Is This the "Baron"?


The "Baron" Lamm is a very interesting character.  Unfortunately, not much information is out there about this man.  Lamm is often credited for mastering the art of bank robbery and teaching military precision for the act of robbery.  Lamm was known to thoroughly "case" the bank before the robbery, execute the robbery within a set amount of time, and to utilize planned escape routes in which the driver had practiced the course, timed the course, and had detailed maps of the escape route attached to the car's dash.  

By some accounts, Herman Lamm was actually Thomas Bell, an escapee from the Utah State Prison,  Thomas Bell was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

These teachings later aided John Dillinger and Harry Pierpont as their Terror Gang stormed the midwest.

While most of this site focuses on the original Terror Gang, Baron Lamm's methodology of bank robbery, as taught to the Pierpont Gang by Walter Dietrich in prison, plays a crucial role within the Gang's history and thus Baron Lamm deserves his own page.

BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID

Herman was a member of this famous outlaw gang, in the beginning serving as a relay horse holder and later traveling to South America to be a part of the gang's historic robberies

       

           

       

Seated: Harry A. Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid,
Ben "The Tall Texan" Kilpatrick, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy. Standing: Will Carver & Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry; Photo taken in Fort Worth, Texas.

THE DENVER MINT ROBBERY

Lamm has been rumored to be a part of the famous Denver Mint Robbery which occurred on December 18, 1922.  No one was ever officially charged with this amazing robbery of over $200,000.  Harvey Baily has also been a long time suspect, and Lamm associate.

Top- Harvey Baily mugshot.  Bottom- Denver Mint Circa 1909

OTHER ASSOCIATED GANGS

Lamm often recruited members from other criminal gangs.  Some of the gangs known to have been used by Lamm's recruitment include the Birger Gang (see photo below), and the Weaver Gang.

THE SURVIVORS

The survivors of the Illinois shoot out that took Lamm's life, Clark and Dietrich, were sentenced to the Indiana State Prison.  Soon, the Lamm methods were taught to Harry Pierpont and his prison clique.  These teachings would  be embraced by the Harry Pierpont Terror Gang.  Clark and Dietrich escaped with Harry Pierpont and the other Michigan City Prison escapees .