Hyman S. Lehman
Encyclopedia
Hyman S. Lehman was an American gunsmith and armorer. He provided specialized and custom made weaponry to countless bank robbers and outlaws during the Great Depression
.
Be advised that the spelling of the name LEHMAN may be in question. Other search engines carry much the same info, possibly more, under the name LEBMAN. United States court documents refer to him as Hyman Saul Lebman.
. He was regarded as a reliable weapons dealer in the underworld selling the Thompson submachine gun, a favorite among Depression-era outlaws, as well as customizing "civilian" small arms weaponry. These weapons were often converted into full-automatic weapons for use in bank robberies and contract murders. One of his specialties was the "baby machine gun", a Colt .38 Super semi-automatic pistol converted to full-auto fire. This weapon featured an oversized ammunition magazine, a muzzle brake, and a fore grip adapted from the more familiar Thompson submachine gun
which gave the shooter more control over the weapon in battle.
Lehman did business with virtually every major criminal during the "Public enemy
"-era. When Chicago bootlegger Roger "The Terrible" Touhy
was arrested in Wisconsin on July 19, 1933, one of Lehman's "baby machine guns" was found in his car. Pretty Boy Floyd
and John Dillinger
were also known buyers. A full-auto Lebman Colt belonging to Dillinger was found at one of his hideouts in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 31, 1934 as well as leaving behind at the Little Bohemia Lodge three weeks later.
His most famous customer was perhaps Baby Face Nelson
whose earliest known purchase of weapons from Lehman occurred while visiting San Antonio in early-1933. His association with Nelson and the Dillinger gang would continue for another year and a half. In November of that year, Lehman had Homer Van Meter
, Baby Face Nelson his wife over his home for Thanksgiving
. Less than two weeks later, Tommy Carroll
was sent by Nelson to pick up a shipment from Lehman. Carroll was forced to turn back upon reaching San Antonio when, on February 11, 1934, he shot and killed Detective H.C. Perrow.
A month later, Nelson used one of his special automatics to kill federal agent W. Carter Baum and seriously wound two others during the shootout with authorities at the Little Bohemia Lodge on April 22. Although this gun was never recovered, the FBI were able to trace the gun left behind by Dillinger via serial number to the Colt factory in Hartford, Connecticut
. From there, authorities followed the trail to a Fort Worth distributor who sold the unmodified weapon to Hyman Lehman. There was no federal law against civilian ownership or manufacturing of machine guns at that time, the National Firearms Act
being passed only a few weeks later, however prosecutors did attempt to charge Lehman with possession of a .45 pistol claimed as stolen U.S. government property. He was never brought to trial for this offense.
Lehman would continue to face legal problems. He was tried for violation of a Texas state law, passed in October 1933, which restricted possession of machine guns. Lehman was initially convicted of violating that law in 1935 and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He later won an appeal and his second trial resulted in a jury deadlock of 11-1 for conviction. Federal prosecutors suspected jury tampering in the retrial, specifically with the lone holdout juror, but they were never able to offer any evidence. Despite a five-year effort to reopen the case, Texas state attorney refused to hold a third trial. "Witness problems" and a heavy court schedule were also claimed by the District Attorney's office and the case was eventually dismissed in 1941. Lehman retired from gunsmithing and remained in San Antonio designing custom boots and saddles until his death.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Be advised that the spelling of the name LEHMAN may be in question. Other search engines carry much the same info, possibly more, under the name LEBMAN. United States court documents refer to him as Hyman Saul Lebman.
Biography
Born to a prominent Texas family, Hyman Lehman was an accomplished gunsmith and owner of a successful gun shop in San Antonio by the time of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He was regarded as a reliable weapons dealer in the underworld selling the Thompson submachine gun, a favorite among Depression-era outlaws, as well as customizing "civilian" small arms weaponry. These weapons were often converted into full-automatic weapons for use in bank robberies and contract murders. One of his specialties was the "baby machine gun", a Colt .38 Super semi-automatic pistol converted to full-auto fire. This weapon featured an oversized ammunition magazine, a muzzle brake, and a fore grip adapted from the more familiar Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
which gave the shooter more control over the weapon in battle.
Lehman did business with virtually every major criminal during the "Public enemy
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
"-era. When Chicago bootlegger Roger "The Terrible" Touhy
Roger Touhy
Roger Touhy was an Irish-American mob boss and prohibition-era bootlegger from Chicago, Illinois. He is best remembered for having been framed for the 1933 faked kidnapping of gangster John "Jake the Barber" Factor, a brother of cosmetics manufacturer Max Factor, Sr...
was arrested in Wisconsin on July 19, 1933, one of Lehman's "baby machine guns" was found in his car. Pretty Boy Floyd
Pretty Boy Floyd
Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was an American bank robber. He operated in the West South Central States, and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s. Like most other prominent outlaws of that era, he was killed by law enforcement officers...
and John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
were also known buyers. A full-auto Lebman Colt belonging to Dillinger was found at one of his hideouts in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 31, 1934 as well as leaving behind at the Little Bohemia Lodge three weeks later.
His most famous customer was perhaps Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
whose earliest known purchase of weapons from Lehman occurred while visiting San Antonio in early-1933. His association with Nelson and the Dillinger gang would continue for another year and a half. In November of that year, Lehman had Homer Van Meter
Homer Van Meter
Homer "Wayne" Van Meter was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.-Early life:...
, Baby Face Nelson his wife over his home for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. Less than two weeks later, Tommy Carroll
Tommy Carroll (criminal)
Thomas Leonard "Tommy" Carroll was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. A boxer-turned-criminal, he committed numerous robberies during the 1920s and 30s as well as being a longtime member of the Dillinger gang....
was sent by Nelson to pick up a shipment from Lehman. Carroll was forced to turn back upon reaching San Antonio when, on February 11, 1934, he shot and killed Detective H.C. Perrow.
A month later, Nelson used one of his special automatics to kill federal agent W. Carter Baum and seriously wound two others during the shootout with authorities at the Little Bohemia Lodge on April 22. Although this gun was never recovered, the FBI were able to trace the gun left behind by Dillinger via serial number to the Colt factory in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. From there, authorities followed the trail to a Fort Worth distributor who sold the unmodified weapon to Hyman Lehman. There was no federal law against civilian ownership or manufacturing of machine guns at that time, the National Firearms Act
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
being passed only a few weeks later, however prosecutors did attempt to charge Lehman with possession of a .45 pistol claimed as stolen U.S. government property. He was never brought to trial for this offense.
Lehman would continue to face legal problems. He was tried for violation of a Texas state law, passed in October 1933, which restricted possession of machine guns. Lehman was initially convicted of violating that law in 1935 and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He later won an appeal and his second trial resulted in a jury deadlock of 11-1 for conviction. Federal prosecutors suspected jury tampering in the retrial, specifically with the lone holdout juror, but they were never able to offer any evidence. Despite a five-year effort to reopen the case, Texas state attorney refused to hold a third trial. "Witness problems" and a heavy court schedule were also claimed by the District Attorney's office and the case was eventually dismissed in 1941. Lehman retired from gunsmithing and remained in San Antonio designing custom boots and saddles until his death.