Bonnie & Clyde – Stars of the Public Enemy Era
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (1910-1934) and Clyde Chestnut Barrow (1909-1934), the latter also known as Clyde Champion Barrow, remain two of the most infamous figures in American criminal history. Their names are indelibly linked to the Great Depression, an era of economic hardship and social upheaval that gripped the United States throughout the 1930s. Roaming the central states with the notorious Barrow Gang, Bonnie and Clyde carved a path of robbery and violence, leaving a trail of captivated and horrified onlookers in their wake. The gang’s membership fluctuated, often including Clyde’s older brother Buck Barrow and his wife Blanche, along with other accomplices like Raymond Hamilton, W.D. Jones, Joe Palmer, Ralph Fults, and Henry Methvin. From 1931 to 1935, their exploits dominated newspaper headlines and captured the public imagination, solidifying their place as enduring, albeit controversial, figures in American folklore.
The legend of Bonnie & Clyde often conjures images of daring bank heists, but the reality of their criminal activities was somewhat different. While they were implicated in approximately a dozen bank robberies, their preferred targets were typically smaller, more vulnerable establishments. Rural gas stations and unassuming mom-and-pop stores proved easier to exploit, providing the gang with the funds needed to sustain their nomadic lifestyle. However, their actions were far from victimless. The Barrow Gang is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of at least nine law enforcement officers, as well as several civilians caught in the crossfire of their violent encounters. This bloodshed contributed significantly to their notoriety and fueled the relentless pursuit by law enforcement agencies across multiple states.
The tragic end of Bonnie & Clyde came on May 23, 1934, near Sailes, Louisiana. After one of the most extensive and publicized manhunts in the nation’s history up to that point, the pair were ambushed and fatally shot by a posse of law enforcement officers. This dramatic conclusion only served to further cement their status as legendary outlaws, their story continuing to be retold and reinterpreted in countless books, films, and songs. The image of their bullet-riddled Ford V8, a grim testament to their violent demise, remains a chilling reminder of their tumultuous lives.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), then known as the Bureau of Investigation, became involved in the pursuit of Bonnie & Clyde in late December 1932. The crucial piece of evidence that drew them into the case was an abandoned Ford automobile, stolen from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and discovered near Jackson, Michigan, in September of that year. Subsequent investigations revealed that another Ford car, stolen in Illinois, had been abandoned in Pawhuska. A search of the latter vehicle uncovered personal items suggesting it had been occupied by a man and a woman. A seemingly insignificant detail, a prescription bottle found within the car, proved to be the key that unlocked the trail leading to the infamous duo.
The prescription bottle was traced to a drugstore in Nacogdoches, Texas, where investigators learned that the prescription had been filled for Clyde Barrow’s aunt. Further inquiries revealed that Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde’s brother, L.C. Barrow, had recently visited the woman. The trio was reportedly traveling in a Ford car, which matched the description of the one stolen in Illinois. Investigators also determined that L.C. Barrow had obtained the empty prescription bottle from the son of the woman who had initially filled the prescription. This seemingly minor detail provided the crucial link needed to connect Bonnie and Clyde to the stolen vehicle.
Based on this evidence, on May 20, 1933, the United States Commissioner at Dallas, Texas, issued a warrant for the arrest of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, charging them with the interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle from Dallas to Oklahoma. This warrant officially authorized the FBI to join the manhunt, adding significant resources and expertise to the effort to apprehend the elusive pair. The federal charges provided the necessary legal justification for the FBI’s involvement, transforming the pursuit of Bonnie & Clyde from a series of local investigations into a nationwide manhunt.
Background
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker’s life began on October 1, 1910, in Rowena, Texas. She was the second of three children born to Charles and Emma Krause Parker. Tragedy struck early in her life when her father passed away when she was just four years old. Following his death, the family relocated to Cement City, a bustling industrial suburb now known as West Dallas, seeking support from her grandparents. Despite the hardships, Bonnie excelled in school, demonstrating a particular aptitude for writing and poetry. However, her academic pursuits were cut short during her second year of high school.
In 1926, Bonnie met Roy Thornton, a charismatic but troubled young man. Their connection was immediate and intense, leading them to abandon their studies and elope on September 25, 1926, just six days before Bonnie’s 16th birthday. However, their marriage was far from idyllic. Thornton’s abusive behavior and repeated run-ins with the law cast a dark shadow over their relationship. By 1929, Thornton was serving a five-year prison sentence for robbery, effectively ending their already fragile union. Although they never formally divorced, Bonnie moved in with her grandmother, severing ties with her husband. Despite their separation, Bonnie continued to wear Thornton’s wedding ring, a poignant reminder of a love story marred by violence and misfortune.
Clyde Chestnut Barrow’s origins were equally humble. Born on March 24, 1909, near Telico, Texas, a small town southeast of Dallas, he was the fifth of seven children born to Henry Basil Barrow and Cumie Talitha Walker, a poor farming family. The Barrows struggled to make ends meet, eventually moving to West Dallas in the early 1920s in search of better opportunities. Initially, the family lived in precarious conditions, even residing under their wagon as they attempted to establish themselves in the new city. Clyde’s introduction to the world of crime began in late 1926 when he was arrested for failing to return a rental car on time. Further transgressions followed, including an arrest for possessing stolen turkeys alongside his brother, Marvin "Buck" Barrow. Despite holding legitimate jobs between 1927 and 1929, Clyde remained entangled in criminal activities, foreshadowing the path he would eventually take.
Bonnie’s life as a waitress in Dallas took a dramatic turn in January 1930 when she met Clyde Barrow through a mutual acquaintance. She was 19 years old, and he was 20. Despite Clyde’s status as a volatile ex-convict and a wanted man who had vowed to never return to prison, the two were instantly drawn to each other. They began spending time together, embarking on a passionate but dangerous romance. Their budding relationship was soon interrupted when Clyde was arrested and convicted of several charges related to auto theft. He was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor and sent to the Eastham Prison Farm in April 1930.
While incarcerated, Clyde’s experiences at Eastham Prison Farm left an indelible mark on his psyche. He endured brutal conditions and witnessed unimaginable violence. In one particularly harrowing incident, Barrow used a lead pipe to murder a fellow inmate, Ed Crowder, who had repeatedly sexually assaulted him. To protect Barrow, another inmate serving a life sentence took responsibility for the crime. Desperate to escape the harsh labor of the fields, Barrow convinced another inmate to use an ax to sever two of his toes, resulting in a permanent limp. Ironically, his mother was already petitioning for his release at the time. Just six days after the self-inflicted injury, the petition was granted, and Barrow was paroled on February 2, 1932.
His time in prison transformed him profoundly. One inmate described the change, saying he watched him "change from a schoolboy to a rattlesnake." His sister echoed this sentiment, stating, "Something awful sure must have happened to him in prison because he wasn’t the same person when he got out." Upon his release, he immediately reunited with Bonnie and resumed his life of crime, but this time focusing on smaller targets like grocery stores and gas stations. This marked the beginning of the crime spree that would solidify their place in American history.
The Crime Spree Begins
In 1932, Bonnie and Clyde began traveling with Raymond Hamilton, a young gunman. Hamilton left them several months later and was replaced by William Daniel Jones in November 1932. The composition of the Barrow Gang continued to evolve.
Ivan M. "Buck" Barrow, Clyde’s brother, was released from the Texas State Prison on March 23, 1933, having been granted a full pardon by the governor. He quickly joined Clyde, bringing his wife, Blanche, so the group now numbered five persons. This gang embarked upon a series of bold robberies that made headlines nationwide. They escaped capture in various encounters with the law. However, their activities made law enforcement efforts to apprehend them even more intense. During a shootout with police in Iowa on July 29, 1933, Buck Barrow was fatally wounded, and Blanche was captured. Jones, frequently mistaken for "Pretty Boy" Floyd, was captured in November 1933 in Houston, Texas, by the sheriff’s office. Bonnie and Clyde went on together.
The Bureau joined the chase for Bonnie & Clyde in 1933. Until then, they lacked the jurisdiction to get involved in what were local crimes. But in the spring of that year, they gathered evidence from a stolen car that had crossed state lines – and traced it to the elusive pair. That led to federal interstate car theft charges and enabled the FBI to officially join the manhunt in May 1933.
On November 22, 1933, a trap was set by the Dallas, Texas, sheriff and his deputies in an attempt to capture Bonnie and Clyde near Grand Prairie, Texas, but the couple escaped the officer’s gunfire. They then held up an attorney on the highway and took his car, which they abandoned in Miami, Oklahoma. On December 21, 1933, Bonnie and Clyde held up and robbed a citizen in Shreveport, Louisiana.
On January 16, 1934, five prisoners, including Raymond Hamilton (who was serving sentences totaling more than 200 years), were liberated from the Eastham State Prison Farm at Waldo, Texas, by Clyde Barrow, accompanied by Bonnie Parker. Two guards were shot by the escaping prisoners with automatic pistols, which had been previously concealed in a ditch by Barrow. As the prisoners ran, Barrow covered their retreat with bursts of machine-gun fire. Among the escapees was Henry Methvin of Louisiana.
The Last Months
On April 1, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde encountered two young highway patrolmen near Grapevine, Texas. Before the officers could draw their guns, they were shot. On April 6, 1934, the couple mortally wounded a constable in Miami, Oklahoma, and abducted and wounded a police chief.
The FBI had jurisdiction solely on the charge of transporting a stolen automobile, although the activities of the Bureau agents were vigorous and ceaseless. Every clue was followed. “Wanted notices” furnishing fingerprints, photographs, descriptions, criminal records, and other data were distributed to all officers. The agents followed the trail through many states and into various haunts of the Barrow Gang, particularly Louisiana. FBI agents discovered the association with Henry Methvin and the Methvin family of Louisiana, and they found that Bonnie and Clyde had been driving a car stolen in New Orleans.
On April 13, 1934, an FBI agent, through an investigation in the vicinity of Ruston, Louisiana, obtained information that placed Bonnie and Clyde in a remote section southwest of that community. The home of the Methvins was not far away, and the agent learned of visits there by Bonnie and Clyde. Special agents in Texas had learned that Clyde and his companion had been traveling from Texas to Louisiana, sometimes accompanied by Henry Methvin.
The FBI and local law enforcement in Louisiana and Texas concentrated on apprehending Bonnie and Clyde, whom they strongly believed to be in the area. It was learned that Bonnie and Clyde, with some of the Methvins, had staged a party at Black Lake, Louisiana, on the night of May 21, 1934, and were due to return to the area two days later.
Before dawn on May 23, 1934, a posse composed of police officers from Louisiana and Texas concealed themselves in bushes along the highway near Sailes, Louisiana. In the early daylight, Bonnie and Clyde appeared in an automobile, and when they attempted to drive away, the officers opened fire. Bonnie and Clyde were killed instantly.
In addition to the automobile theft charge, Bonnie & Clyde were suspects in other crimes. At the time they were killed in 1934, they were believed to have committed 13 murders and several robberies and burglaries. Barrow, for example, was suspected of murdering two police officers in Joplin, Missouri, and kidnapping a man and a woman in rural Louisiana. He released them near Waldo, Texas. Numerous sightings followed, linking this pair with bank robberies and automobile thefts. Clyde allegedly murdered a man at Hillsboro, Texas; committed robberies at Lufkin and Dallas, Texas; murdered one sheriff and wounded another at Stringtown, Oklahoma; kidnapped a deputy at Carlsbad, New Mexico; stole an automobile at Victoria, Texas; attempted to murder a deputy at Wharton, Texas; committed murder and robbery at Abilene and Sherman, Texas; committed murder at Dallas, Texas; abducted a sheriff and the chief of police at Wellington, Texas; and committed murder at Joplin and Columbia, Missouri.
After their deaths, Bonnie’s husband, Roy Thornton, still in prison, commented, “I’m glad they went out like they did. It’s much better than being caught.”
Clyde Barrow was buried in Western Heights Cemetery in Dallas, next to his brother, Marvin. The Barrow brothers share a single granite marker with their names on it and a four-word epitaph previously selected by Clyde: “Gone but not forgotten.”
Bonnie and Clyde wished to be buried side by side, but the Parker family would not allow it. She is buried elsewhere in Dallas.