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This article is about the outlaws. For the film, see Bonnie and Clyde (film). Bonnie and Clyde is a American Crime film about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the bank robbers who operated in the Central United States
Bonnie and Clyde

Born Clyde Barrow
March 24, 1909(1909-03-24)
Ellis County, Texas
Died May 23, 1934 (aged 25)
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bonnie and Clyde
Born Bonnie Parker
October 1, 1910(1910-10-01)
Rowena, Texas
Died May 23, 1934 (aged 23)
Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) and Clyde Barrow (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) were notorious outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States during the Great Depression. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Ellis County is a County located in the US state of Texas. In 2000 its population was 111360 Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bienville Parish (Paroisse de Bienville is a Parish located in the U Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Rowena is an unincorporated community in southwestern Runnels County, Texas, United States. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bienville Parish (Paroisse de Bienville is a Parish located in the U Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model roughly coincident Their exploits were known nationwide. They captured the attention of the American press and its readership during what is sometimes referred to as the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1935. Public enemy is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and Although this couple and their gang were notorious for their bank robberies, Barrow, who preferred to rob small stores or gas stations, was believed to have killed, or been a party to killing, at least nine police officers, among several other murders.

Though the public at the time believed Parker to be a full partner in the gang, and thus its crimes, her role in the Barrow Gang crimes has long been a source of controversy. Gang members W. D. Jones and Ralph Fults testified that they never saw Bonnie fire a gun, and described her role as logistical. William Daniel "Deacon" Jones ( &ndash) was a member of the Barrow Gang that terrorized Texas and surrounding states during the early thirties Ralph Fults ( January 23, 1911 - March 16, 1993) was a Depression-era outlaw and escape artist associated with Raymond Hamilton, [1] Writing with Phillip Steele in The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde, Marie Barrow, Clyde's youngest sister, made the same claim: "Bonnie never fired a shot. She just followed my brother no matter where he went. "[2] In his interview with Playboy magazine, W. D. Jones said of Bonnie: "As far as I know, Bonnie never packed a gun. Maybe she'd help carry what we had in the car into a tourist-court room. But during the five big gun battles I was with them, she never fired a gun. But I'll say she was a hell of a loader. "[3]

Writer Joseph Geringer, in his article Bonnie and Clyde: Romeo and Juliet in a Getaway Car, explained part of their appeal to the public then, and their enduring legend now, by saying "Americans thrilled to their 'Robin Hood' adventures. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where The presence of a female, Bonnie, escalated the sincerity of their intentions to make them something unique and individual - even at times heroic. "[4]

Contents

Beginnings

Bonnie Parker

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was born October 1, 1910, in Rowena, Texas, the second of three children. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Rowena is an unincorporated community in southwestern Runnels County, Texas, United States. Her father, Charles Parker (? - c. 1914), a bricklayer, died when Bonnie was four, prompting her mother, Emma Krause Parker (c. 1886 - 1946[5]), to move with the children to West Dallas, where they lived in poverty. Demographics As of the 2000 US census, there were 24132 people residing in the neighborhood An honor roll student in high school where she excelled in creative writing, she won a County League contest in literary arts, for Cement City School,[6] and even gave introductory speeches for local politicians. An honors student is a Student recognized for achieving high Grades or high marks in their course work Described as intelligent and personable yet strong willed, she was an attractive young woman, small at 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) and weighing only 90 pounds (41 kg).

Bonnie Parker standing in front of a 1932 Ford V-8 B-400 Convertible Sedan .
Bonnie Parker standing in front of a 1932 Ford V-8 B-400 Convertible Sedan . See also Ford Model B (1904 Ford V8 redirects here For a list of Ford V8 engines see List of Ford engines#8 Cylinder.

On September 25, 1926, less than a week before her sixteenth birthday, Parker married Roy Thornton. The marriage was short-lived, and in January 1929 they separated but never divorced; Parker was wearing Thornton's wedding ring when she died. [7] His reaction to his wife's death was, "I'm glad they went out like they did. It's much better than being caught. "[7] On March 5, 1933, Thornton was sentenced to five years in prison for burglary. He was gunned down by guards on October 3, 1937, during an escape attempt from Eastham Farm prison. [7]

There are a number of versions of the story describing Bonnie and Clyde's first meeting, but the most credible version indicates that Bonnie Parker met Clyde Barrow in January 1930 at a friend's house. Bonnie was out of work and was staying in West Dallas to assist a girlfriend with a broken arm. Clyde dropped by the girl's house while she was visiting at a friend's home, and Bonnie was supposedly in the kitchen making hot chocolate. They did not meet, as legend has it, while she was a waitress.

When they met, both were smitten immediately and most historians believe Bonnie joined Clyde because she was in love. She remained a loyal companion to him as they carried out their crime spree and awaited the violent deaths they viewed as inevitable. Her fondness for creative writing and the arts found expression in poems such as "Suicide Sal" and "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde". [5]

Jimmy Fowler, writing for the Dallas Observer noted, "although the authorities who gunned down the 23-year old in 1934 conceded that she was no bloodthirsty killer and that when taken into custody she tended to inspire the paternal aspects of the police who held her . The Dallas Observer is a free Alternative weekly Newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas ( USA) area with a . . there was a mystifying devolution from the high school poet, speech class star, and mini-celebrity who performed Shirley Temple-like as a warm up act at the stump speeches of local politicians to the accomplice of rage-filled Clyde Barrow. Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928) is an Academy Award -winning Actress and Tap dancer, most famous for being an iconic "[8]

Clyde Barrow

Clyde Barrow was born March 24, 1909 in Ellis County, Texas, near Telico just south of Dallas. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Ellis County is a County located in the US state of Texas. In 2000 its population was 111360 Telico is an unincorporated community in east central Ellis County, Texas, United States. [2] He was the sixth child of either seven or eight children, in a poor farming family. Clyde was first arrested in late 1926, after running when police confronted him over a rental car he had failed to return on time. His second arrest, with brother Marvin "Buck" Barrow, came soon after, this time for possession of stolen goods (turkeys). Marvin Ivan "Buck" Barrow ( March 14, 1905 - July 29, 1933) was the older brother of Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame A turkey is either of two extant Species of large Birds in the Genus Meleagris native to North America. Despite holding down "square" jobs during the period 1927 through 1929, he also cracked safes, robbed stores, and stole cars. Known primarily for robbing banks, he focused on smaller jobs, robbing grocery stores and gas stations at a rate far outpacing the ten to fifteen bank robberies attributed to him and the Barrow Gang. According to John Neal Phillips, Clyde's goal in life was not to gain fame and fortune from robbing banks, but to seek revenge against the Texas prison system for the abuses he suffered while serving time. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. [9]

The Spree

Buck joins the gang

During Buck Barrow's time in jail, Clyde had been the driver in a store robbery in which a man was shot and killed. The wife of the murder victim, when shown photos, picked Clyde Barrow as one of the shooters. In March 1932 Bonnie was captured in a failed robbery attempt in Kaufman, Texas, during which she was jailed. Clyde murdered merchant J. W. Butcher of Hillsboro on April 27, 1932. Bonnie remained in jail until June 17, 1932. On June 17, 1932, the grand jury for Kaufman County met in Kaufman and no-billed Bonnie, which led to her release. Within a few weeks she connected with Clyde. They were again on the run together. On August 5, 1932, while Parker was visiting her mother, Barrow and two associates were drinking alcohol at a dance in Stringtown, Oklahoma (illegal under Prohibition). Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Stringtown is a town in Atoka County, Oklahoma, United States. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol When they were approached by sheriff C. G. Maxwell and his deputy, Barrow opened fire, killing deputy Eugene C. Moore. That was the first killing of a lawman by what was later known as the Barrow Gang, a total which would eventually amount to nine slain officers.

On March 22, 1933, Buck Barrow was granted a full pardon and released from prison. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By April, he and his wife, Blanche, were living with W. Bennie Iva "Blanche" Frasure (née Caldwell) ( January 1, 1911 - December 24, 1988) was the third wife of Marvin "Buck" D. Jones, Clyde, and Parker in a temporary hideout in Joplin, Missouri. Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U According to some accounts, the Buck Barrows were there merely to visit and attempt to talk Clyde into giving himself up. As was common with Bonnie and Clyde, their next brush with the law arose from their generally suspicious behavior, not because their identities were discovered.

Not knowing what awaited them, local lawmen assembled only a two-car force to confront the suspected bootleggers living in the rented apartment over a garage. Rum-running is the business of Smuggling or transporting of Alcoholic beverages illegally usually to circumvent Taxation or Prohibition. Though caught by surprise, Clyde, noted for remaining cool under fire, was gaining far more experience in gun battles than most lawmen. He and W. D. Jones quickly killed one lawman and fatally wounded another. [10][11] The survivors later testified that their side had fired only fourteen rounds in the conflict.

Between 1932 and 1934, there were several incidents in which the Barrow Gang kidnapped lawmen or robbery victims, usually releasing them far from home, sometimes with money to help them get back. [12][3] Stories of these encounters may have contributed to the mythic aura of Bonnie and Clyde; a couple both reviled and adored by the public. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" Notoriously, the Barrow Gang would not hesitate to shoot anybody, civilian or lawman, if they got in the way of their escape. Clyde was a probable shooter in approximately ten murders. Other members of the Barrow Gang known or thought to have murdered are Raymond Hamilton, W. D. Jones, Buck Barrow, and Henry Methvin.

The Barrow Gang escaped the police at Joplin, but W. D. Jones was wounded, and they had left most of their possessions at the rented apartment, including a camera with an exposed roll of pictures. The film was developed by the Joplin Globe, and yielded many now famous photos. Afterward, Parker and Barrow used coats and hats to cover the license plates of their stolen vehicles when taking pictures.

Despite the glamorous image often associated with the Barrow Gang, they were desperate and discontented, as noted in the account of their life written by Blanche Barrow while jailed in Missouri, following the death of husband Buck, from injuries suffered in a shoot-out. [13]

Platte City

In June 1933, while driving with W. D. Jones and Bonnie, Clyde missed some construction signs, dropping the car into a ravine. [3] It rolled, and Bonnie was trapped beneath the burning car, suffering third degree burns to her left leg. A burn is a type of Injury that may be caused by Heat, cold, Electricity, Chemicals, Light, Radiation, or [3] After making their escape, Clyde insisted that Bonnie be allowed to convalesce. After meeting up with Blanche and Buck Barrow again, they stayed put until Buck bungled a local robbery with W. D. Jones, and killed a city marshal. Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches On July 18, 1933, the gang checked into the Red Crown Tourist Court[14] south of Platte City, Missouri (now within the city limits of Kansas City, Missouri across I-29 from Kansas City International Airport). Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Red Crown Tavern and Red Crown Tourist Court in Kansas City Missouri was the site of the July 18 1933 gun battle between law men and outlaws Bonnie & Clyde Platte City is a city in Platte County, Missouri, along the Platte River. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Interstate 29 (I-29 is an Interstate highway in the Midwestern United States. Kansas City International Airport, originally named Mid-Continent International Airport The courts consisted of two brick cabins joined by two single-car garages, where the gang rented two cabins. [14] Several yards to the south stood the Red Crown Tavern, managed by Neal Houser, who became interested in the group when Blanche Barrow paid for dinners and beer with silver coins instead of dollars. The silver standard is a Monetary system in which the standard economic Unit of account is a fixed weight of Silver. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been [14]

When Blanche Barrow went into town to purchase bandages, crackers, cheese, and atropine sulfate to treat Bonnie's leg,[13] the druggist contacted Sheriff Holt Coffey, who put the cabins under watch. Atropine is a Tropane Alkaloid extracted from Deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna) Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium and other plants Holt Coffey ( 2 August 1891 –January 1964 was the Sheriff of Platte County, Missouri from 1933 until 1937 and again from 1941 until Coffey had been alerted by Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas to be on the lookout for strangers seeking such supplies. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The sheriff contacted Captain Baxter of the highway patrol, who called for reinforcements from Kansas City including an armored car. A highway patrol is either a Police agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing Traffic safety Compliance on roads and highways Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily [14] At 11 p.m. that night, Sheriff Coffey led a group of officers armed with Thompson submachine guns toward the cabins. The Thompson submachine gun is an American Submachine gun that became infamous during the Prohibition era [15] But in a pitched gunfight at considerable distances, the submachine guns proved no match for the Browning Automatic Rifles of the Barrows, who had recently robbed an armory. The BAR (short for Browning Automatic Rifle is a family of American 7 An armory (Armoury is a Military depot used for the storage of Weapons and Ammunition. (The B. A. R. was reportedly Clyde's favorite weapon. )[1][14]

Although the gang escaped once again, Buck Barrow had been shot in the side of the head and Blanche Barrow was nearly blinded from glass fragments in her eye. [13][14] Their prospects for holding out against the ensuing manhunt dwindled.

On July 24, 1933, the Barrow Gang was at Dexfield Park, an abandoned amusement park near Dexter, Iowa. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dexter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 689 at the 2000 census [16][3] After they were noticed by local citizens, it was determined that the campers were the Barrows. Surrounded by local lawmen and approximately one hundred spectators, the Barrows once again found themselves under fire. [16] Clyde Barrow, Parker, and W. D. Jones escaped on foot. [16][3] Buck was shot in the back and his wife hit again in the face and eyes with flying glass. Buck died five days later at Kings Daughters Hospital in Iowa of pneumonia after surgery. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal [13][16]

Although Jones parted ways with the pair the next month,[3][16] Barrow and Parker regrouped, and on November 22, 1933, again escaped an arrest attempt while meeting family members at an impromptu rendezvous near Sowers, Texas. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sowers Texas was a small community located approximately 11 miles northwest of Dallas, Texas in what is known today as Irving Texas.

Final run

In January 1934, Clyde finally made his long-awaited move against the Texas Department of Corrections. In the infamous "Eastham Breakout" of 1934, Clyde's lifetime goal appeared to come true, as he masterminded the escape of Henry Methvin, Raymond Hamilton and several others. Raymond Elzie Hamilton ( May 21, 1913 &ndash May 10, 1935) was only 21 years old when he had accumulated a Prison sentence of 362 [9] The Texas Department of Corrections received national negative publicity over the jailbreak, and Clyde appeared to have achieved what Phillips describes as the burning passion in his life: revenge on the Texas Department of Corrections. [1]

It was an expensive revenge, for all concerned, as the killing of a prison officer[17] (by another escapee, Joe Palmer) brought the full power of the Texas and federal governments to bear on the manhunt for Bonnie and Clyde, ultimately resulting in their deaths. As the officer, Major Joe Crowson, lay dying, Lee Simmons of the Texas Department of Corrections reportedly promised him that the persons involved in the breakout would be hunted down and killed. [9] He kept his word, except for Henry Methvin, whose life was exchanged in return for betraying Bonnie and Clyde. [9] The Texas Department of Corrections then contacted former Texas Ranger Captain Frank A. Hamer, and convinced him to accept a commission to hunt down the Barrow Gang. The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide Jurisdiction based in Austin, the Francis Augustus Hamer ( March 17, 1884 &ndash July 10, 1955) was a Texas Ranger, perhaps most well known for his involvement in tracking Though retired,[4] Hamer had retained his commission, which had not yet expired. [18] He accepted the assignment immediately, as a Texas Highway Patrol officer seconded to the prison system as a special investigator, tasked specifically to hunt down Bonnie and Clyde, and the Barrow Gang. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS is a department of the government of the state of Texas.

Clyde and Henry Methvin killed two young highway patrolmen in what is now Southlake, Texas, on April 1, 1934;[19][20] an eyewitness account stated that Methvin fired the lethal shots. Southlake is a city in northeastern Tarrant and southern Denton Counties in the U Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Treherne exhaustively investigated this shooting, and found that Methvin fired the first shot, after assuming Clyde wanted them killed (though Treherne found, and Methvin later admitted Barrow did not intend to kill them, but had been preparing to capture them and take them on one of his famous rides, and that Bonnie approached the dying officers to try to help them). [21] Having little choice once Methvin had begun a gun battle with law officers, Barrow then fired at the second officer. Methvin, however, is believed to have been the primary killer of both. (Ted Hinton's son states that Parker was actually asleep in the back seat when Methvin started the gun battle and took no part in it;[12] it is notable that in accepting a pardon for these killings, Methvin admitted to both. ) Methvin confessed in open court to being the sole killer in both killings. [21] These particularly senseless killings shocked and outraged the public, which to this point had tended to romanticize the pair. As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative Another policeman, Constable William Campbell, was killed five days later near Commerce, Oklahoma,[22] which further soured public sentiment. Commerce is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States.

Death

Bonnie and Clyde were killed May 23, 1934, on a desolate road near their Bienville Parish, Louisiana hideout. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bienville Parish (Paroisse de Bienville is a Parish located in the U [16][23] They were shot by a posse of four Texas and two Louisiana officers (the Louisiana officers added solely for jurisdictional reasons — see below). Questions about the way the ambush was conducted, and the failure to warn the duo of impending death, have been raised ever since that day.

Texas officers

  • Frank Hamer
  • B. M. "Manny" Gault
  • Bob Alcorn
  • Ted Hinton

Louisiana officers

  • Henderson Jordan
  • Prentiss Oakley

The posse was led by Hamer, who began tracking the pair on February 10, 1934. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Having never before seen Bonnie or Clyde, he immediately arranged a meeting with a representative of Methvin's parents in the hope of gaining a lead. Meanwhile, federal officials, who viewed the Eastham prison break in particular as a national embarrassment to the government, were providing all support that was asked for, such as weapons. Hamer obtained a quantity of civilian Browning Automatic Rifles (manufactured by Colt as the "Monitor") and 20 round magazines with armor piercing rounds. The BAR (short for Browning Automatic Rifle is a family of American 7 [21][24]

Hamer studied the gang's movements and found they swung in a circle skirting the edges of five midwest states, exploiting the "state line" rule that prevented officers from one jurisdiction from pursuing a fugitive into another. Bonnie and Clyde were masters of that pre-FBI rule but consistent in their movements, allowing them to see their families and those of their gang members. It also allowed an experienced manhunter like Hamer to chart their path and predict where they would go. They were due next to see Henry Methvin's family, which explained Hamer's meeting with them within a month of beginning the hunt.

On May 21, 1934, the four posse members from Texas were in Shreveport, Louisiana when they learned that Barrow and Parker were to go there that evening with Methvin. Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U Clyde had designated Methvin's parents' Bienville Parish house as a rendezvous in case they were later separated. Methvin was separated from Bonnie and Clyde in Shreveport, and the full posse, consisting of Capt. Hamer, Dallas County Sheriff's Deputies Bob Alcorn and Ted Hinton (who had met Clyde in the past), former Texas Ranger B. Ted Hinton (1907-1977 was a Dallas County Texas, Deputy Sheriff, the youngest of the posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde in M. "Manny" Gault, Bienville Parish Sheriff Henderson Jordan, and his deputy Prentiss Oakley, set up an ambush at the rendezvous point along Highway 154, between Gibsland and Sailes. Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. They were in place by 9:00 p. m. and waited through the next day (May 22) but saw no sign of Bonnie and Clyde. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus.

The car riddled with bullet holes after the ambush.
The car riddled with bullet holes after the ambush.

At approximately 9:00 a. m. on May 23, the posse, concealed in the bushes and almost ready to concede defeat, heard Clyde's stolen Ford V8 approaching. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Overview This design had the camshaft above the crank as in a modern pushrod operated overhead valve engine The posse's official report had Clyde stopping to speak with Henry Methvin's father, planted there with his truck that morning to distract Clyde and force him into the lane closest to the posse, the lawmen opened fire, killing Bonnie and Clyde while shooting a combined total of approximately 130 rounds. By 9:15, the couple were dead. The posse, under Hamer's direct orders, did not call out a warning,[4] The officers emptied the specially-ordered automatic rifle, as well as rifles, shotguns and pistols at the car. [24] According to statements made by Ted Hinton and Bob Alcorn:

"Each of us six officers had a shotgun and an automatic rifle and pistols. We opened fire with the automatic rifles. They were emptied before the car got even with us. Then we used shotguns . . . There was smoke coming from the car, and it looked like it was on fire. After shooting the shotguns, we emptied the pistols at the car, which had passed us and ran into a ditch about 50 yards on down the road. It almost turned over. We kept shooting at the car even after it stopped. We weren't taking any chances. "[23]

The memorial at the ambush site in Gibsland Louisiana
The memorial at the ambush site in Gibsland Louisiana

Some sources say Bonnie and Clyde were shot more than 50 times,[9] while other sources claim a total closer to 25 bullet wounds per corpse, or 50 total. [25]

Following the ambush, officers inspected the vehicle and discovered a small arsenal of weapons including stolen automatic rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, assorted handguns, and several thousand rounds of ammunition, along with fifteen different license plates from various states. A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a Motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes [24]

When later asked why he killed a woman who was not wanted for any capital offense, Hamer stated "I hate to bust the cap on a woman, especially when she was sitting down, however if it wouldn't have been her [sic], it would have been us. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. "[26]

Bonnie and Clyde wished to be buried side by side, but the Parker family would not allow it. Bonnie's mother had wanted to grant her daughter's final wish, which was to be brought home, but the mobs surrounding the Parker house made that impossible. [27] Over 20,000 people turned out for Bonnie's funeral, making it difficult for the Parkers to reach the grave site. [27] Clyde Barrow is buried in the Western Heights Cemetery, and Bonnie Parker in the Crown Hill Memorial Park, both in Dallas, Texas. The following words (from a poem of Bonnie's) are inscribed on Bonnie's stone:

As the flowers are all made sweeter: by the sunshine and the dew,
So this old world is made brighter: by the lives of folks like you. [28]

Funeral and burial

The bullet-riddled Ford containing the two bodies was towed to the Conger Furniture Store & Funeral Parlor. The firm was located on Railroad Avenue in downtown Arcadia, Louisiana across from the Illinois Central train station (which is now a historical museum containing Bonnie and Clyde artifacts. Arcadia is a Town in and the Parish seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, United States. ) Preliminary embalming was done by C. Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition F. "Boots" Bailey in the small preparation room in back of the furniture store. [29] It was estimated that the northwest Louisiana town swelled in population from 2,000 to 12,000 within hours, the curious throngs arriving by train, horseback, buggy, and plane. Beer which normally sold for 15 cents a bottle jumped to 25 cents; ham sandwiches quickly sold out. [30]

H. D. Darby, a young undertaker who worked for the McClure Funeral Parlor in nearby Ruston, Louisiana, and Sophie Stone, a home demonstration agent also from Ruston, came to Arcadia to identify the bodies. Ruston is a city in and the Parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. [29] Both Darby and Stone had been kidnapped by the Barrow gang several weeks previously in Ruston and released near Waldo, Arkansas. Waldo is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1594 at the 2000 census. Parker reportedly laughed when she asked Darby his profession and discovered it was an undertaker. She remarked that maybe someday he would be working on her. [29] As it turned out, she could be no closer to the truth: Darby assisted Bailey in embalming the outlaws.

Parker's family used the now defunct McKamy-Campbell Funeral Home,[31] then located on Forest Avenue in Dallas to conduct her funeral. Hubert "Buster" Parker accompanied his sister’s body back to Dallas in the McKamy-Campbell ambulance. Her services were held Saturday, May 26, at 2 p. m. in the funeral home, directed by Allen D. Campbell. [29] His son, Dr. Allen Campbell, later remembered that flowers came from everywhere including some sent by Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger. Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd ( February 3, 1904 &ndash October 22, 1934) was an American bank robber John Herbert Dillinger (June 22 1903–July 22 1934 was a notorious Bank robber in mid-western America [29] Soloists at the funeral included the late Dudley M. Hughes Sr. , who later became the prominent operator of four large Dallas funeral homes. Initially, Parker was buried in the Fishtrap Cemetery, but in 1945, was moved to the new Crown Hill Cemetery in Dallas. [28] The next year, services for Raymond Hamilton, a member of the Barrow Gang, who was executed May 10, 1935 by the State of Texas, were also held at the McKamy-Campbell Funeral Home. [29]

Barrow's family used the Sparkman-Holtz-Brand Morticians,[31] located in the A. H. Belo mansion in downtown Dallas. After identifying his son's body, an emotional Henry Barrow sat in a rocking chair in the furniture part of the Conger establishment and wept. [29] Thousands of people gathered outside both Dallas funerals homes hoping for a chance to view the bodies. Barrow’s private funeral was held at sunset on Friday, May 25, in the funeral home chapel. [29] He was buried in Western Heights Cemetery in Dallas, next to his brother, Marvin. They share a single granite marker with their names on it and a four-word epitaph previously selected by Clyde: “Gone but not forgotten. ”[32]

The bullet-riddled Ford in which the pair was killed, and the shirt Barrow wore the last day of his life, were, as of March 2008, on display at the Gold Ranch Casino in Verdi, Nevada. Verdi-Mogul is a Census-designated place (CDP in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. [25]

The life insurance policies for both Bonnie and Clyde were paid in full by American National of Galveston. Since then, the policy of pay-outs has changed to exclude pay-outs in cases of deaths caused by any criminal act by the insured.

Controversy and aftermath

Controversy lingers over certain aspects of the ambush, and the way Hamer conducted it. Historians and writers, such as E. R. Milner, Phillips, Treherne have turned up no warrants against Bonnie for any violent crimes. [21] FBI files contain only one warrant against her, for aiding Clyde in the interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. [33] Posse member Bob Alcorn, the Dallas County Deputy Sheriff who identified Clyde on the road and cleared the way for the others to fire, was quoted in his deposition to Dr. Wade, who chaired the Coroner's Jury in Arcadia, LA. Arcadia is a Town in and the Parish seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, United States. , as claiming Bonnie had been indicted for murder. In addition to officially identifying the bodies of both Clyde and Bonnie, and stating that he knew them personally, the deposition claims that "he know[s] of his own knowledge that both were 2 [times] indicted on change of murder Case #5046&7 Criminal District Court Dallas Tex. November-28-1933. "[34] While this appears to be offered as some sort of "proof" that Bonnie had been indicted for murder, she had not yet been so charged. The only claim that Bonnie ever fired a weapon during one of the gang's crimes came from Blanche Barrow, and is backed by an article from the Lucerne, Indiana newspaper on May 13, 1933. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In the years after, Prentiss Oakley was reported to have been troubled by his actions. [21] He was the only posse member to publicly express regret for his actions. The posse, including Frank Hamer, took and kept for themselves stolen guns that were found in the death car. Personal items such as Bonnie's clothing and a saxophone were also taken, and when the Parker family asked for them back, they were refused. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind [35][24] These items were also later sold as souvenirs. [2]

In a grisly aftermath, the men who were left to guard the bodies (Gault, Oakley, and Alcorn) allowed people to cut off bloody locks of Bonnie's hair and tear pieces from her dress, which were sold as souvenirs. Hinton returned to find a man trying to cut off Clyde's finger, and was sickened by what was occurring. [21][36] The coroner, arriving on the scene, saw the following: "nearly everyone had begun collecting souvenirs such as shell casings, slivers of glass from the shattered car windows, and bloody pieces of clothing from the garments of Bonnie and Clyde. A coroner is an official responsible for investigating deaths particularly some of those happening under unusual circumstances and determining the cause of death One eager man had opened his pocket knife, and was reaching into the car to cut off Clyde's left ear. "[37] The coroner enlisted Hamer for help controlling the "circus-like atmosphere," and only then did people move away from the car. [37]

In 1979, Ted Hinton's account of the ambush was published. According to Hinton, the posse had tied Henry Methvin's father, Ivy, to a tree the night before the ambush, to keep him from possibly warning the duo off. [36] Hamer made Ivy Methvin a deal: keep quiet about being tied up, and his son would be pardoned for the murder of the two young highway patrolmen, a pardon which Henry Methvin did receive. [36] Hamer allegedly made every member of the posse swear they would never divulge this secret. Hinton said:

"Ivy Methvin was traveling on that road in his old farm truck, when he was stopped by the lawmen, standing in the middle of the road. They took him into the woods and handcuffed him to a tree. They removed one of the old truck's wheels, so that it would appear to have broken down at that spot. "[36]

Blanche Barrow's injuries left her permanently blinded in her left eye. After the 1933 shoot-out that left her husband mortally wounded, she was taken into custody on the charge of "Assault With Intent to Kill. " She was sentenced to ten years in prison but was paroled in 1939 for good behavior. She returned to Dallas, leaving her life of crime in the past, and lived with her invalid father as his caregiver. She married Eddie Frasure in 1940, worked as a taxi cab dispatcher, and completed the terms of her parole one year later. She lived in peace with her husband until he died of cancer in 1969. Warren Beatty approached her to purchase the rights to her name for use in the film Bonnie and Clyde. Warren Beatty (born Henry Warren Beaty; March 30 1937 is an American Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning Actor, producer Bonnie and Clyde is a American Crime film about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the bank robbers who operated in the Central United States While she agreed to the original script, she objected to the final re-write that was used in production, stating that Estelle Parsons portrayed her as "a screaming horse's ass. Estelle Margaret Parsons (born November 20, 1927) is an Academy Award -winning American Theatre, Film and Television " Despite this, she maintained a firm friendship with Beatty. She died from cancer at the age of 77 on 24 December 1988, and was buried in Dallas's Grove Hill Memorial Park under the name "Blanche B. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Frasure". [38]

The Bonnie and Clyde Festival

Every year near the anniversary of the ambush, a "Bonnie and Clyde Festival" is hosted in the town of Gibsland, Louisiana. Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. [39] The ambush location, still comparatively isolated on Louisiana Highway 154 south of Gibsland, is commemorated by a stone marker that has been defaced to near illegibility by souvenir hunters and gunshot. [40] A small metal version was added to accompany the stone monument. It was stolen, as was its replacement.

Selected references in popular culture

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were among the first celebrity criminals of the modern era. Certainly Parker knew how to enhance the pair's popular appeal by manipulating the media, and newspapers were quick to publish her poem The Story of Bonnie and Clyde. Her other poetry, especially Suicide Sal, shows her flair for underworld vernacular that owed much to the detective magazines she avidly read. "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality According to Geringer, Bonnie appealed to the out of work and generally disenfranchised third of America shattered by the Depression, who saw the duo as a Robin Hood-like couple striking blows at an uncaring government.

Advertising

The advertising industry took note of the pair's appeal. When a letter signed "Clyde Champion Barrow" was sent to the Ford Motor Company, praising their "dandy car", Ford used it in car advertisements. [41] Although the handwriting in this letter has never been authenticated, the same use was made of a similar letter Ford received around the same time from someone claiming to be John Dillinger. John Herbert Dillinger (June 22 1903–July 22 1934 was a notorious Bank robber in mid-western America [42]

Film

Music

Country Artist Travis Tritt has a song entitled "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde. "

Musical theater

In 1999, Japan's Takarazuka Revue, building on the international popularity of the Bonnie and Clyde legend in print, broadcast, recording and film, became among the first to adapt the tale as a major musical. The Takarazuka Revue (宝塚歌劇団 Takarazuka Kagekidan) is a Japanese all- Female musical theater in the city of Takarazuka Japan The first production was staged by the company's Snow Troupe, starring Tatsuki Kōju and Hitomi Tsukikage. The show was scheduled to be produced again in 2008 for the 30th anniversary celebration of Takarazuka Bow Hall. Once more the Snow Troupe will mount the production, this time with dual casts, one of which is to star Kaname Ouki as Clyde Barrow.

Conclusion

Through the decades, many historians have strugged to explain Bonnie and Clyde's enduring appeal to the public imagination. E. R. Milner, a historian, writer, and expert on Bonnie and Clyde and their era, put the duo's enduring appeal to the public, both during the depression and continuing on through the decades, into historical and cultural perspective. To those people who, as Milner says, "consider themselves outsiders, or oppose the existing system," Bonnie and Clyde represent the ultimate outsiders, revolting against an uncaring system. "The country’s money simply declined by 38 percent," explains Milner, author of The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde. "Gaunt, dazed men roamed the city streets seeking jobs. . . Breadlines and soup kitchens became jammed. A soup kitchen or a bread line is a place where Food is offered to the Poor and Homeless for free or at a reasonably low Price (In rural areas) foreclosures forced more than 38 percent of farmers from their lands (while simultaneously) a catastrophic drought struck the Great Plains. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada . . By the time Bonnie and Clyde became well known, many had felt the capitalistic system had been abused by big business and government officials. Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where . . Now here were Bonnie and Clyde striking back. "[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Phillips, John Neal. Ellis County is a County located in the US state of Texas. In 2000 its population was 111360 Francis Augustus Hamer ( March 17, 1884 &ndash July 10, 1955) was a Texas Ranger, perhaps most well known for his involvement in tracking A supercouple (also known as a power couple or dynamic duo) is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or Running with Bonnie & Clyde: The Ten Fast Years of Ralph Fults. University of Oklahoma Press, 2002. ISBN 0806134291.
  2. ^ a b c Steele, Phillip, and Marie Barrow Scoma. The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde. Pelican Publishing Company, 2000. ISBN 156554756X.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Jones, W. D. "Riding with Bonnie and Clyde." Playboy. November 1968. Reprinted at Cinetropic. com.
  4. ^ a b c Geringer, Joseph. Bonnie and Clyde: Romeo and Juliet in a Getaway Car. truTV. com. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  5. ^ a b Bonnie Parker. Internet Accuracy Project.
  6. ^ Youngblood, Dorothy. "Bonnie Parker's Classmate: Records of the County Literary Contest." TexasHideout. Accessed May 2, 2006. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
  7. ^ a b c "Bonnie & Roy." TexasHideout. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  8. ^ Fowler, Jimmy. "Inside Bonnie Parker." Dallas Observer. 9 September 1999.
  9. ^ a b c d e Phillips, John Neal. "Bonnie & Clyde's Revenge on Eastham." American History on HistoryNet. com. 12 June 2006.
  10. ^ "Detective Harry L. McGinnis." The Officer Down Memorial Page.
  11. ^ "Constable J.W. Harryman." The Officer Down Memorial Page.
  12. ^ a b Anderson, Brian. "Reality less romantic than outlaw legend." Dallas News. 18 April 2003.
  13. ^ a b c d Barrow, Blanche Caldwell, Esther L. Weiser, and John Neal Phillips (ed. ) My Life with Bonnie and Clyde. University of Oklahoma Press, 2005. ISBN 0806137150.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Vasto, Mark. "Local lawmen shoot it out with notorious bandits." Platte County Landmark. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  15. ^ Red Crown Incident. TexasHideout. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Vasto, Mark. "Further on up the road." Platte County Landmark. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  17. ^ Major Joe Crowson. The Officer Down Memorial Page.
  18. ^ Frank Hamer and Bonnie & Clyde. Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
  19. ^ Patrolman H. D. Murphy. The Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  20. ^ Patrolman Edward Bryan Wheeler. The Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Treherne, John. The Strange History of Bonnie and Clyde. Stein and Day, 1985. ISBN 081283030X.
  22. ^ Constable William Calvin Campbell. The Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  23. ^ a b "Took No Chances, Hinton and Alcorn Tell Newspapermen." Dallas Dispatch. 24 May 1934. Reprinted at Censusdiggins. com. Accessed on 26 May 2008.
  24. ^ a b c d The Posse. TexasHideout. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  25. ^ a b Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Artifacts. jeffreysward. com.
  26. ^ Quotes. Texashideout. Accessed 26 May 2008.
  27. ^ a b Parker, Emma Krause, Nellie (Barrow) Cowan, and Jan Fortune. The True Story of Bonnie and Clyde. New American Library, 1968. ISBN 0848821548.
  28. ^ a b Bonnie Parker at Find A Grave
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h Moshinskie, Dr. Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records James F. "Funerals of the Famous: Bonnie & Clyde. " The American Funeral Director, Vol. 130 (No. 10), October 2007, pp. 74-90.
  30. ^ "Bonnie & Clyde's Demise." Dallas Journal at TexasHideout.
  31. ^ a b "Skilled Embalmers." Dallas Journal. at TexasHideout.
  32. ^ Clyde Barrow at Find A Grave
  33. ^ Bonnie and Clyde. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Accessed May 26, 2008.
  34. ^ Knight, James R. and Jonathan Davis. Bonnie and Clyde: A Twenty-First-Century Update. Eakin Press, 2003. ISBN 1-57168-794-7. p. 172
  35. ^ Emma Parker letter. TexasHideout. Accessed 26 May 2008.
  36. ^ a b c d Hinton, Ted and Larry Grove. Ambush: The Real Story of Bonnie and Clyde. Shoal Creek Publishers, 1979. ISBN 0883190419.
  37. ^ a b c Milner, E. R. The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde. Southern Illinois University Press, 2003. ISBN 0809325527.
  38. ^ Blanche Caldwell Barrow at Find A Grave
  39. ^ Washington Times, The (2004). Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Bonnie and Clyde live on. Accessed June 17, 2005. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
  40. ^ Butler, Steven (2003). In Search of Bonnie and Clyde in Louisiana. Accessed June 17, 2005. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
  41. ^ Clyde Barrow's letter to Ford. TexasHideout. Accessed 26 May 2008.
  42. ^ Handwriting comparison. TexasHideout. Accessed 26 May 2008.

Bibliography

External links

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