in hand. He walked around from the desk and headed over to Willie.
"I found this," he said and handed Willie the paper.
Willie looked at the paper. "I wished I had this sooner," he said then turned the combination to the number 25. He turned the handle and the safe opened.
Willie gave Hud the paperback. Hud then removed that potato sack that was tucked in his suit coat. He handed it to Willie.
Willie started shoving diamond rings, diamond necklaces, and small felt boxes that contained diamonds into the sack.
Hud walked around and placed that paper with the combination back in the middle drawer of the desk. He closed the drawer.
After Willie emptied the safe into the sack, he closed the safe and gave the combination lock a twirl.
Willie got up off his knees while Hud went into the sales area.
He motioned for Jack and Harold they can now leave the store.
A little while later, Hud, Jack, Harold and Willie walked out of the rear door. Willie made sure it was locked when they left.
Hud and the gang snuck back to the car, thinking they were in the clear.
But while they all got inside the Chevy, they did not notice a Lansing Police Officer, Samuel Hasting, a thirty-year-old hot shot of a cop that sat in his 1930 Ford Model A cop car down the street.
Jack started up the Chevy with Willie in the passenger seat and Hud and Harold in the back.
Jack drove away, and the second he headed off down the street, the red light from Samuel's cop car door turned on to indicate those guys were in trouble.
"Cops!" Jack called out the second he saw the cop car come after him.
Then they heard the siren from the cop car while it raced at them.
Willie got his Thompson machine gun ready.
Harold and Hud had their Colt 45 out and ready.
Jack made a sudden U-turn in the street, and while he did that, Willie fired his Thompson at the oncoming cop car.
Jack raced his car down the street then made a screeching right turn down the main street.
The cop car raced after the Chevy, and it made a screeching right turn down the main street.
While Jack raced the car down the main street, he handed Hud his Thompson machine gun.
Willie, and Hud both hung out their door windows and fired their Thompson machine guns at the cop car.
Samuel fired at the Chevy from his door window with his 38 Special.
He never came close to hitting the Chevy.
While Jack made a screeching left turn down another street, Hud continued to fire his Thomson machine gun at the cop car.
Jack raced the Chevy down that street.
Hud and Willie waited and then the second they saw that cop car make its screeching left turn, they fired their Thompson machine guns at it.
Bullets from their Thompson machine guns blew out the front right tire and sprayed the driver and passenger doors. Three of the bullets hit Samuel in his left thigh. This caused him to swerve the car during the turn.
The cop car flipped over.
Jack, Hud, Harold, and Willie all yelled out cheers of joy when they realized that the cop car was no longer a threat.
Jack raced the Chevy out of Lansing, and when the coast was clear, he slowed down and obeyed all the traffic rules of the road.
While Jack drove his Chevy back to Ackerman, Ester was in her motor courtroom and started making a pot of coffee for the boys. She also baked some chocolate chip cookies thinking they would need a treat. This was the recipe her grandmother taught her when she was a little girl.
An hour later, Hud and the gang arrived with smiles on their faces.
But their smiles grew more abundant when they smelled the pleasant smell of Ester's twelve chocolate chip cookies that were already on a plate in the center of the table.
Ester stood by the sink and wore an apron. She looked like your typical homemaker.
"You made us cookies?" Jack asked and looked like a little kid again while he salivated at the thought of eating come.
"Of course for my hard-working boys," she replied with a smile.
"Let's eat then divide up the take," Hud told the guys.
Jack, Harold, and Willie all rushed over to the table and started eating a cookie.
Hud sat down and started eating a cookie.
Ester poured coffee into four cups and brought them over to the guys.
After they were done eating cookies and drinking coffee, Hud dumped the contents of the sack onto the table. The guys were in awe with their take of diamond rings, necklaces, bracelets, and the small felt boxes diamonds inside.
"We're going to be rich in no time," Harold said with a sparkle in his eyes.
Hud picked out a small bracelet. He handed it to Ester
"Here's your pay," he said.
Ester took the bracelet, placed it around her left wrist, and admired its beauty.
"We'll head up to Springfield on Tuesday," Hud told Jack and Ester.
They both nodded in agreement.
Ester's eyes widened with an idea. She went over to the counter and grabbed the Kodak camera.
"Smile guys," she said while she looked in the camera.
She snapped a picture of Hud and the guys with diamond necklaces, diamond rings, and diamond bracelets on a kitchen table along with a plate that had one chocolate chip cookie on it.
"Does anybody know someone that can develop these without calling the cops?" Hud asked.
"I know someone. My uncle down in Mississippi works at the newspaper office. He'll do it for a few extra bucks," Willie replied.
"We'll use him later when we head back down to Florida later this year," said Hud.
The guys' eyes lit up a little and loved the fact they can party back down in Florida.
Tuesday morning arrived, and after Ester made the guys some pancakes for breakfast, Hud Ester and Jack got in the Hudson.
Hud drove off, and they headed northwest out of Lansing for Springfield, Illinois.
Hud, Jack, and Ester took turns driving, and they arrived in Springfield that night.
They got a room with two beds in a small hotel.
Hud, Ester, and Jack spent the night drinking good whiskey Hud bought at a nearby liquor store.
Since they were drunk, things got a little freaky.
Ester stood up and stripped naked. "Come fuck me guys," she said in her best sexy tone while she strutted over to the bed. She got on her back. "I'm waiting," she said while she opened up her legs.
Hud and Jack were too drunk to be shy and modest, so they immediately stripped off their clothes.
They rushed over and joined Ester in bed.
It was twenty minutes of Hud fucking Ester missionary style then Jack fucking Hester doggiestyle. Then Hud fucked her missionary style then Jack fucked her missionary style.
After they were done and all sweaty, Ester grabbed her Kodak camera.
"Take a picture of Hud and me," she told Jack while she handed him the camera.
"Why not," Jack replied while he got the camera ready.
Ester walked back to the bed and cuddled with Hud.
Jack snapped the picture.
"Willie's uncle will love that when he develops them," said Hud.
"Enough of that, let's get some sleep," Ester said.
Jack placed the camera back on the counter.
He walked over to his pile of clothes on the floor.
"We're sleeping naked," Ester told Jack.
Since he was still drunk, he did not care and hoped into bed.
So Hud and Jack slept naked with Ester's naked body between them.
Morning arrived, and Jack and Hud were still okay with sleeping naked together with Ester.
After Hud, Ester, and Jack ate some breakfast at a nearby diner, they headed off into town with Jack driving.
Jack pulled the Hudson outside Jenner's Pawn Shop and parked along the street.
Hud, with that sack in hand, Ester and Jack got out and went inside the shop. The bell above the door rang out, indicating a customer entered.
"Hey, Cuz!" Ernie Jenner called out from behind a caged counter.
Hud and Ester saw lanky Ernie with greasy slicked back hair and pencil mustache from behind the counter. They both thought he looked like a slimy sleazeball.
Ernie walked out from behind the caged counter and headed over to Jack. They shook hands.
"What brings you to Springfield?" asked Ernie.
Jack looked around the store, and the coast was clear since no customers were inside at the moment. "We need to fence some stuff."
"What stuff?" Ernie's ears perked up, knowing this mean profit for him.
"Diamonds type of stuff," Jack replied.
"Let's go back to my office and take a look-see," said Ernie and he looked interested.
After some short introductions, Hud, Ester, and Jack followed Ernie into his back office.
Ernie's office was a pig-sty with all kinds of junk all around the room.
The jewelry was dumped out of the sack onto Ernie's desk.
He started checking them out.
"You got some nice stuff here. "I'll tell you what. Normally I get sixty-percent, but since you're my Cuz, I'll give you fifty-percent. Now, I estimate the stuff to be worth sixty grand, so I'll give you thirty-thousand," Ernie offered.
Jack looked at Hud and Ester.
Ester looked at Hud.
"I hope you're on the level, because if you're not," Hud said then opened up his suit coat to show his shouldered Colt 45.
"I'm on the level Hud. I'd never do you wrong," Ernie said and looked a little intimidated.
"You can trust him," Jack added and looked serious.
"Okay," Hud said, knowing he did not want to try someone else.
"Come back tomorrow, and I'll have the cash," Ernie said.
Hud nodded in agreement, then he scooped up all the jewelry and dropped them back in the sack.
Hud, Ester, and Jack left the pawnshop, and they went back to the hotel and relaxed for the evening.
The next day arrived, and Hud, Ester, and Jack returned to the pawnshop.
They picked up $30,000 cash from Ernie. This would be the start of many future business deals between Hud and Ernie.
They took some of that money and Hud, and Jack bought new suits and Ester bought a new dress.
They also went to the gun shop Ernie recommended and bought some more bullets. Then Hud had an idea.
He bought Ester a 38 Police Special with bullets.
"Here, keep this in your purse to protect yourself," Hud told her.
Ester placed the loaded 38 Special into her purse and smiled.
They left the gun shop then headed back to their hotel room.
They relaxed for the evening and planned on leaving first thing in the morning.
After Hud, Ester, and Jack returned to the motor court in Ackerman from St. Louis, Hud divided up the money from the sale of the jewelry.
The guys were thrilled.
Then that night, Hud started planning for their bank job next month.
After Hud, Ester and the guy relaxed in Ackerman for the next three weeks they were ready for another bank job.
The morning of March 22nd, 1933 arrived, and Hud and the gang drove out with that Chevy and headed west into Indiana. They were headed to the town of Old Castle.
When they arrived in Old Castle Jack parked the car across the street of the First National Bank of Old Castle. After feeling confident that no cops were in the vicinity, Hud motioned for them to proceed.
While Jack pulled the Chevy back into the street, they did not notice Oscar Smith, who was a photographer of the Old Castle Times. Oscar had his Kodak camera in hand while he stepped out of the newspaper office just down the street.
When Oscar saw the Chevy make a U-turn just down from the bank, he had a gut feeling about this sudden change in direction. He recalled reading about bank robberies in Missouri where the get-a-way car did that same type of U-turn that Chevy just performed.
While Jack stopped the Chevy just past the bank, Oscar watched and saw Hud, Harold and Willie rush out of the Chevy. He caught a glimpse of Willie's Thompson machine gun under his opened suit coat.
Oscar ran across the street when Hud, Harold, and Willie went inside the bank.
He ran down the street little ways to get in a good position for a picture. He found one and hid behind a Ford sedan. He waited. Then he heard the sound of Willie's Thompson machine gun inside the bank.
He peeked around the sedan and got his camera ready.
After five minutes, the door of the bank slammed opened. Oscar was ready and snapped a picture the second he saw Hud, with the potato sack in hand, and Harold ran out.
Oscar heard a police siren from down the street while he watched while Hud and Harold ran to the Chevy.
He watched while Willie ran out of the bank with his Thompson machine gun and snapped a picture.
The police siren got louder.
Then Oscar heard Thompson machine gunfire coming from the Chevy.
Then he heard gunfire from the direction of the cop car sirens.
Oscar hit the street a little scared while he heard bullets hitting the car he hid behind.
Jack was able to get away from the cop car, as Willie was able to shoot out its front tires. That cop car swerved over and flipped over a few times.
Jack raced the car out of town.
Jack drove the Chevy back to the motor court in Ackerman.
When they got out of the Chevy, Hud noticed bullet holes in the rear of the car. "Ditch this and get a new one," he told Jack.
"I'm glad that cop car crashed," Willie added.
"Yeah. It looks like we got away again and they still don't have a clue who we are," Hud said with a smirk on his face.
They all went in Hud's room to divide up the loot.
Three days had passed, and the pictures Oscar took started showing up in newspapers across the state of Missouri and Indiana.
Back at the Bellwood Police Station, Chief Ronnie Pettine sat at his desk. He drank his second cup of coffee while he read the morning paper.
Then he turned to the page, and his eyes widened the second he saw the pictures of Hud, Harold, and Willie taken by Oscar of Old Castle. One picture was of Hud and Harold when they ran out of the bank; then the other one was when Willie ran out of the bank with the Thompson in hand. He then saw the "Bureau of Investigation Looking For Identity of Old Castle Bank Robbers" caption under the photo.
"Figures," Ronnie said then he immediately picked up the phone.
"Mildred, I need the Bureau of Investigation office in Saint Louis," he said into the phone.
"Did you see Henry Hudson's picture in the paper? He's a bank robber?" Mildred quickly replied from the phone.
"Yes Mildred, he's a bank robber. Now please get me the Bureau of Investigation office in Saint Louis. It's important police business," he replied and sounded a little irritated.
"Yes, Chief Pettine," Mildred replied.
A few seconds passed.
"Bureau of Investigation, Saint Louis. Special Agent Jordan," Roger Jordan said from the phone.
"Yeah, Police Chief Ronnie Pettine from Bellwood. I saw that the Bureau was looking for the identification of a bank robber. He had a large nose," he said into the phone.
"Yes, Chief. Do you have any information?" Jordon replied from the phone.
"I sure do. I know the big nose guy. His name is Henry Hudson, and I believe he goes by the nickname Hud.
He spent time at the correctional facility in the eastern part of the state for trying to steal a pickup truck," Ronnie replied into the phone.
"Henry Hud Hudson. We'll check that out. Thank you, Chief Pettine," Jordon replied, then disconnected his end of the call.
Ronnie hung up his phone and had a satisfied smile on his face knowing that he once again will find Hud in prison.
Meanwhile, over Madam Harriett's whorehouse in St. Louis, Butch sat on the couch with three of the whores with his two front teeth missing.
Moans of sex could be heard from the hallway while the other whores were working.
Butch read the St. Louis Post-Dispatch paper while he took drinks from his cheap whiskey bottle. He turned a page. His eyes widened the second he saw that same photo of Hud during that bank robbery. He glanced at the "Bureau of Investigation Seeking the Identity of Leader of Bank Robber Gang" caption below the photo.
"Well, I'll be," Butch said then he jumped up from the couch.
He ran down the hallway and headed to the second room on the left.
He opened the door and stepped inside that room.
In that room was Mickey Kelly, a fat fifty-year-old married man.
Mickey was moaning while he was on top and humped a black haired whore in the bed.
On the floor by the foot of the bed was Mickey's St. Louis police uniform. Madam Harriett would let some of the cops fuck her whores for free as payment for not busting her operation.
"Mickey," Butch called out when he closed the door.
Mickey stopped humping and quickly got off the whore. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he yelled out while he rolled off her and covered his crotch with his hands.
Butch rushed over and flashed the newspaper of Hud in Mickey's face.
"That guy was here last year.
His name is," he said, then paused for a few seconds for his memory to kick in. "Oh yeah, his name is Hud Hudson," he said.
Mickey looked at the photos, and a smile grew on his face. He knew he could use that in his favor with his chief. "Thanks, Butch, now leave the paper here and please let me finish my business," he said.
"Oh, yeah," Butch replied, then quickly left the room.
The whore glanced at the photos. "That guy with the machine gun is Willie Gates. He visited me numerous times last year," the whore told Mickey.
Mickey smiled.
Butch strutted back to the waiting area with a smirk on his face.
He was happy