James Lord Pierpont was not a hit either time. The popularity of the song, however, grew with the passage of time to the point where it became one of the most popular and recognizable songs of the Christmas holiday. The original lyrics to "The One Horse Open Sleigh" as written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 are as follows: <poem>Dashing thro' the snow, In a one-horse open sleigh, O'er the hills we go, Laughing all the way; Bells on bob tail ring, Making spirits bright, Oh what sport to ride and sing A sleighing song to night. Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all
Harry Pierpont Leach suspected that Dillinger's rescue was related to the Michigan City jailbreak. He also suspected Pierpont was the "brains" behind the operations. Leach attempted to inspire friction in the ranks of the gang. During news interviews, he made a point of calling them the "Dillinger Gang", instead of the "Pierpont Gang". The ruse backfired, as Pierpont couldn't have cared less what people called the gang. The search had become so intense in Ohio for the gang that two days after freeing Dillinger they decided to split into two groups and meet in Chicago. On October 14, 1933, Dillinger, Pierpont, and