Little Bohemia on the morning after. Note the shot-out window on the second floor. That's the window from which Van Meter fired as the agents approached. The men in the picture are exiting the kitchen door. The main entrance is just to the left in the photo. Note Shadow in the back of the truck, still on duty since the night before.
 Pointing to the extensive damage. |
 Staff and visitors point to more damage. |
Still-stunned agents at the lodge the morning after. They couldn't believe how so much could go so wrong in so short a time.
The bloodshed continues
Nelson panics; Wanatka screams
Alvin Koerner
Only Nelson was still in the immediate area of Little Bohemia. After wandering in the woods for some time, he emerged near a lodge owned by an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Lang.
He forced the Langs to drive him to Highway 51, not realizing he was headed toward Henry Voss' resort, where the FBI had set-up a command post. Before getting there, however, the Lang's vehicle broke down in front of the home of Alvin Koerner, the telephone exchange operator Wanatka had spoken with earlier. When Koerner saw Nelson and the Langs walking up his driveway, and aware of the situation unfolding at Little Bohemia, he called the FBI at Voss' place to report three strangers on his property.
At the same time Koerner was reporting to the FBI, LaPorte was driving to Koerner's house. LaPorte had arrived with the CCC doctor just as his brother-in-law and the employees were walking out of the lodge coatless with their hands up. LaPorte was driving them to Koerner's place to borrow coats, and they had planned to return to Little Bohemia. As the three men entered Koerner's house moments later, they were confronted by Nelson holding a gun. "Hello, Jimmie," said one of the bartenders.
"Never mind the bullshit," said Nelson." Get up against the wall with the rest of them."
Wanatka touched Nelson's arm. "You don't need the gun, Jimmie. These are friends of mine." Nelson pushed his hand away and told him to do as he was told.
Selecting two hostages, Koerner and Wanatka, they left and climbed into LaPorte's car. Koerner in the back and Wanatka behind the wheel. Nelson kept jabbing Wanatka with the gun. Wanatka kept assuring him he was unarmed and not a danger, but Nelson kept jabbing him. When Wanatka was unable to start the car, Nelson became enraged. As Wanatka continued to try to start the car, a vehicle pulled into Koerner's driveway. It contained two FBI agents, Jay Newman, 27, a Mormon lay preacher, who was driving, and Carter Baum, 29, sitting in the middle. In the passenger seat was a local policeman, Carl C. Christensen, who had been on the job less than a month.
The trio had just come from Voss' lodge where they had learned of Koerner's call regarding the three strangers in his driveway and had come to investigate. As they pulled to the right rear of LaPorte's car, Newman rolled down his window and said "I'm looking for Mr. Koerner."
Nelson leaped from the other car and ordered the three to get out. As Newman and Christenson opened their doors to get out, Nelson simply opened fire, hitting Newman in the forehead. He also hit Christensen, who rolled into a ditch. Before Baum could react, Nelson shot and killed him.
During the confusion, Koerner ran from the car into the house and locked the door; Wanatka jumped out of the car and started running. Nelson went wild. He started shooting in every direction. He fired toward Wanatka and then turned his gun back on Christensen, who already had eight bullets in him. He fired at Newman who, despite his head wound, was still alive and crawling across the ground toward the house. Nelson then climbed into the FBI's Ford and, pushing Baum's body out, drove around LaPort's car, almost running over Newman, who was still crawling toward the house. Nelson drove down driveway toward Highway 51. Newman managed to get out his gun and fire, but missed the car.
Wanatka, meanwhile, had run all the way back to Little Bohemia to get help. Once there, he ran up to Purvis shouting "All your men are dead. At Koerner's." Purvis seemed confused and kept looking at the lodge. Oddly, he then asked Wanatka how he spelled his last name. The agents, meanwhile, and a gathering of self-appointed deputies were still shooting at the lodge, and teargas was still being tossed through the windows. The sounds of glass breaking and bullets splintering wood could be heard by neighboring homes. Some agents were eventually dispatched to Koerner's home, but the rest continued to sporadically shoot at the lodge.
It wasn't until dawn arrived that the full scope of the damage could be seen. Wanatka screamed for everyone to stop shooting, and said he'd shoot the next person who shot at his house. "Dillinger left last night," he screamed. "He's not here." The shooting finally stopped.
As everyone stood around and watched teargas slowly pour from windows and listened to the occasional sounds of glass falling and breaking inside, the faint, nervous voice of a woman was heard from the depths of the lodge. "We'll come out if you stop firing." A moment later Crompton, Gillis and Conforti, still holding her puppy, walked out. Agents rushed in and found no one else inside.
The battle of Little Bohemia was over.
The result was one dead agent, one wounded, a dead policeman, an innocent man killed and two other innocent men wounded, several agents with various minor injuries from falling into a ditch or getting caught on barbed-wire, three vehicles stolen and several others damaged, a community terrorized, and a once handsome lodge with extensive damage.
Taken into custody were three unarmed women and a puppy named Rex.
(For the rest of the story, see Little Bohemia Revisited)
Home Previous Revisited
He forced the Langs to drive him to Highway 51, not realizing he was headed toward Henry Voss' resort, where the FBI had set-up a command post. Before getting there, however, the Lang's vehicle broke down in front of the home of Alvin Koerner, the telephone exchange operator Wanatka had spoken with earlier. When Koerner saw Nelson and the Langs walking up his driveway, and aware of the situation unfolding at Little Bohemia, he called the FBI at Voss' place to report three strangers on his property.
At the same time Koerner was reporting to the FBI, LaPorte was driving to Koerner's house. LaPorte had arrived with the CCC doctor just as his brother-in-law and the employees were walking out of the lodge coatless with their hands up. LaPorte was driving them to Koerner's place to borrow coats, and they had planned to return to Little Bohemia. As the three men entered Koerner's house moments later, they were confronted by Nelson holding a gun. "Hello, Jimmie," said one of the bartenders.
"Never mind the bullshit," said Nelson." Get up against the wall with the rest of them."
Wanatka touched Nelson's arm. "You don't need the gun, Jimmie. These are friends of mine." Nelson pushed his hand away and told him to do as he was told.
Selecting two hostages, Koerner and Wanatka, they left and climbed into LaPorte's car. Koerner in the back and Wanatka behind the wheel. Nelson kept jabbing Wanatka with the gun. Wanatka kept assuring him he was unarmed and not a danger, but Nelson kept jabbing him. When Wanatka was unable to start the car, Nelson became enraged. As Wanatka continued to try to start the car, a vehicle pulled into Koerner's driveway. It contained two FBI agents, Jay Newman, 27, a Mormon lay preacher, who was driving, and Carter Baum, 29, sitting in the middle. In the passenger seat was a local policeman, Carl C. Christensen, who had been on the job less than a month.
The trio had just come from Voss' lodge where they had learned of Koerner's call regarding the three strangers in his driveway and had come to investigate. As they pulled to the right rear of LaPorte's car, Newman rolled down his window and said "I'm looking for Mr. Koerner."
Nelson leaped from the other car and ordered the three to get out. As Newman and Christenson opened their doors to get out, Nelson simply opened fire, hitting Newman in the forehead. He also hit Christensen, who rolled into a ditch. Before Baum could react, Nelson shot and killed him.
During the confusion, Koerner ran from the car into the house and locked the door; Wanatka jumped out of the car and started running. Nelson went wild. He started shooting in every direction. He fired toward Wanatka and then turned his gun back on Christensen, who already had eight bullets in him. He fired at Newman who, despite his head wound, was still alive and crawling across the ground toward the house. Nelson then climbed into the FBI's Ford and, pushing Baum's body out, drove around LaPort's car, almost running over Newman, who was still crawling toward the house. Nelson drove down driveway toward Highway 51. Newman managed to get out his gun and fire, but missed the car.
Wanatka, meanwhile, had run all the way back to Little Bohemia to get help. Once there, he ran up to Purvis shouting "All your men are dead. At Koerner's." Purvis seemed confused and kept looking at the lodge. Oddly, he then asked Wanatka how he spelled his last name. The agents, meanwhile, and a gathering of self-appointed deputies were still shooting at the lodge, and teargas was still being tossed through the windows. The sounds of glass breaking and bullets splintering wood could be heard by neighboring homes. Some agents were eventually dispatched to Koerner's home, but the rest continued to sporadically shoot at the lodge.
It wasn't until dawn arrived that the full scope of the damage could be seen. Wanatka screamed for everyone to stop shooting, and said he'd shoot the next person who shot at his house. "Dillinger left last night," he screamed. "He's not here." The shooting finally stopped.
As everyone stood around and watched teargas slowly pour from windows and listened to the occasional sounds of glass falling and breaking inside, the faint, nervous voice of a woman was heard from the depths of the lodge. "We'll come out if you stop firing." A moment later Crompton, Gillis and Conforti, still holding her puppy, walked out. Agents rushed in and found no one else inside.
The battle of Little Bohemia was over.
The result was one dead agent, one wounded, a dead policeman, an innocent man killed and two other innocent men wounded, several agents with various minor injuries from falling into a ditch or getting caught on barbed-wire, three vehicles stolen and several others damaged, a community terrorized, and a once handsome lodge with extensive damage.
Taken into custody were three unarmed women and a puppy named Rex.
(For the rest of the story, see Little Bohemia Revisited)
Home Previous Revisited
 Agent Carter Baum |
 Baum's funeral four days after the battle at Little Bohemia |
Carl Christensen is pictured recovering in a hospital.
