This is a 1932 Hudson, similar to the vehicle Nelson took from the agents at the scene of the shooting.
Chase drives off in the darkness
About an hour later, Chase would testify, a man entered the bedroom "and began to holler about moving the car out of the garage." Chase agreed, but as he was about to leave, Nelson opened his eyes and said, "Please don't leave me now."
Chase remained by the beside, but a few minutes later the man returned and again demanded Chase move the car. But as Chase was about to leave, Nelson again begged him to stay. He repeated his promised to Nelson to stay, but could see he was "getting weaker and weaker all the time and drifting in and out of consciousness."
A few minutes later, Chase said he "quietly slipped out the back door" and drove off. At his trial, he insisted he planned to ditch the car and then return to Nelson's side. However, because he was unfamiliar with the area, he was soon lost. His plan was to drive south, away from the shooting, but ended up heading north and soon found himself back in Winnetka, just a short distance from the scene of the shooting. He continued driving, looking for landmarks, until the car ran out of gas and he abandoned it near some railroad tracks. It was discovered several hours later and the FBI reported it had a large amount of blood on the passenger side floor when the left leg would rest and the passenger seat was soaked in blood.
After abandoning the car, Chase believed there was noting he could do for Nelson and not even sure how to get back to the house, he simply boarded a train into Chicago. He remained there until Nov. 30 when he answered a newspaper seeking someone to drive a vehicle to Seattle, Wash. From Seattle he traveled to Butte, Mont., and then to California where he was arrested on Dec. 26, 1934. (See "John Paul Chase" for more on his life.)
Chase remained by the beside, but a few minutes later the man returned and again demanded Chase move the car. But as Chase was about to leave, Nelson again begged him to stay. He repeated his promised to Nelson to stay, but could see he was "getting weaker and weaker all the time and drifting in and out of consciousness."
A few minutes later, Chase said he "quietly slipped out the back door" and drove off. At his trial, he insisted he planned to ditch the car and then return to Nelson's side. However, because he was unfamiliar with the area, he was soon lost. His plan was to drive south, away from the shooting, but ended up heading north and soon found himself back in Winnetka, just a short distance from the scene of the shooting. He continued driving, looking for landmarks, until the car ran out of gas and he abandoned it near some railroad tracks. It was discovered several hours later and the FBI reported it had a large amount of blood on the passenger side floor when the left leg would rest and the passenger seat was soaked in blood.
After abandoning the car, Chase believed there was noting he could do for Nelson and not even sure how to get back to the house, he simply boarded a train into Chicago. He remained there until Nov. 30 when he answered a newspaper seeking someone to drive a vehicle to Seattle, Wash. From Seattle he traveled to Butte, Mont., and then to California where he was arrested on Dec. 26, 1934. (See "John Paul Chase" for more on his life.)
Final minutes
Helen in court.
With Chase and the car gone, Helen was left alone with her husband who, she later testified, seemed to gain a short burst of strength and starting talking. She said he asked her to "say goodbye to mother." He then "mentioned all the family, his sisters, his brother, nieces, nephews and in-laws." She said when he spoke about their children, he cried. He was then quiet for a time but finally spoke one last time. He said, "It's getting dark, Helen. I can't see you anymore."
She said he "eyes were glazed over" and his breathing became shallow and raspy, then simply stopped. She glanced at her watch. It was 7:35 p.m.
Not knowing what to do, Helen simply sat with the body until shortly after 1:30 a.m. when someone entered the room and said, "We'll have to take him out."
Helen said, "I'd like to take him to undertaker's" and they wrapped Nelson in a green, red and black imitation Navajo Indian blanket and the pair carried him to an Oldsmobile and placed him in the back seat. She climbed into the back with him and cradled his head as they drove off. They drove south into Niles Center (now Skokie). When Helen asked if they were going to the undertaker's, the man said, "No, we aren't going to the undertaker's. We have to put him out around here."
As they reached St. Paul's Cemetery, Helen said, "this is the best place to leave Les' body." The driver pulled over the curb. "We didn't just dump him in a ditch, like the papers said," Helen later told authorizes. "When we stopped, I put my arms under Les' shoulders and the man took his feet. It was too much for me, though, and I fell down, hurting my knee on the pavement. We lifted him out and put him down on the grass. She took a moment to tuck the blanket in around him. "I wanted Les to be comfortable ... He always hated the cold."
A few blocks away, just south of Howard Avenue, she tossed his bloody clothes out the window where they would be found the following morning. The bundle consisted of a white shirt, gray pants, underwear, socks and a bloody pillow case.
They continued to drive south until the reached Chicago's North Side. "This okay?" the man asked. Helen said it was, but she had no idea where she was or where to go. As she got out of the car, she asked the man a favor. She gave him the name of the undertaker who had buried her mother and sister. He promised to call and tell the undertaker where to find Nelson.
Helen waked the streets all day and slept in the doorway of an abandoned building that night. She eventually turned herself in, and would serve a year and a day in prison. After her release, she faded into history.
She said he "eyes were glazed over" and his breathing became shallow and raspy, then simply stopped. She glanced at her watch. It was 7:35 p.m.
Not knowing what to do, Helen simply sat with the body until shortly after 1:30 a.m. when someone entered the room and said, "We'll have to take him out."
Helen said, "I'd like to take him to undertaker's" and they wrapped Nelson in a green, red and black imitation Navajo Indian blanket and the pair carried him to an Oldsmobile and placed him in the back seat. She climbed into the back with him and cradled his head as they drove off. They drove south into Niles Center (now Skokie). When Helen asked if they were going to the undertaker's, the man said, "No, we aren't going to the undertaker's. We have to put him out around here."
As they reached St. Paul's Cemetery, Helen said, "this is the best place to leave Les' body." The driver pulled over the curb. "We didn't just dump him in a ditch, like the papers said," Helen later told authorizes. "When we stopped, I put my arms under Les' shoulders and the man took his feet. It was too much for me, though, and I fell down, hurting my knee on the pavement. We lifted him out and put him down on the grass. She took a moment to tuck the blanket in around him. "I wanted Les to be comfortable ... He always hated the cold."
A few blocks away, just south of Howard Avenue, she tossed his bloody clothes out the window where they would be found the following morning. The bundle consisted of a white shirt, gray pants, underwear, socks and a bloody pillow case.
They continued to drive south until the reached Chicago's North Side. "This okay?" the man asked. Helen said it was, but she had no idea where she was or where to go. As she got out of the car, she asked the man a favor. She gave him the name of the undertaker who had buried her mother and sister. He promised to call and tell the undertaker where to find Nelson.
Helen waked the streets all day and slept in the doorway of an abandoned building that night. She eventually turned herself in, and would serve a year and a day in prison. After her release, she faded into history.
Body is recovered
Nelson's mug shot.
Shortly before dawn, a man with "a rough voice" called Sadowski's funeral home and told the undertaker the location of the body of a man named Gillis and told him to go get it.
When the undertaker said he could not just go pick up bodies on the side of the road and that the coroner had to be notified the caller said, "Call who ever you want, just take care of it."
Authorities were called and the body was soon located. It was resting on the grass near the cemetery gate, it's head, tilted slightly to the left, was on the curb. Still wrapped in the Indian blanket, Nelson's legs were crossed, the right over the left. The right hand was resting across the stomach and the left hand, in a claw-like pose, was held above the wound. His face was drawn back in what appeared to be a grin. The body was in full rigor.
Nelson was dead, but the story was far from over.
See Nelson's Death Revisited.
Home Previous Death Revisited
When the undertaker said he could not just go pick up bodies on the side of the road and that the coroner had to be notified the caller said, "Call who ever you want, just take care of it."
Authorities were called and the body was soon located. It was resting on the grass near the cemetery gate, it's head, tilted slightly to the left, was on the curb. Still wrapped in the Indian blanket, Nelson's legs were crossed, the right over the left. The right hand was resting across the stomach and the left hand, in a claw-like pose, was held above the wound. His face was drawn back in what appeared to be a grin. The body was in full rigor.
Nelson was dead, but the story was far from over.
See Nelson's Death Revisited.
Home Previous Death Revisited
