A Story of Poverty in America

To many Americans the date of May 23, 1934 means little. But to some like myself it marks the ending of a story of poverty in America that was ignited by the ambitions of two people. Bonnie Parker and her companion and lover, Clyde Barrow. Both were born in destitute families near Dallas, Texas. Bonnie Parker was born October 1, 1910 in Cement City, a ghetto of poverty stricken people outside of Dallas, Texas. Clyde Champion Barrow was born on March 24, 1909 in Ellis County, Texas. His family was financially and incapable of paying bills and putting food on their humble table. Clyde Barrow hated poverty and wanted to make something out of his life. Clyde was a fast-talking thief who was in and out of jail for crimes of thievery. Bonnie worked as a part time waitress and was an amateur poet. She had married Roy Thornton at age 18. Roy was abusive and also involved in many crimes. He murdered someone during a robbery and was sent to Eastham Prison in Houston county, Texas for life. Bonnie had met Clyde in January of 1930 when she was 19 years old and Clyde 21. Clyde had spent time in the Eastham prison famous for cruelty, corruption, and murder of inmates. He was 18 when he entered and came out a beaten and worn out old man beyond his years.With her husband in prison, Bonnie and Clyde met again and started a "fatal attraction" relationship. They embarked on many bank robberies, break-ins and car thefts. Clyde Barrow was a master gunman. His favorite weapon was a trusted Browning Automatic rifle and Bonnie used a Remington model 11 shotgun during their crime sprees. On March 23,1933, Ivan [Buck] Marrow and wife Blanche joined Bonnie and Clyde. Buck had just got out of prison. In a shoot out in Iowa, Buck was fatally wounded and Blanche was arrested taken into custody.

Once again Bonnie and Clyde were on their own until they met Henry Methvin and hired him as a driver. Clyde killed a man in Hillsboro Texas, killed two Highway officers near Grapevine, Texas and killed a sheriff and wounded an officer near Stringtown Texas. The states of Texas and Louisiana where Bonnie and Clyde operated had enough of the notorious twosome. The family of driver Henry Methvin had family in Louisiana. He suggested that the couple stay in a secluded area near his family until the FBI area police cooled their hunt down for them. Henry confided in his family about Bonnie and Clyde. They notified the authorities. The Methvin family staged a party on May 21, in the area of Black Lake, Louisiana. Both Bonnie and Clyde attended the event. They were to return to the secluded area that they had been hiding at two days later. The FBI was notified and prepared. Just before dawn on May 23, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde were driving in a camel colored stolen Ford V-8 engine car, near Sailes, Bunville Parish, Louisiana, when a posse made up of FBI agents and local police opened fire on the couple. Bonnie and Clyde tried to drive away but could not with so many gunmen shooting at them. Bonnie died wearing a wedding ring. The same one that her husband Roy Thornton had placed on her finger. After the shooting police counted 150 rounds in the car that Bonnie and Clyde died in. Bonnie's bullet riddled body was slumped toward Clydes. The families of the two, did not bury them next to one another, because Bonnie was married to another man. But chose to bury them apart in the same cemetery, the Crown memorial park in Dallas, Texas......RIP Bonnie and Clyde. After a trail of violence and uncertainty you deserve some peace. Poverty and constant disappointments in life does take its toll on human psychology in many different ways. And you reacted in a manner that released anger from deep within. The question is Bonnie and Clyde, "would you do it all over again in the same way?"

Nancy Kemler

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