From The Times: December 13, 1921
The entire police force of Chicago and sheriffs’ posses in surrounding districts of the State of Illinois are hunting for “Lucky Tom” O’Connor, the notorious “two-gun man”, the most desperate criminal in the United States who yesterday fought his way out of the Littlerock Penitentiary on the eve of his execution for the murder of a policeman and disappeared in a motor-car with the panic-stricken man and woman from whom he commandeered it at the point of a pistol. So reckless is O’Connor that the Chief of the Chicago police has warned his men not to attempt to take him alive. “Shoot at sight, and shoot to kill” is the order that he is reported to have issued. “The only way to get rid of murderers like O’Connor is to put them in the morgue. I will suspend any man who tries to take him alive.” O’Connor’s escape was an amazing feat of daring. He was at exercise with 50 other criminals yesterday morning, under the supervision of a single guard. One of his friends distracted the guard’s attention, whereupon O’Connor sprang on him, and pointing a pistol, which the prison authorities state must have been smuggled in from outside, seized the keys and beat the man insensible. Two guards who ran up on hearing the commotion were dealt with in a similar way. Then, followed by a number of convicts, O’Connor made a dash for the prison walls but, fearing that the rush of men would attract attention, turned on the other convicts and with two friends drove them back into the exercise pen and locked them in. Knocking down a gaoler who tried to intercept them the men reached the prison yard. Forcing his two companions to give him a lift O’Connor scaled a 12ft wall and dropped on the other side as the warders rushed up and captured the other two men. Once in the roadway O’Connor leapt into a motor-car standing by and drove away. After a quarter of a mile he crashed into a tree. Drawing his pistol he stopped a car occupied by a man and woman and, forcing the terrified pair to the rear seat, took the wheel and drove away. The good fortune which earned him his nickname and which has enabled him to escape from a dozen tight corners has thus far held good, for no trace of him has been found.
FROM THE ARCHIVE