A Bluffton-John Dillinger story you never heard before
For more information about "Bluffton Anthology" click here.
A Bluffton John Dillinger story from Charles Hilty that you've never heard -
A story told to me by my father was that a small, mysterious business was opened in that room (reference to the rear of 101 N. Main St.) by a guy from out of town not long before the Dillinger gang came to town.
And the little business was closed and the mysterious man went away almost immediately after the bank robbery.
This was told to John Bauman and me by my Dad one Sunday night in 1948 when he was driving us back from Cincinnati after taking John and me to a Reds doubleheader.
My Dad and my Uncle George Kempf were both on the jury in 1934 that convicted Pierpont and other Dillinger gang members of the murder of Allen County Sheriff Jess Sarber. (Readers might cross-reference this with the Charles Triplehorn Dillinger story on page 62.)
This is a sample of the content of "Bluffton Anthology - A creek runs through it." Copies are now available for $24.95 plus tax in Bluffton at:
• Roots by Strattons
• The Food Store
• The Black Lab
• Bluffton Senior Citizens Center
• The Dough Hook
• Polished
Stories Posted This Week
Thursday, October 1, 2026
- ICYMI: September 2026 Bluffton Icon Highlights
- October 1 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
- Ar-Hale Family Foundation supports Crime Victim Services
- Bluffton Police answer 672 calls for service in August 2026
- Pressure: Beets for the heart
- BHS Junior Class fundraiser for Post Prom
- Beaver and Pirate homecoming doubleheader
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- Pirate volleyball loss vs. Lincolnview
- Village of Bluffton meetings announced, Oct. 1-Nov. 2
- 100 years of being Beavers: 2026 Bluffton University Homecoming, Oct. 2-4
- Check out October 2026 BPL Update
- Final call for for Bluffton photos contest
- Pandora-Gilboa HS crowns Homecoming King and Queen
- Bluffton Council recap: Purchase of Marsh Run acres approved
- Senior Center's October membership dinner
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
- Pirate volleyball sweeps Wapakoneta
- Pirate boys golf 4th at NWC tourney; Meyer places 2nd
- Pirate girls soccer shuts out Lima Central Catholic
- Pirate boys soccer shuts out Lima Central Catholic
- Pirate girls tennis blanks Kenton
- Bluffton Fall Festival overflows with family fun
- Stauber exhibit at Massillon Museum through November 1
- Arlington invites generations of alumni to all-school Homecoming
Monday, September 28, 2026
- Beavers sports roundup, September 21-27
- Alan K. Yoder, O.D., 86, owned Family Eye Care Clinic of Bluffton
- I-75 lane restrictions in Hancock County, Sept. 28-Oct. 2
- Travis Michael Swank, 40, was a salesman
- NetVUE panel highlights chaplaincy, vocation and meaningful work
- Bluffton Presbyterian hosts community-wide Socktober drive