1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: I'm Katie Lambert and joining me today is Sarah Dowdy. 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: How are you, Sarah. I'm doing good. How are you, 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: Katie good? We were talking about rearranging our Netflix cues earlier, 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: and you brought up a specific film, Bonnie and Clyde exactly, 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: and that's who we're going to talk about today. But 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: not the Warren Batty and Faye Dunaway version. No. And 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: if you've seen that, you probably remember it being very 10 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: glamorous there, you know, gangsters, well dressed gangsters. Um. But 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: reality is a little different as it usually is. Clyde 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: Barrow was born in nineteen ten in Texas to a 13 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: sharecropper father. He was one of eight kids, and he 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: wasn't particularly interested in school. Some accounts say that he 15 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: never made it past the fifth grade and he was 16 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: always a troublemaker. My favorite story is that like to 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: sell stolen turkeys with his brother. Oh well, and Bonnie 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: came from similarly humble backgrounds Um born in nineteen ten, Rowena, Texas. UM. 19 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: Both of these are really tiny towns, kind of on 20 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: the outskirts of Dallas. Um. Maybe today you'd call them suburbs, 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: but back then they were probably just dusty stops on 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: the road, you know. Um. And she after her father died. 23 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: She had a pretty rough upbringing, but still managed to 24 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: do really well in school. And she was a pretty girl. 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: There are in different accounts as to what she looks like. 26 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: We keep finding things that say she was four eleven, 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 1: and other things that say she was five ft, and 28 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: then a wanted poster that says she's five fives apparently 29 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: no one knows. Was sort of red, gold hair and freckles. 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: And miss Bonnie Parker decided she wanted to get married 31 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: when she was sixteen and eloped with a no good man. Yeah, 32 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: it kind of started off a kick and taste for 33 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: bad men for poor Bonnie because her husband soon landed 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 1: in jail and she actually never divorced him. Interestingly enough, 35 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: supposedly she was wearing his wedding ring still when she 36 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: was found with Clyde. Not to be too much of 37 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: a spoiler, but they don't live. Yeah, they might make 38 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: it if you haven't seen the movie. Yeah, so things 39 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: kind of fall together for the pair in nineteen thirty 40 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: when they meet at the home of a mutual friend 41 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,239 Speaker 1: and it was love at first sight. According to accounts, 42 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: Bonnie Parker's friend had broken her arm and she was 43 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: there taking care of her, and the story goes that 44 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: Clyde came over to see this girl and saw Bonnie 45 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: and that was the end of that. And Clyde actually 46 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: already had a criminal past of his own, and he 47 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: had barely known that. They've known each other for like 48 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: a couple of months, and he gets arrested and put 49 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: into prison. She helps break him out at one point, 50 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: this is my favorite part. She'd been writing letters to 51 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: him where she addressed him sugar and being very supportive, 52 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: and then he and his cellmate convinced her to smuggle 53 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: him in a gun, so it's like a cartoon. She 54 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: she brings him a gun in jail, and both he 55 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: and his cellmate escape where they still cars started robbing again, 56 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: And of course he was recaptured in Ohio and stuck 57 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: in a Texas prison called Eastern Prison Farm, which he 58 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: ends up calling a hell hole for good reason. It 59 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: sounds like it was pretty bad. And imagine this is 60 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: depression era Texas to that kind of compounds everything. But 61 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: you know, it's a place where the prisoners are regularly beaten. 62 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: He saw people put into tin sweat boxes in the 63 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: Texas heat um and even prisoners were murdered sometimes. Uh 64 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: so the guards could collect a twenty dollar reward for 65 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: captured inmates. And even if you weren't being murdered, you 66 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: were still picking cotton from sun up to sundown again 67 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: in the Texas heat. And stories say that he left 68 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: prison even worse than he started. He came out in 69 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: a much more bitter many. But he starts to thinking 70 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: in prison that you know, his dream when he gets 71 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: out is he's gonna really stick it to him. You know, 72 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: he wants to form a gang come back and you know, 73 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: turn everybody loose. And while he's in prison, Bonnie is 74 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: still writing to him, and his mother is actually writing 75 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: to the state and asking for leniency for her son 76 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,559 Speaker 1: and her please work. But not before he's already gotten 77 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: two of his toes cut off as a sort of 78 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: get out of jail free pass. But by February ninety 79 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: two he works at a conditional pardon because Eastam is 80 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: so crowded that they've got to let some people out. 81 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: Um and he meets up with the guy who Ralph Folts, 82 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: who he was sort of planning a future escape and 83 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: break out with, meets up with him again and starts 84 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: bringing his gang to together. And this is about when 85 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: the Barrow Gang forms. And he goes right back into 86 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: robbery after he's released, of course, because that's what you do. 87 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: It's what he does. And the first one didn't go 88 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: so well, he killed a store owner. In the next one, 89 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: and this is where the bad stuff starts there and 90 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: he stolen Ford and he's in Oklahoma and they're drinking 91 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,239 Speaker 1: whiskey in the car and pull up to a dance 92 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: and decide, you know, maybe they'd like to have a 93 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: little fun. And a couple of police officers walk over 94 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: to talk to them because drinking and driving generally frowned upon, 95 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: and they shot them. One of the officers died and 96 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: one was wounded, and one of the gang members folded 97 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: and turned Bunny and Clyde in. Yeah, and Bunny and Clyde, 98 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: you know, they're they're famous for being robbers and being 99 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: murderers and turning over gas stations and restaurants and banks, um. 100 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: But they weren't really that great at more. They they 101 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: never made more than hundred dollars. Sometimes they would rob 102 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: an establishment and get anything at all. Usually they just 103 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: got enough to you know, buy them off unites in 104 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: a motel and a little bit of food. And when 105 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: I think Great Depression robbers, I think more of say 106 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: John Dillinger or baby Face and also exactly who held 107 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: up banks and got thousands and thousands of dollars and 108 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: we're living the glamorous life during the Great Depression, But 109 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: not so much for Bonnie and Clyde Well. And I 110 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: think since they didn't have the big, you know, gangster 111 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,799 Speaker 1: image that you know, somebody like Dillinger had, they're almost 112 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: considered more like Robin Hood figures until they get into 113 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: more and more murder. But you know, banks the Depression, 114 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: they're not held in that high esteem. I think people were, 115 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: you know, kind of intrigued by the couple. But of course, 116 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: instead of targeting these major institutions, they were more going 117 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: towards little mom and pop stores and you know, little 118 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: filling stations and smaller banks, so they weren't even targeting demand, 119 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: so to speak, the people who are really part of 120 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: their own group. They continued on the little crime spree 121 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: after that shooting at the dance. They drove to Bonnie's 122 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: aunts house in New Mexico and Clyde was speeding and 123 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: that's what caught a police officer's eye and he came 124 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: looking for them, and so they kidnapped him, which became 125 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: another part of their They liked kidnapping police officers and 126 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: then releasing them several hours later. Take him on a 127 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: little joy ride, I think, just for kicks. That's actually 128 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: even though they weren't great robbers, Clyde was actually really 129 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: good at hot wiring Ford V eights and it was 130 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: his favorite card. There was a letter purported to be 131 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: by Clyde that he sent to Ford that said, I 132 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: have drove forwards exclusively when I could get away with one, 133 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: and it said that John Dillinger sent them a similar 134 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: letter because with the new V eight engine you could 135 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: get places with that. Where he was a fast driver. 136 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: They did make their way around the country. Um and 137 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: Bonnie also really liked taking pictures of the ing, which 138 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: some of the roles of film were found in some 139 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: of their stolen cars. And that's part of how this 140 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: like great mythic, you know, glamorous couple to the deaf 141 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: thing came because of these pictures when they got them developed. 142 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: It's all great pictures of them closing with you know, 143 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: cigars and guns, and Bonnie's always really nicely turned out 144 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: in these cheek clothes and um, she wore a lot 145 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: of makeup when women didn't really wear much at the time, 146 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: and it's all very posed and you know they're trying 147 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: to kind of assume this glamour. Yeah, like she'll she 148 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: was posing. This one picture you'll find easily on Google 149 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: images where she's posing pretending she's shooting Clyde. And the 150 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: other one of her smoking a cigar, which apparently she 151 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: really disliked because she smoked cigarettes and nice girls didn't smoke. 152 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,439 Speaker 1: One of they're one of their officers who they kidnapped 153 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: and later released. He asked her if there was anything 154 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: she wanted to tell the press, and she was like, 155 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: tell them, I don't smoke scars. It was this one 156 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: point of vanity that bothered her more than you know, 157 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: all the killings. So the killings and the robberies continue, 158 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: and the thing I think is interesting is that they 159 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: kept going back to Texas to see their families, so 160 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: they would do these hold ups and these kidnappings, and 161 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: they would drive back to Texas and you know, eventually 162 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: at some point this is going to catch up with them, 163 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: but not quite yet. In ninety two W. D. Jones 164 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: joins their gang and things start to go a bit 165 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: awry again. They stole a car. The FBI kind of 166 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: starts to get onto them. At this point, Uh, they 167 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: find uh stolen Ford, of course in Michigan that had 168 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: been taken from Oklahoma. And then in Oklahoma they find 169 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: another stolen Ford. Clyde really liked to sports, and uh 170 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: they start to trace these cars and they find one 171 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: has a prescription bottle in it. Um and after tracing 172 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: the prescription, it goes back to Clyde Barrows Aunt and 173 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: um that's when the FBI issues a warrant for him, um, 174 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: charging him with interstate transportation of a stolen automobile. And 175 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty two, the police try to ambush them 176 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: in Dallas and it doesn't work. Policemen are killed, and 177 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: they go right back to more robberies and they robin 178 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: Armory and get a whole bunch of weapons exactly. And 179 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: then in Missouri they kill another policeman and that brings 180 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: us up to about March nineteen thirty three, when Clyde's 181 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:37,359 Speaker 1: brother is released from prison, so what's better than one barrow? 182 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: So he and his wife, who Blanche, joined the gang 183 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: and they all got a little placed together, Bonnie and 184 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: Clyde and W. D. Jones and Blanche and Buck. But 185 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: their behavior is so suspicious they're quickly put under surveillance. 186 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: The neighbors noticed that they never came out of the house. Well, 187 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: and is this when Bonnie was burned? Not quite yet, 188 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: that's like a year a year later, I think, but 189 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: there was. Of course, they figure out who it is, 190 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: there's a gunfight, all of them escaped, and they leave 191 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: behind more rules of film with more pictures of Bonnie 192 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: and Clyde, which just feeds the media flame. And after this, 193 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: they steal another car and the man pursues them in 194 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: someone else's car, so way to be feistating and still 195 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: in car, and he was kidnapped, of course, because again 196 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: that's what we do. And then the car wreckt you 197 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: were talking about happened in nineteen thirty three, and things 198 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: really start to go south for them because Bonnie's severely injured. 199 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: She was pinned under the car and her whole leg 200 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: was burned and it was a really really nasty yeah, 201 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: and she needed to be in a hospital, but of 202 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: course she was an outlaw and she couldn't, so they 203 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: had to do the best they could on their own. 204 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: And it said that um Clyde called her sister to 205 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: come and also hired a nurse to watch over Bonnie. 206 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: But this injury plagued her through their next several escapades. 207 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: She you know, she couldn't get around like she's too well. 208 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: And it also raised fur their suspicions, like them buying 209 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: medical supplies right um, the local pharmacy has been alerted 210 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: to people buying certain burn supplies and exactly so if 211 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: you saw a guy and you thought he was Clyde, 212 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: but you weren't entirely sure, and then he picked up 213 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: a big thing of burn ointment, and it's a good 214 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: chance it's Clyde Barrow. And again in July nineteen thirty 215 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: three they set up shop and a tourist camp, and 216 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: an officer came to visit figured out who they were. 217 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: Another gunfight in sues, Big surprise, because it seems to 218 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: happen a lot. Gun fights are kidnappings and Buck Abarrow 219 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: is seriously wounded to the head and blanches blinded by 220 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: glass in her eye, and they managed to escape, but 221 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: you know, they aren't doing very well, and someone else 222 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: spies them, turns them in and Clyde, Bonnie, and w. D. 223 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: Jones are all shot. They left Blanche and Buck behind. 224 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,959 Speaker 1: They didn't know what else to do. Um. Bonnie and 225 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: Clyde left together, and then w D left all by himself. 226 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: Didn't exactly treat to meet up with him again. I 227 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: think he'd had enough. He was the weak. They're working 228 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: relationship was over. Not too long after that, Clyde starts 229 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: to return to this idea of busting out prisoners from 230 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: ast him. Uh. He he had kind of let the 231 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: plan fall by the wayside over the past few years, 232 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: and he was a little worried he was actually getting 233 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,959 Speaker 1: led into a trap when he was first approached about it. Um. 234 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: But he starts the operation January nineteen thirty four. He 235 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: and Bonnie and a few of their accomplices drop off 236 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: an inner tube filled with two CULT forty five's in 237 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: a ravine outside of the prison. Then there's an elaborate 238 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: exchange where the prisoners, you know, they're sent out on 239 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: a work detail, and they know that this one particular 240 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: guard is he doesn't follow protocol because instead of doing 241 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: his job, he'd rather beat up the prisoners and harass 242 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: them instead of up stand back and guard them with 243 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: his rifle. And knowing this, they have him come over. 244 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: They grabbed the guns. By then they shoot the guard 245 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: and chaos and sues. Uh. Four prisoners have planned to 246 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: escape working with the gang. They rush out. Clyde covers 247 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: them with machine gun fire. Uh. All the guards freak out, 248 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: you know, they almost all of my avand in there, Um, 249 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: only one actually holds his post and he's kind of 250 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: credited with preventing what probably would have been a mass 251 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: escape at Eastham. Uh. This imagine this one guy, you know, 252 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: just standing there against the Barrel gang. And then this, 253 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: I love this one extra convict like sneaks out with 254 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: the gang and hides in the woods for a day 255 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: and then seazing opportunity. He thought it would be a 256 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: good chance. Um. And then the officials realized pretty soon 257 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: that uh, you know, looking at the prisoners who escaped, 258 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: looking at the Nan gang members, they realized Bonnie and Clyde, 259 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: and there was even a little bit of h I know, 260 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: some people were disturbed that the Barrow Gang would have 261 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: such easy access to a prison where all their buddies are. Yeah, 262 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: and it's you know, looking back, I remember I wrote 263 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: a blog post about John Dillinger and he escaped from 264 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: more than one prison as well. And I'm thinking maximum 265 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: security didn't quite mean the same thing then as it 266 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: does not. Yeah, some of these guys who escape in 267 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: thirty four when they're captured, they escape again later from 268 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: other prisons or from the same one. It seems like 269 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: most of these guys escape from prisons several times. Bonnie's 270 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: no good prison also yeah, yeah, he escaped for east Ham, 271 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: didn't he. Yeah. Also no good husband from way back 272 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: in the day. Yeah. So but anyways, uh, they they 273 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: shoot a guard during this, well not Bonnie and Clyde, 274 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: but members of their gang inside the prison shoot a 275 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: guard and kill another guard. And after that, I mean, 276 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: their their fade is really sealed. The prison director Lee 277 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: Simmons kind of has it out for him. He's been 278 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: obviously hugely embarrassed by this stunt and by the murder 279 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: of one of his guards, so he commissions a retired 280 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: Texas ranger Frank Hammer or Hammer. Yeah, we're not sure 281 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: um to be a state highway patrolman and have a 282 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: temporary detail to find Bonnie and Clyde. So now they've 283 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: got a bounty hunter on their tail. And also two 284 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: of the men they'd help escape, Ray Hamilton's and Henry 285 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: Methven have joined the gang, so they've increased their numbers 286 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: since they've lost us to Bucking Blanche Buck ended up 287 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: dying from his injuries, and Blanche was sent to a 288 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: women's penitentiary. And they are out on the hunt again, 289 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: and they robbed another bank, and then the event that 290 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: gets them that probably turns the tide of public opinion 291 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: against that Robin Hood perception that I mentioned earlier, really 292 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 1: changes with is gone there in Grapevine, Texas and patrolmen 293 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: are walking up to their car to question them, and 294 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 1: without even any warning, they shot them and killed them. 295 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: And there's a little contention over that because the their accomplice, 296 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: m Henry Methven, Uh, he apparently fired the first shot 297 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: and Bonnie and Clyde had wanted to, you know, do 298 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: their normal thing and kidnapped the car instead. Um, but 299 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: you know, once they once the shot was fired, it 300 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: was all, you know, they were committed to it. At 301 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: that point. A couple accounts I read said that Clyde 302 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: had said, let's take them, and Henry took that to 303 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: mean let's get rid of them, where as Clyde meant it, no, 304 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: let's actually physically take them, you know, like we like 305 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: to do with visers in the law, regardless of what 306 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: happened to young police officers who were killed in cold blood, 307 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: with at least one of them leaving a wife behind, 308 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: I'm not sure about the other. And two more men 309 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: joined the bounty hunter, and so there were now four 310 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: people who were just dedicated to catching Bonnie and Clyde. 311 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: So it's only a matter of time. So after this 312 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: there's another robbery, and then another attempted car theft, and 313 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: another officer killed, and they stole another four d v 314 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 1: ate their faith in Kansas and went to see their 315 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: families again. And this is where Bonnie's poem comes in. 316 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: She wrote a poem called the Story of Bonnie and Clyde, 317 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 1: and she gave it to her mother, and it begins 318 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: with you read the story of Jesse James of how 319 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: he lived and died. If you're still in need of 320 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: something to read, here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde 321 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: and goes on to say that basically the newspapers are 322 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: lying and they're not so ruthless as that their nature 323 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: is raw. They hate the law, the stool pigeons, spotters 324 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: and rats. So again, probably not going to win you 325 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: a whole lot of something. No, we should say to 326 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: Bonnie would sit in the backseat of the car when 327 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: she wasn't navigating for Clyde or participating in a shootout. 328 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: Um and type poetry. She's known for that one and 329 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: one more called the Suicide of sal Yeah, I think 330 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: so that creative writing and Clyde played sex. Then that 331 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: was another thing found in their car, in addition to 332 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: lots of license plates and some money and lots of guns. 333 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: Clyde sack and like humanizing detailers pay home. Especially at 334 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: this point. Methven, the accomplice who participated in the murder 335 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: of the two highway patrolmen, ends up being there undoing. 336 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: And remember we were talking about Frank Hammer or Hammer earlier, 337 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: and in his search for Bonnie and Cloud Clyde, he 338 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: eventually gets connected with Henry Methven, or rather his father, 339 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: who is seeking a pardon from the state of Texas 340 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: for his son, and at this point Methven betrays Bonnie 341 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: and Clyde and sets them up for the eventual police ambush. Right, 342 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: and Henry Methven's father gets the guarantee for leniency for 343 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: his son because Methven was the one who would probably 344 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: be in the most trouble after those grape fine killings, 345 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: and his father knew it, so he agrees to help 346 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: them set the two up and they are ambushed in 347 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: Louisiana on May nine. Yeah. Uh, Methven finds a pretext 348 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,120 Speaker 1: to part company with Bonnie and Clyde for a little bit, 349 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: knowing that they're going to reconvene his parents house, and 350 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: the police wait near near the house. This is in Giveslyn, Louisiana, 351 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: about a mile off of twenty and uh, they wait. 352 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:13,880 Speaker 1: Some accounts say they waited for a couple of days, 353 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: and then others say it was just overnight. These are 354 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 1: the ones I read were saying overnight. Yeah, there's a 355 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: little controversy there too. But um, by nine ten in 356 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: the morning, they hear a roar of a V eight 357 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 1: and they know it's got to be Clyde like driving 358 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: that fast. Um, and they start shooting pretty much as 359 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: soon as they get an I d on Clyde. It's 360 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: no warning. They don't say stop that, don't say you're 361 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: under arrest. They just start shooting. And one hundred and 362 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: sixty seven bullet holes were found in the car and 363 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: more than fifty in the bodies of the two. When 364 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 1: they opened the door, they saw bloody cigarettes in um 365 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: in Bonnie's lap, along with a gun and um Clyde 366 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 1: went first. Bnvil Parish Deputy Prentice Oakley fired the first 367 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,719 Speaker 1: shot hit Clyde in the head. That was he was 368 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: killed pretty much instantly, but Bonnie apparently took longer to 369 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: kill and a lot of the policemen later said they 370 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: were haunted by hearing her scream after Clyde had been 371 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: shot and before she died. Well, especially since there weren't 372 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: any warrants out. I don't think against Bonnie warrants and yeah, 373 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: she wasn't ever accused of being a murderer, just you know, 374 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: someone who was along for the ride, so while she 375 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: was in trouble, there was nothing out saying. That's kind 376 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: of become an interesting question to did did Bonnie ever 377 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: kill anyone? Or did she even fire a gun? And uh, 378 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: even one of their own gang members w g Jones 379 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: later said that in the five shoot outs he participated 380 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,360 Speaker 1: in with her, he never saw her fire, but said 381 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: she was a hell of a loader, so helpful. If 382 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: really the worst one, it was complete pan ammonium. At 383 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: the site where they were shot and killed, there's actually 384 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: you can see video right after the shoot someone came 385 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: up just to see everyone rushing around and see the bodies. 386 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: People were taking pictures and taking pieces of them. From there, 387 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: it gets pretty coolish trying to take pieces of her 388 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 1: bloody hair and pieces of her gear. And they tow 389 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: the car into town to show the school kids, and 390 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 1: it's all rather grizzly. And then in the car they 391 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: found a bunch of bunch of guns and a bunch 392 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: of license plates because well, and the saxophone because they 393 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,360 Speaker 1: tried to change license plates after every single robbery they committed. 394 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: They actually realized that after they lost one of their 395 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: roles of film left it behind and the police got 396 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: ahold of it, they decided they wanted to start covering 397 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: up the license plates on their stolen cars. Not documenting 398 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: that um but an interesting fact about Methven to the Informer. 399 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: He was later sentenced to death for killing a police officer, 400 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: something that happened after he signed his part in agreement. Um. 401 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: But after hearing about his role in catching Bonnie and Clyde, 402 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: the court commuted it to life and he was released 403 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: from prison in nine And then a few years after that, 404 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: an unknown person knocked him unconscious and placed him on 405 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: a railroad track where he was cut in half. So 406 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 1: I guess you know, somebody like Methven has probably made 407 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 1: quite a number of enemies over his life. That's um. 408 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,439 Speaker 1: I wonder it's still quite a creative way to to 409 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: get rid of someone another rather cartoonish, cartoonishly violent thing 410 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,479 Speaker 1: to do. I think the sad fact that keeps sticking 411 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: with me is that Bonnie's mother wouldn't let her be 412 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: buried next to Clyde, which of course is where she 413 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be. Clyde is buried next to his brother, 414 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: end Bonnie is home, and then you know, they may 415 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 1: have died in nineteen thirty four, but the legend really 416 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 1: only grew from there. We talked about the movies, and 417 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: there's actually a new one in the works. If you 418 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,719 Speaker 1: haven't seen the sixty seven original, soon there will be 419 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: a film starring Hillary Duff and Kevin the diggers. So 420 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: you see, and I remember hearing some really snotty quotes 421 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: back and forth from Hillary Duff and Fade Unaway. They 422 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 1: done away did not really approve, did she? Not that 423 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 1: I read celebrity gossip? But if I did that, that's 424 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,920 Speaker 1: what I would have heard. Um. And there are still 425 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: people who want a piece of Bonnie and Clyde. You 426 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: can buy a square inch of Clyde's pants for two 427 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: hundred dollars um in the car that they died in. 428 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 1: You know, that's that's what I want. My birthday is 429 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 1: coming up, y'all. Just kidding um. And you can see 430 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: the car that they died in at a Las Vegas 431 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: casino along with Clyde's shirt. So if you'd like to 432 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: learn the real story of a bunch of criminals and 433 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: not buy a bunch of kids memorabilia, you can check 434 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: out the Stuff you missed in History class blog on 435 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: our homepage at www dot how stuff works dot com. 436 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 437 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Let us know what you think. 438 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 1: Send an email to podcast at how stuff works dot 439 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 1: com and be sure to check out the stuff you 440 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: missed in History Class blog on the how Stuff Works 441 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: dot com home page