Everett Bridgewater

Everett Bridgewater (born c.1902) was an American bank robber during the Prohibition era. He is best known as an early associate of Harry Pierpont.

Criminal career Pierpont-Bridgewater-Northern Gang, 1924-25 South Marion State Bank, Marion, Indiana, November 26, 1924 At 2:45 in the afternoon of November 26, 1924, seven young, unmasked, well-dressed bandits held up the officers and two customers of the South Marion State Bank at Thirty-first and Washington streets in Marion, Indiana, robbing the bank of approximately $4,000.00 in cash. No one was injured, and not a shot was fired. Five men went inside, two stayed outside. Grant County Sheriff Bert Renbarger and his deputies stopped a Nash car matching the description at Sweetser, Indiana but the occupants were found to be out of town businessmen.

While three robbers rushed to the rear of the bank to cover officials, the other three ordered several customers and the cashier to hold up their hands. The leader of the bandits cautioned his associates to listen for an alarm repeatedly.

Shelby Hardware Store, Lebanon, Indiana, December 22, 1924 On December 22, 1924, the John D. Shelby Hardware Store of Lebanon, Indiana was robbed of two rifles, two double barreled shot guns, one hammerless double barrel shot gun, two single shot rifles, one Marlin rifle, repeater, two Remington repeating rifles, eight pocket knives, one six inch barrel pistol, one 32 German automatic revolver, about fifty boxes of ammunition, four flashlights, several batteries, and other articles.

Boone County, Indiana Sheriff Joe C. Cain notified Grant County, Indiana Sheriff Renbarger of the list of items stolen from the Lebanon store and stated that the robbers were driving a Moon sedan, with the license 443–554, which was stolen from Indianapolis the night of the Lebanon robbery.

The bandits attempted to lock the cashier and a female employee in the bank vault. Finding that the safe would not work, they began scooping all of the money in sight as well as all the money in sight in the safe, consisting of paper and silver. However, the possession of the Ford roadster they were driving was found to be legitimate and they were released.

First State Bank of Galveston, Galveston, Indiana, June 6, 1925 On June 6, 1925, three bandits entered the First State Bank of Galveston, Indiana around 9 o'clock and robbed the bank of $3,000. A fourth bandit stayed at the wheel of a Studebaker automobile.

The cashier of the bank was alone at the time of the robbery. Two and a half miles from Galveston the car was abandoned. It was noted that if apprehended, Bridgewater would likely be turned over to Grant County authorities as the case against him was stronger there.

Bridgewater managed to elude authorities for several months before being captured by Indianapolis police on June 19, 1925. Arrested along with Bridgewater were Clinton Simms, 25, and Bridgewater's brother-in-law, William A. Zander. Bridgewater spent the next nine years in prison, but was paroled in 1934 after from the Indiana State Penitentiary in Michigan City, Indiana based on affidavits that "he is a model prisoner and has taken correspondence courses in accounting and chemistry since he entered the prison.

Arrest of Other Bridgewater Gang Members Shortly after Bridgewater's arrest and sentencing to at least 10 years in prison, three other members of the Bridgewater gang were arrested.

On June 30, 1925, Norman Lipscomb, 23, was arrested in Indianapolis after an exchange of gunfire and was being questioned about a number of recent robberies. He was described as a known member of the gang formerly headed by Bridgewater.

On July 3, 1925, a George "Dewey" Elliott was arrested in Indianapolis and was believed to be connected with the Kokomo bank bandit gang. Kokomo police were doubting that the man arrested in Indianapolis was the same as the Kokomo "Dewey" Elliott, husband of local madam Pearl Elliott. The Kokomo Elliott was a known associate of Pierpont and Bridgewater.

On July 4, 1925, Clifford Roth was arrested in Indianapolis as the fourth member of the gang who robbed the Galveston Bank under $5,000 bond on a vagrancy charge. Roth was implicated through the confessions of other members of the "Bridgewater gang", but denied being involved when arrested. Witnesses at the trial identified Bridgewater as the trigger man who fired several shots at store employees as they attempted to flee.

Tried at Richmond, Indiana, Judge Earl Keisker gave Bridgewater the mandatory sentence of not less than 10 nor more than 25 years. Bridgewater had to complete the remainder of his original sentence from Howard County Judge Marshall for the South Kokomo Bank robbery, making the minimum sentence 21 years and the maximum of 36 years before he could be paroled.

Bridgewater attempted to bargain with the original judge, Judge Hoelscher, boasting of his knowledge of John Dillinger and telling how the prison break had denied his receiving parole. When these efforts failed, Bridgewater obtained a change of venue and threw himself on the mercy of Special Judge Kiesker.