Gerald Chapman

Gerald Chapman (1891 - April 6, 1926), called the "Count of Gramercy Park", was an American criminal who co-led a Prohibition-era gang with George "Dutch" Anderson during the late 1910s until the mid-1920s.

Criminal career

Chapman became acquainted with Anderson while imprisoned in Auburn State Prison on a bank robbery charge. Following both men's paroles in 1919, they began bootlegging operations in Toledo, Ohio; Miami, Florida and New York City over the next two years.

In late 1921, along with former Auburn inmate Charles Loeber, he and Anderson began committing armed robbery when, on October 21, the three men forced a U.S. Mail truck to stop at gunpoint on Leonard Street, successfully taking $2.4 million in cash, bonds and jewelry. Eluding capture for more than eight months, the three were eventually arrested by New York police on July 3, 1922, after being betrayed by a police informant. Chapman and Anderson were both sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and ordered to serve their time at the Atlanta Federal Prison. Chapman escaped from prison on April 5, 1923, and Anderson escaped on December 30, 1923. They reunited, and were suspected by authorities to have committed several hold-ups.

Capture

On October 12, 1924, while on a crime spree in Connecticut, Chapman murdered Police Officer James Skelly of the New Britain Police Department. He was then recaptured on January 18, 1925, in Muncie, Indiana, based on authorities being tipped off by informant Ben Hance. During his apprehension, Chapman fired at a police officer but missed. Both Hance and his wife were found dead eight months later on August 11, 1925. Authorities suspected their deaths may have been attributed to Anderson in revenge for betraying Chapman to the police.

Trial and execution

During the six-day murder trial in Hartford, Connecticut, crowds gathered due to his status as one of the "top 10" criminals in America. The jury deliberated for 11 hours, after which Chapman was found guilty and eventually sentenced to hang. Although he proclaimed his innocence to the end, he was executed by the upright jerker on April 6, 1926.

Further reading

*Downey, Patrick, "Bad Seeds in the Big Apple", Cumberland House Publishing, 2008