Big Arthur Bites the Big One

"Big" Arthur Callen was a lone wolf operator from Philadelphia. During the good years of the mid 1920s he bought a house in the same neighborhood as the mayor figuring it would be safe. He drove a bullet proof car, which police discovered after gunmen sprayed his house with machine gun fire. So much for living near the mayor. He had sixteen arrests under his belt dating back to 1913 but his only conviction was for picking pockets out of state.

At about two-fifty in the morning, August 2, 1929 Callen left his apartment. He barely got to the sidewalk when BANG a gunman fired a shot into his side. Callen ran back to his apartment building but couldn't get the door open. BANG he was shot again.  Callen's next move was to run to the rear of the building. BANG, BANG two more shots hit him but he kept going. Around the building Callen went, followed by the gunman. There was a three foot fence, which Callen miraculously jumped. But that was all he had. On the opposite side of the fence the gangster fell face down and couldn't get back up. His killer walked up to the fence and leaned over. BANG...BANG. It was all over. As people started to gather, a green sedan pulled up and the gunman, placing his pistol in his pocket, stepped in and was whisked away.

Inside Callen's apartment police found some guns and evidence of Callen's diversified criminal activities. There were empty liquor bottles and lables, opium paraphernalia and safe robbing equipment. Callen may have also been hitting hard times. There was a pawn ticket for $500 ring of his.  

Big Arthur Callen