Bonnie & Clyde Joplin Police Department Files

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Bonnie and Clyde: Joplin Police Department Files Timeline

Bonnie and Clyde Timeline

January 1930: Bonnie Parker, 19 years old and married to an imprisoned burglar, meets Clyde Barrow shortly after his arrest for burglary.

A few days after January 1930: Clyde Barrow is arrested for burglary.

February 1930: Clyde Barrow escapes jail in Waco, Texas, with a gun smuggled to him by Bonnie Parker.

Shortly after February 1930: Clyde Barrow is recaptured and sent back to prison.

February 1932: Clyde Barrow is paroled from prison.

Early 1932: Clyde Barrow returns to a life of crime, allegedly murdering an Oklahoma sheriff and a storekeeper.

August 1932: Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are together for good and begin their criminal partnership, gaining notoriety as they are pursued across several states.

April 27, 1932: John Bucher, a store owner in Hillsboro, Texas, is fatally shot during a robbery by two men claiming to need guitar strings. The Barrow Gang is attributed with this death.

April 30, 1932: John Bucher dies from the gunshot wound sustained on April 27th.

August 5, 1932: Undersheriff Eugene C. Moore is killed and Sheriff Charles Maxwell is wounded in a confrontation with two suspicious men near Stringtown, Oklahoma. The Barrow Gang is attributed with Moore’s death.

October 11, 1932: Howard Hall, a butcher in Sherman, Texas, is killed while attempting to stop Clyde Barrow from robbing his store.

December 26, 1932: Doyle Johnson is shot and killed in Temple, Texas, while trying to prevent the theft of his wife’s car. The Barrow Gang is attributed with this death.

January 6, 1933: Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff Malcolm Davis is killed during a gunfight with Barrow Gang members during a stakeout in West Dallas.

March 22, 1933: Clyde’s brother Marvin “Buck” Barrow is granted a full pardon and released from prison.

Shortly after March 22, 1933: Buck Barrow and his wife Blanche move in with Bonnie, Clyde, and W.D. Jones at a temporary hideout at 3347 1/2 Oakridge Drive in Joplin, Missouri.

April 13, 1933: The Joplin Police Department assembles a five-man force to confront suspected bootleggers at the Oakridge Drive address.

April 13, 1933: A shootout occurs at the Joplin hideout. Detective Harry McGinnis is killed outright, and Constable John Wes Harryman is fatally wounded.

April 13, 1933: The Barrow Gang escapes the police in Joplin but leaves behind many possessions, including Buck’s parole papers, weapons, a poem by Bonnie, and undeveloped film.

Mid-April 1933 (approximate): Police develop the film left behind by the Barrow Gang at The Joplin Globe. The photos of Bonnie, Clyde, and Jones posing with weapons, along with Bonnie’s poem, are sent over the newswire.

Mid-April 1933 onwards: The photos and stories from Joplin make Bonnie and Clyde and the Barrow Gang front-page news across America.

June 26, 1933: City Marshal Henry D. Humphrey is shot and killed at a roadblock north of Alma, Arkansas, while trying to stop a car carrying Barrow Gang members.

January 16, 1934: Guard Major Crowson is shot and killed during a Barrow Gang raid on the Eastham State Farm in Huntsville, Texas, to free inmates.

April 1, 1934: Texas Highway Patrolmen E.B. Wheeler and H.D. Murphy are killed near Grapevine, Texas, after approaching a Barrow Gang vehicle stopped on the side of the road on Easter morning.

April 6, 1934: Constable Calvin Campbell is shot and killed near Commerce, Oklahoma, while approaching a Barrow Gang car stuck in a muddy road. His partner is taken hostage.

May 23, 1934: Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are killed in an ambush by a posse of Louisiana and Texas law enforcement officers, including Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, near Sailes, Louisiana.

1933-1934: The Joplin Police Department files document correspondences between Chief of Detectives Ed Portley and other law enforcement agencies regarding information on Bonnie and Clyde.

1938-1949: Later dated memos within the Joplin Police Department files deal with closing loose ends and responding to inquiries about the Bonnie and Clyde incident.

Date unspecified: A correspondence from Cumie Barrow regarding the Joplin incident is included in the Joplin Police Department files.

Cast of Characters:

• Bonnie Parker: (c. 1910 – 1934) A member of the Barrow Gang and Clyde Barrow’s partner in crime. Known for her participation in robberies, murders, and for the romanticized image created by the photos found in Joplin. She was killed alongside Clyde in Louisiana.
• Clyde Barrow: (1909 – 1934) The leader of the Barrow Gang and Bonnie Parker’s partner. Responsible for numerous robberies and murders across several states. He was killed alongside Bonnie in Louisiana.
• Marvin “Buck” Barrow: (1903 – 1933) Clyde’s older brother. He was released from prison in March 1933 and joined Bonnie and Clyde in Joplin with his wife Blanche. He participated in the Joplin shootout and continued with the gang until his death later in 1933 (not detailed in these excerpts).
• Blanche Barrow: (1911 – 1988) Buck Barrow’s wife. She lived with Bonnie, Clyde, and Buck in Joplin. She was present during the shootout but was not a primary instigator. She was later wounded and captured (details beyond these excerpts).
• W.D. Jones: (1916 – 1974) A member of the Barrow Gang who was with Bonnie and Clyde in Joplin. He participated in the shootout and continued with the gang for a time before being captured (details beyond these excerpts).
• Harry McGinnis: (Date of birth unknown – April 13, 1933) A Detective with the Joplin Police Department. He was killed outright during the shootout at the Barrow Gang’s hideout in Joplin.
• John Wes Harryman: (Date of birth unknown – April 13, 1933) A Constable in Joplin, Missouri. He was fatally wounded during the shootout at the Barrow Gang’s hideout and died shortly after.
• Ed Portley: The Chief of Detectives for the Joplin Police Department during the time of the Bonnie and Clyde incident. He corresponded with other law enforcement agencies regarding the fugitives.
• Cumie Barrow: Clyde and Buck Barrow’s mother. A correspondence from her regarding the Joplin incident is included in the Joplin Police Department files.
• Frank Hamer: (1884 – 1955) A legendary Texas Ranger who was part of the posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde in Louisiana.
• John Bucher: (Date of birth unknown – April 30, 1932) A store owner in Hillsboro, Texas, fatally shot during a robbery attributed to the Barrow Gang.
• Eugene C. Moore: (Date of birth unknown – August 5, 1932) An Undersheriff in Atoka, Oklahoma, killed in a confrontation with individuals suspected to be part of the Barrow Gang.
• Howard Hall: (Date of birth unknown – October 11, 1932) A butcher in Sherman, Texas, killed while attempting to thwart a robbery by Clyde Barrow.
• Doyle Johnson: (Date of birth unknown – December 26, 1932) A man shot and killed in Temple, Texas, while trying to stop the theft of his wife’s car, attributed to the Barrow Gang.
• Malcolm Davis: (Date of birth unknown – January 6, 1933) A Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff killed in a gunfight with Barrow Gang members in West Dallas.
• Henry D. Humphrey: (Date of birth unknown – June 26, 1933) The City Marshal of Alma, Arkansas, shot and killed while attempting to stop a car carrying Barrow Gang members.
• Major Crowson: (Date of birth unknown – January 16, 1934) A guard at the Eastham State Farm in Huntsville, Texas, killed during a raid by the Barrow Gang.
• E.B. Wheeler: (Date of birth unknown – April 1, 1934) A Texas Highway Patrolman killed near Grapevine, Texas, after approaching the Barrow Gang’s car.
• H.D. Murphy: (Date of birth unknown – April 1, 1934) A Texas Highway Patrolman and partner of E.B. Wheeler, also killed near Grapevine.
• Calvin Campbell: (Date of birth unknown – April 6, 1934) A Constable in Commerce, Oklahoma, shot and killed while approaching the Barrow Gang’s car.
• Raymond Hamilton: (1913 – 1935) Another associate of Bonnie and Clyde, mentioned as being the reason for the West Dallas stakeout where Malcolm Davis was killed.
• Henry Methvin: (1912 – 1948) A member of the Barrow Gang whose father, Ivy Methvin, was used in the ambush that killed Bonnie and Clyde.
• Joe Palmer: Another individual identified as being part of the Barrow Gang at times.
• Mary O’Dare: Another individual identified as being part of the Barrow Gang at times.
• Ivy Methvin: Henry Methvin’s father, who was part of the setup for the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde.
• Sheriff Charles Maxwell: The Sheriff in Atoka, Oklahoma, who was wounded in the same incident where Undersheriff Moore was killed.

Bonnie & Clyde Joplin Police Department Files

A 312-page file from the Joplin, Missouri Police Department, the documents cover Bonnie & Clyde dating from 1933 and 1934, several date from 1938 to 1949.

The file includes correspondences between then Joplin Chief of Detectives Ed Portley and other police and sheriff departments on gathering and dispersing information about the fugitives and their cars and weapons. Also includes newspaper clippings about the killers. Later dated memos deal with closing up loose ends and responding to inquiries.

A highlight of the file is a correspondence from Cumie Barrow regarding the Joplin incident.

On March 22, 1933, Clyde’s brother Buck was granted a full pardon and released from prison, and he and his wife Blanche  moved in with Bonnie, Clyde and W.D. Jones in a temporary hideout at 3347 1/2 Oakridge Drive in Joplin, Missouri. The Joplin police assembled a five-man force in two cars on April 13 to confront what they suspected were bootleggers living in the garage apartment. The Barrow brothers and Jones opened fire, killing Detective McGinnis outright and fatally wounding Constable Harryman.

The group escaped the police at Joplin but left behind most of their possessions at the apartment, including Buck’s parole papers (three weeks old), a large arsenal of weapons, a handwritten poem by Bonnie, and a camera with several rolls of undeveloped film. Police developed the film at The Joplin Globe and found many photos of Barrow, Parker, and Jones posing and pointing weapons at one another. The Globe sent the poem and the photos over the newswire, including a photo of Parker clenching a cigar in her teeth and a pistol in her hand, and the gang of criminals became front-page news throughout America as the Barrow Gang.

In addition to the files described above the collection include:

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Bonnie & Clyde Garage Apartment

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service’s report on Bonnie & Clyde’s garage apartment in Joplin, MO. Contains much historical information about the apartment and its use by Bonnie & Clyde. On Thursday, April 13, 1933, the square stone building was the site of a [deadly shootout between local lawmen and members of the notorious “Barrow Gang.” The NPS found that the garage apartment represents a defining moment in the saga of Bonnie & Clyde, and that it was Missouri’s most intact and best-preserved structure with a strong and clear association with the notorious gangster lovers.

BACKGROUND

When Bonnie met Clyde in January 1930, she was 19 and married to an imprisoned burglar, who she married when she was 15. Clyde was arrested a few days after they met for burglary. He escaped jail in Waco, Texas using a gun Bonnie smuggled to him. Clyde was recaptured and was sent back to prison. Clyde was paroled in February 1932. He soon returned to a life of crime, apparently murdering an Oklahoma sheriff and a storekeeper. By August, Bonnie and Clyde were together for good and making news, as they were pursued across Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois.

At the core of the Barrow Gang were Bonnie and Clyde. At different times the group included others such as Clyde’s older brother Marvin “Buck” Barrow and his wife Blanche, William Daniel Jones, Raymond Hamilton, Henry Methvin, Joe Palmer, Mary O’Dare, and others.

Before dawn on May 23, 1934, a posse composed of police officers from Louisiana and Texas, including Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, concealed themselves in bushes along the highway near Sailes, Louisiana. In the early daylight, Bonnie and Clyde appeared in an automobile. They slowed down when they came across Henry Methvin’s father Ivy standing beside his truck as if it was broken down. It was a trap. Ivy ducked away, and the officers opened fire. Bonnie and Clyde were killed instantly.

The Barrow Gang is generally attributed with the responsibility for the deaths of 12 individuals, including nine law enforcement officers:

John Bucher, Hillsboro, Texas: April 30, 1932 – On April 27, Bucher opened his Hillsboro store after it was closed for two men who claimed they needed guitar strings for a musical performance. He was fatally shot while making change.

Eugene C. Moore, Atoka, Oklahoma: August 5, 1932 – Undersheriff Moore and Sheriff Charles Maxwell were investigating a disturbance at an outdoor dance near the rural Oklahoma community of Stringtown, when they encountered two men suspiciously milling about parked cars. Undersheriff Moore was killed instantly, while Sheriff Maxwell was seriously wounded.

Howard Hall, Sherman, Texas: October 11, 1932 – Hall, a butcher at a small Sherman grocery, attempted to thwart a robbery of the store by Clyde Barrow.

Doyle Johnson, Temple, Texas: December 26, 1932 – Johnson attempted to stop the theft of his wife’s new car and was shot.

Malcolm Davis, Dallas, Texas:  January 6, 1933 – Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff Davis was among several law officers caught in a gunfight with Barrow Gang members during a West Dallas stakeout of Raymond Hamilton’s sister’s house.

Harry McGinnis, Joplin, Missouri:  April 13, 1933 – Detective McGinnis received multiple gunshot wounds as he and other officers approached a Joplin, Missouri home used as a hideout by the Barrow Gang.

John Wes Harryman, Joplin, Missouri:  April 13, 1933 – Constable Harryman was also shot at the Joplin hideout.

Henry D. Humphrey, Alma, Arkansas:  June 26, 1933 – City Marshal Humphrey was shot and killed at a roadblock north of Alma while attempting to stop a car carrying members of the Barrow Gang.

Major Crowson, Huntsville, Texas:  January 16, 1934 – Crowson, a guard at the Eastham State Farm was shot and killed during the Barrow Gang raid to free inmates at the prison.

E.B. Wheeler, Grapevine, Texas:  April 1, 1934 – Texas Highway Patrolman Wheeler was killed on Easter morning when he approached a Barrow Gang car stopped on the side of the road.

H.D. Murphy, Grapevine, Texas:  April 1, 1934 – Texas Highway Patrolman Murphy was Wheeler’s partner; he was also killed at Grapevine.

Calvin Campbell, Commerce, Oklahoma:  April 6, 1934 – Constable Calvin was shot and killed while approaching a Barrow Gang car stuck in a muddy road. Calvin’s partner was taken hostage. Campbell, a 61-year-old single father of eight, is believed to be the last Barrow Gang victim to be killed.