Visitors to the Florence County Museum may notice a rather macabre artifact on display there. It is the death mask of John Dillinger, one of the most notorious criminals in American history. Dillinger wreaked havoc across the Midwest with his crime spree during the early 1930's; robbing banks, murdering, and breaking out from prison more than once.
Dillinger's death mask may seem a bit out of place at the Florence County Museum. What is Dillinger's connection with the Palmetto State? As it turns out, it was in fact a South Carolinian who put an end to Dillinger's life of crime. The head of the FBI at the time- J. Edgar Hoover assigned the determined and talented "G-Man", or FBI Agent Melvin Purvis to take down "Public Enemy #1".
Cherish Thomas and Stephen Motte of the Florence County Museum join host Andrew Davis to unmask the history behind Dillinger's death mask and Melvin Purvis's contributions to law enforcement.
Curiosity Trek! tells the stories of historic people and events through the artifacts left behind. The series highlights more than just objects of significant historical value but also the strange and the bizarre! The people tied to these objects may be gone, but their stories live on through these artifacts.
