We'll start with stories of some of the more famous fugitives. Perhaps you've heard of Bonnie & Clyde? Well, here's the short version of their story...
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's crime spree together began when Clyde was released from prison in 1932. Over the next couple of years, they were suspected of numerous robberies and at least 13 murders. They were gunned down in an ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934.
One incident in particular secured the nationwide notoriety of Bonnie & Clyde. On April 1, 1933, they, along with WD Jones and Buck & Blanche Barrow (Clyde's brother and his wife), rented a garage apartment at 34th & Oak Drive in the southern part of Joplin. The double garage below the two bedroom apartment gave them a place to hide the cars Clyde stole and a lookout post above. For about two weeks, everything was going fine for the gang. Clyde, Buck, and WD took care of some "business" and the girls shopped and went to the movies.
Concerned neighbors called the police about the suspicious activities they were witnessing. For three days, the apartment was under survellance and the authorities were convinced that they were dealing with a bunch of bootleggers holed up in the place. Joplin PD decided that a raid was in order.
On April 13, 1933 at about 4:00 p.m., the police came knocking. Bonnie was inside cooking dinner, Blanche was playing cards, and Buck was napping. WD was in one of the bedrooms and Clyde was in the garage. When Constable Wesley Harryman started moving towards the garage, Clyde came into view with his shotgun in hand and ripped Harryman apart. Clyde yelled to the rest of the gang upstairs and bullets started flying. The officers were not well armed, having believed that they were going to bust up a gang of bootleggers, not shoot it out with the Barrow Gang.
Detective Harry McGinnis decided to rush the garage, but another blast from Clyde's shotgun tore his arm off. Now with one comrade dead and another dying, the remaining three officers sprang into action. One ran around the back side of the apartment looking for another entrance, one ran to a neighboring house to call for backup, and the third officer remained at the scene - with one bullet left in his gun! While he was trying to reload, he tripped and fell backwards. When WD appeared by the garage, the officer managed to squeeze off one shot into WD's side as the gang tried to pile into one of the cars parked in the garage. Clyde was furious when he noticed one of the police cruisers was blocking his exit and he fired his shotgun at the remaining officer. WD, despite his injury, jumped into the cruiser, released the parking brake, and rolled the car out of their way. As the Barrow Gang sped away, WD fired through the window and Clyde sped out of town, eventually ending up in Texas.
When police searched the bullet-riddled apartment, they found Bonnie's poem about "Suicide Sal", some jewelry and other personal effects, and two rolls of undeveloped film. Iconic prints of Bonnie & Clyde from those rolls of film are still being sold today. The apartment was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places and can be rented by the day, weekend, or week. Visit www.joplinhideout.com for more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment