They dubbed him Ammunition Eddie because of his exploits, and in the course of his criminal career he shot dead six people during armed robberies.
He was Edward Wheed, of Chicago, and in his last great robbery his gang attacked a Brinks Express van, shot dead two guards, and made off with $9,000. Police pursued the gang and Wheed holed up in his mothers house. When his whereabouts were discovered, the house was besieged by 250 police and 5,000 civilians. Wheed shot four of the policemen, although none of them died, before surrendering on terms which, he claimed, included a promise he wouldnt hang.
For like most gunmen, Ammunition Eddie was a coward and was terrified of dying on the gallows. His worst fears came true, however, when he was hanged at Chicagos Cook County Prison on Friday, February 15th, 1918, alongside another, unconnected, murderer, Harry Lindrum.