Chapter 14
The next month rolled around.
It was now December 3rd, 1933, and it started to get cold outside. Because of that, the guys recommended to Hud that they should head back down to Florida and soak up some warm sunshine. Hud agreed after they pulled off a job next week in Kentucky.
Back at the Bureau of Investigation in Indianapolis, the calls with leads for sightings of The Hudsters started to dwindle. So far, all the leads of potential sightings recently proved to be false, and Agent Kelly started to get frustrated. But he instructed his agents that all leads will be checked out no matter what.
A day had passed, and Burt Gregory drove back to Union Park, Indiana. He was horny, so he planned on staying around for a few days and wanted to see Ester again. So he got a room at the Peabody Motel.
Back at Jesse's farm, Hud, Jesse, Harold, Jack, Willie, and Ester relaxed on the porch while they drank whiskey and smoked cigars.
They did not notice Burt's Buick parked down a bit along the road.
Burt peeked around a tree and saw everybody relaxing on the farmhouse.
"Who is she with?" Burt curiously talked to himself.
He got inquisitive, so he ran back to his Buick. He quickly removed a pair of binoculars from the trunk. He would often use these to spy on farmhouses when women would take a bath with their windows opened.
Burt rushed back to that tree. He used his binoculars and spied on the front porch.
He got a closer view of the people on the porch hanging out with Ester. "Is that?" he asked while he zeroed in on Hud's face. "It is. That's that public enemy Hud Hudson," he said when he saw Hud's large nose.
He put his binoculars down. "So that whore was telling me the truth. Ester did leave with Hud Hudson last year," he quietly talked to himself.
But put down his binoculars and wondered what he should do. Then he remembered something and rushed back to his Buick.
He went back into the trunk and removed a Kodak camera. He used this to take pictures of sightings on his sales trip to show his two young kids.
Burt ran back to that tree. He peeked around the trunk of the tree and snapped a picture of Jesse's farmhouse with everybody still on the front porch.
Burt ran back to his Buick, closed the trunk then got behind the wheel.
He slowly drove backed up his so that he would not attract any attention to the farmhouse.
He made a U-turn and raced his car back into Union Park.
Back on the front porch, the whiskey bottle was still being passed around, and they did not have a clue that Burt spied on them.
Later that night, Jesse went into the bathroom while he had a coughing fit. This time he coughed up blood, and he knew this was not good. But he hated doctors and decided to tough it out with whatever he had.
During the next morning, Burt arrived at the Bureau of Investigation office in Indianapolis. He drove all night.
He parked his car then rushed into the front doors of the office with his camera in hand. He just knew he would get that $10,000 reward and could quit his traveling salesman's job.
That night, Hud had a meeting with the guys and Ester in the living room.
"We'll hit a bank in Heidt, Indiana tomorrow," Hud told the gang.
They all nodded in agreement.
"We'll come back here then we'll head down to Florida the following morning," he said then he looked at Jesse. "Ever been to Florida?"
"Nope. Always wanted to see an ocean," he said.
"We'll take Jesse with us and travel in two cars. We'll leave as soon as we get back from Heidt."
Jesse looked excited about going to Florida and finally seeing an ocean.
"Let's get the Hudson, and Chevy packed tonight to save time tomorrow," Hud told everybody.
They all nodded in agreement and headed out of the living room.
Back in Indianapolis, Burt relaxed in a hotel room bed and thought about getting that $10,000 reward money in a few days.
After Hud, Ester, Jack, Harold, and Willie had the Hudson, and Chevy packed for their Florida trip, they went to sleep.
The sun rose for the start of another cold morning across Indiana. It was December 7th, 1933.
Jesse was an early riser, and he got up and headed off to the kitchen. He wanted to make a pot of coffee for everybody.
After the coffee was ready, Jesse headed out to his front porch for his usual routine of drinking his coffee while he rocked in his rocking chair. He sipped some coffee then coughed. He coughed up more blood than what he coughed up last night. It dripped down his chin.
Then something caught his eye down along the road in a hole between some trees. He saw two cars pull over to the side of the road down a bit.
He then saw three men in suits and five Union Park cops get out of the cars. Four of the men in suits had Thompson machine guns in hand.
"Shit!" he quietly said to himself, then got out of his rocking chair.
He rushed inside his house spilling coffee on the porch.
Once he got inside his house, Jesse ran up the stairs.
Once he got to the hallway, he ran into the first bedroom to the right.
Hud and Ester slept in the bed.
"The cops are coming!" he called out in a panic.
Hud and Ester jumped up out of bed startled. They looked a little confused at Jesse.
"The cops are coming to the house," Jesse called out again.
Hud and Ester jumped out of bed.
Back by the police cars, Agent Kelly looked at Jesse's farmhouse, and it seemed quiet with no signs of movement.
"Let's move out," he told his fellow agents and the five cops.
Agents Kelly, Handson and Henderson got their Thompson machine guns ready to fire
The five Union Park cops looked a little nervous.
A few minutes later and Hud, Ester, Jack, Harold, and Willie were downstairs in the kitchen in their underwear and bare feet with their clothes, weapons, and shoes in hand.
"Is there a back way out of here?" Hud asked Jesse.
"A dirt trail behind the barn leads to a road in about one mile. Turn right on that road, and you'll head south," Jesse replied.
Jesse looked at the Thompson machine guns, and he coughed a little.
Everybody saw more blood run out of Jesse's mouth and down his chin.
"Give me one of your Thompson's. I'll provide cover so you can escape out the barn. It also has a back door that your cars will fit through," Jesse offered.
"Are you sure?" asked Hud.
"I think I'm dying of something. So this would be a great way to go," Jesse said and looked serious.
Hud looked at Jack.
Jack then handed Jesse his Thompson machine gun.
"Get the fuck off my property," Jesse playfully said.
Hud, Ester, Harold, Jack, and Willie all rushed out the rear door of the kitchen.
Jesse rushed into the living room, ready for some action.
Out in the front yard, Agents Kelly, Handson, Austin, and Henderson slowly snuck through the grass with the five cops.
Jesse rushed out of the house and onto the front porch with his hands behind his back.
"Bureau of Investigation!" Special Agent Kelly called out the second he saw Jesse.
"You're not going to take my house! No fucking way!" Jesse yelled out, then whipped the Thompson machine gun out from behind his back. Jesse fired the Thompson at the oncoming Bureau of Investigation Agents and cops.
Agent Austin dropped dead to the grass when bullets riddled across his chest, penetrating his heart.
The remaining Bureau of Investigation Agents and cops dropped to the grass and started firing their revolvers and Thompson machine guns back at Jesse.
While this gunfight was still spraying bullets, Hud drove his Hudson out the back door of the barn. He was followed by Jack in the Chevy.
Jesse continued to fire the Thompson machine gun at the Bureau of Investigation Agents and cops from the front porch. Then he got a coughing fit, and he fired his Thompson all over the deck of his porch.
The Agents and cops took advantage of this opportunity, and they fired at Jesse with their revolvers and Thompson machine guns.
Jesse's eyes were wide when he realized he was shot numerous times. He dropped to the porch still firing his Thompson all over the ceiling of his porch even though he had multiple bullet holes in his chest.
Jesse stopped firing his Thompson while he lay on his back on the porch in pain.
Agent Kelly motioned for everybody to remain in place, as he expected more gunfire from the farmhouse.
After waiting five minutes in the grass and no gun fired came from the farmhouse, Agent Kelley motioned for everybody to head to the farmhouse.
They all cautiously got up and carefully walked to the front porch
Agent Kelly was the first one on the porch, and he walked up to Jesse who lay on his back.
"Is Hud Hudson and his gang here with you?"
Jesse gurgled some blood out of his mouth then looked at Agent Kelly. "Fuck you," he said then he sighed his last breath of air and had a blank stare.
Agent Kelly stared at Jesse's blank stare for a few seconds then looked up at everybody. "Carefully check out the house," he said.
The remaining two Agents and the five cops carefully went inside Jesse's home.
Meanwhile, Hud pulled his Hudson out of that small dirt road and turned left onto a small country road.
He drove away with him and Ester still in their underwear with their clothes in their laps.
Jack then pulled his car out of that small dirt road and turned left onto that little country road. Jack, Harold, and Willie were still in their underwear.
Jack drove away and followed Hud's Hudson.
Five minutes later, the Hudson and Chevy were pulled off to the side of the road. Hud, Ester, Jack, Harold, and Willie were outside the cars getting dressed.
An hour later, the Agents Handson and Henderson and the five Union Park cops searched Jesse's farmhouse. They did not find a trace of The Hudsters. Agent Kelly was furious and put his shoe through a wall in Jesse's living room.
But Agent Henderson did find a receipt for the Peabody Motel made out to Candace Lane.
"I found this upstairs in a dresser drawer," Agent Henderson told Agent Kelly after Agent Kelly removed his shoe out of the wall.
Agent Kelly looked at the receipt and saw it was dated April 6th, 1933 and made out to a Candace Lane. "Must be an alias," he told his fellow agent.
"I think that if they were here, they're long gone by now," Agent Henderson said.
Agent Kelly nodded in agreement. "That farmer must have helped them escape. I mean, how many farmers do you know own a Thompson sub-machine gun? I don't," Agent Kelly said.
Agent Henderson nodded in agreement.
Agent Kelly looked at the motel receipt in his hand.
After the agent's dead body was removed from the property and sent to the hospital for proper disposition, Agents Kelly, Handson and Henderson headed off to the Peabody Motel.
Back at the manager's office of the Peabody Motel, Chris Maynard was a fifty-eight old lanky man. He sat relaxed in his chair behind his desk. He read a Life magazine with his shoes propped up on his desk.
The door opened, and Agents Kelly, Handson and Henderson entered inside and looked serious.
"Rooms are two bucks a night," Chris told the guys.
Agent Kelly flashed his identification. "Special Agent Kelly with the Bureau of Investigation," he told Chris.
Chris took his shoes off his desk and sat up. "Yes sir," he said and looked concerned that the Feds suddenly showed up at his establishment.
"Did you have a lady rent a room named Candace Lane?" Agent Kelly asked while he removed the receipt out of his suit pocket then set it on the desk.
"Yes, we did. She got the room, oh, back in April like the receipt states. Paid every week and on time," Chris said.
Agent Kelly picked up the receipt and shoved it back in his suit pocket. He then reached inside his suit coat and removed something from his inside pocket.
Agent Kelly showed Chris a mug shot of Ester Walker. "Was this Candace Lane?" he asked Chris.
"Yeah, that's her," Chris replied and looked a little surprised. "What was she arrested for?" he curiously asked.
"Prostitution in Saint Louis," Agent Kelly replied.
"Prostitution?" Chris said then he recalled those earlier days when she first got the room. And he wished he knew of her profession then. "That might explain why I saw men going in and out of her room in the middle of the night. Four at a time. She must be doing them all at once," he said then thought about those moments he saw them.
"Did one of them have a large nose?" Agent Kelly asked.
Chris thought for a few seconds to recall those times he saw them. "Yeah, one of them had a large nose."
Agent Henderson reached inside his suit coat and removed a photo from his inside pocket. "Was this the man with the large nose?" he asked Chris while he flashed him the photo.
Chris looked at the mug shot of Henry Hudson. "Yeah, that looks like him," he said.
Then Agent Handson reached inside his suit coat and removed three more mug shots. "How about these guys?" he asked Chris when he showed them the photos.
Chris glanced at the mug shots of Harold, Jack, and Willie for a few seconds. "Yeah, those look like the other three," he said and was sure of himself.
"When was the last time you saw any of them?" Agent Kelly asked.
"Haven't seen those guys in months. But that lady's been in and out. She drove a four-door, Hudson. Claimed her husband is a traveling Fuller Brush salesman," Chris said.
"Thanks and if they by happen to come back here. Please call me at our Indianapolis office," Agent Kelly said and motioned to his fellow agents that it's time to leave.
While Agents Kelly, Handson and Henderson walked to the door, it dawned on Chris. "Were those The Hudsters?" he asked.
"Yep, we believe so," Agent Kelly said then he left the office with his fellow agents.
Chris sat there surprised that The Hudsters were once in his motel.
Agent Kelly got back in his car and drove back to Indianapolis with the two other agents. He was not looking forward to telling Washington that The Hudsters are still on the run. And he especially was not looking forward to showing them that a Bureau of Investigation Agent was killed during the raid.
Meanwhile, in some woods in Kentucky, The Hudsters parked that Chevy between in a dirt clearing.
After they got dressed, they transferred their belongings into Hud's Hudson.
After that was done, Willie fired his Thompson machine gun and sprayed the Chevy with bullets. The fuel tank exploded.
The Hudsters and Ester rushed back into Hud's Hudson and back to the road with Jack behind the wheel.
"Where should we go? Back to Florida?" asked Jack while he pulled the car out of the woods onto the country road.
Hud thought about his question, as the raid on Jesse's farm screwed things up a bit.
"My Uncle Melvin will take us in down in Meridian, Mississippi. We can trust him," Willie offered.
Hud thought about Willie's offer for a few seconds. "Well, I've never been to Mississippi before. It's not the beach, but I don't think we have a choice."
"Besides, Tupelo is over a hundred miles north of Meridian. That's where Machine Gun Kelly robbed his last bank in thirty-two," added Willie.
"It would be nice to rob the same bank Machine Gun Kelly robbed," said Jack with a gleam in his eyes.
"No! We maintain a low profile," Hud suddenly snapped out as that raid started to bother him.
"Maybe we can just see it? You know, sightseeing," asked Jack.
"We'll see," Hud replied.
It was a quiet drive through Kentucky while everybody wondered if Jesse survived. But they figured he was probably dead and dead men do not tell.
They took turns driving and often stole gas out of cars they could see in the middle of the night.
It was Saturday evening when Hud drove the Hudson into the countryside north of Meridian.
Willie gave Jack directions to his Uncle Melvin's secluded small farm located five miles north of Meridian.
Hud drove his Hudson down the dirt drive that leads to Uncle Melvin's house.
They saw the 1925 Ford Model T parked by the right side of the house and someone sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch.
On the front porch in that rocking chair was Melvin Kerr was a fifty-three-year-old lanky man in coveralls. He smoked a cigarette while he saw the fancy Hudson drive up his driveway. "Who the hell are they?" he said then jumped out of his chair and ran to the screened door to his house. He opened it and rushed inside. He quickly reappeared outside on the porch with a Winchester shotgun in hand. He did not trust strangers at all.
He aimed his shotgun at the Hudson when it stopped close to his front porch. "What do you want?" he asked in a serious tone while he had his shotgun aimed at the car.
"Uncle Melvin, it's me. Your nephew Willie," Willie said while he carefully got out from the front passenger seat.
Uncle Melvin looked at Willie, and it took a few seconds for him to recognize him. "Willie, look at you all growed up," he said then lowered his shotgun pointing the barrels down at the deck of the porch. "What brings you to Mississippi?" he asked.
"Well, my friends and I need a place to stay for a few months," Willie said.
Hud, Ester, Jack, and Harold all got out of the Hudson.
"Hello Mister Melvin," Hud said while he stood by the car.
Uncle Melvin looked at Willie and his friends. "You're on the run from the law? Ain't you?"
"Yes, Uncle Melvin," Willie replied.
"Yep, I printed an article about The Hudsters. You them, ain't you?" Uncle Melvin said.
"Yes, Uncle Melvin," said Willie.
Hud, Jack, Harold, and Ester wondered if they would suddenly be in a gunfight any second.
"Well, come on inside before someone spots you," Uncle Melvin said then walked over and opened up the screen door to his house.
Willie, Hud, Ester, Harold, and Jack all went inside Uncle Melvin's house.
They watched while Uncle Melvin hung his shotgun on a rack on the wall above the couch. He placed it on the lower part of the rack, as the upper part had another Winchester shotgun.
"Make yourself at home," Uncle Melvin said while he walked over and sat down in a wooden rocking chair across the couch and near the living room window.
Hud, Ester, and Willie sat down on the couch while Jack and Harold sat down in chairs.
"So, this is that Hudsters gang," Uncle Melvin said while he looked at everybody. "But the cops don't say anything about a broad being with you," he added.
"No sir," Hud replied then he reached in his suit coat pocket, and that made Uncle Melvin a little nervous since his shotgun hung over Hud's head.
"We printed an article where the Bureau of Investigations has Special Agent Rick Kelly to lead the hunt to catch you guys," said Uncle Melvin.
"He'll ever catch me," Hud said then he removed out some cash from his suit pocket. "We would pay you for staying here of course," he said then got up and walked over to Uncle Melvin and handed him $1,000 in twenties.
Uncle Melvin grinned ear to ear with the feeling of all that cash in his hand. "I can buy me a radio and then get electricity. There's a station in Meridian. I would love to hear Jimmie Rodgers on the radio. Poor guy died back this May," he said with a little sadness in his eyes.
"Plus Mister Melvin, we'll buy all your food and Ester here is a great cook," said Hud.
"She makes yummy chocolate chip cookies," Willie added.
Uncle Melvin smiled as he longed for some tasty meals. "I haven't had good meals since Myrtle died last year."
Willie looked saddened. "I didn't know Aunt Myrtle died," he said.
"Her heart gave out," Uncle Melvin replied and also looked saddened.
"Listen, why don't we all drive over to Meridian first thing Monday morning and get Uncle Melvin here a radio?" Hud said to hopefully brighten up the somber mood in the room.
Uncle Melvin's eyes lit up and loved that idea. "Let me show you to your rooms," he said then stood up.
After they got settled in the other two bedrooms, Uncle Melvin gave them a brief tour. And since he did not have indoor plumbing, the gang had to get used to using the smelly outhouse out in the back of the property. And the water was obtained by a well in the backyard that had a hand-cranked pump.
A little while later, Ester drove Uncle Melvin into Portsville to stock up on some groceries.
Ester cooked excellent fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans on the propane store.
After they finished dinner, they all retired for the evening.
Sunday was spent relaxing around Uncle Melvin's farm that was once produced cotton years ago. The farm was built by Uncle Melvin's daddy back in 1875 and was the birthplace of Willie's father, Edgar.
Uncle Melvin worked at the Meridian Star newspaper as a typesetter. An old childhood friend was the manager of the office and gave Melvin a job fifteen years ago. Melvin was also learning how to develop film for pictures in the newspaper.
Monday morning arrived, and after Hud, Ester and Willie followed into Meridian while they followed Uncle Melvin in his Ford.
After Uncle Melvin drove to the Meridian Star to go to work, Hud, Ester, and Willie drove to a General Store in town.
Hud found an RCA radio for $60 and bought it for Uncle Melvin.
They headed back to the farm.
Uncle Melvin loved his new radio and could not wait to get electricity installed at his farm. He hoped that would get installed next year.
Two weeks had passed, and Hud, Ester, Jack, Harold, Willie and Uncle Melvin crowded inside the Hudson.
Hud drove the gang north to Tupelo, Mississippi for some sightseeing.
Once they got into Tupelo, they headed off to the Citizen's State Bank. After Ester gave the black teenage girl instructions on using the Kodak camera the girl took a photo of Hud, Harold, Jack, Willie, Uncle Melvin and Ester standing in front of the bank with smiles on their faces.
The teenage girl handed the camera back to Ester, who gave her a dollar bill. The girl was so thrilled and felt rich while she ran off down the street. She did not know that she was with The Hudsters.
The Hudsters and Uncle Melvin left Tupelo and headed back south to Uncle Melvin's farm.
During the next day, Hud took off and headed over to Alabama.
He stopped off in the town of Vicksburg and found their cemetery. He soon found the gravesite of Kent Osborne and buried another leather satchel.
He wrote this information down on his piece of paper.
Christmas rolled around, and Ester made sure there was a decorated tree in the farmhouse. She also made sure everybody had a wrapped Christmas present. And she also cooked a nice turkey dinner.
On News Year's eve, they got drunk off whiskey to celebrate the start of 1934.
Then after they relaxed around Uncle Melvin's farm, January was over. Hud then started planning the gang's next job for February.
Meanwhile, back up in Indianapolis, Indiana, Bureau of Investigation Agent Kelly was stumped why all of the leads of possible sightings of The Hudsters dried up. He wondered if the gang stopped their criminal ways and went into hiding.
But the newspapers also started reporting that Ester Walker was considered a member of The Hudsters. Some papers also included her mug shot from when she was arrested for prostitution in 1931 in St. Louis.
Agents Kelly, Handson and Henderson sat around a table.
"We know that Hud Hudson's parents are both dead and not know relatives," Agent Handson told Agent Kelly.
"Har