Chosen Criminals: Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow (The Barrow Gang)

By: Jenny Natoli

Background On Bonnie Elizabeth Parker

• Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910, in Rowena, Texas• People she went to school with claimed she was beautiful and

a good student• lost her father at a young age and accompanied her mother

and two siblings to her grandparents' house• By sixteen, Bonnie was married to an imprisoned murderer

and a high school dropout

Background on Clyde Chestnut Barrow

• Born on March 24, 1909 in Telico, Texas as the sixth of eight children to Henry and Cummie Barrow

• People described him as an attractive man with thick brown hair

• Desired more out of life than the hand he had been dealt• Clyde and his older brother, Ivan Barrow or "Buck”, dropped

out of school and fell into trouble

Crimes Accused on Committing• Clyde was arrested for burglary and was put in jail. Clyde asked

Bonnie to smuggle a gun into his cell, and that is exactly what she did. This was her first criminal act. With this gun Clyde robbed numerous stores in Illinois in 1930 but was soon caught again and was sentenced to 2 years

• Clyde, Raymond Hamilton (murderer) and Frank Clause formed a new gang to rob a convenient store but something went wrong and it turned out to be a murder. By accident, Raymond Hamilton pulled the trigger of his gun pointing it at the clerk After this ordeal, Clyde knew he could not turn himself in, so he decided to continue with his criminal life. Bonnie joined up with Clyde in Dallas where they committed more robberies

Most Recent Crime• 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, a constable at Miami, Oklahoma was murdered by Bonnie and Clyde, who also abducted a police chief, whom they wounded.

Evidence• Body of Calvin Campbell found in

Oklahoma

Quotes• "No man but the undertaker will ever get me, if officers ever cripple me to

where I see they will take me alive, I'll take my own life" CLYDE BARROW • "I was aiming at Clyde Barrow's head when I shot" DEPUTY PRENTISS

OAKLEY (speaking of ambush) • "I hate to bust the cap on a woman, especially when she was sitting down,

however if it wouldn't have been her, it would have been us". FRANK A. HAMER (After slaying Bonnie in ambush)

• "It is much better that they were both killed, rather then to have been taken alive" BLANCHE BARROW (On hearing of the deaths of Clyde and Bonnie).

Sociological Theories• I believe innovation describes Bonnie and Clyde’s deviance. I think

this because they turned to organized crime in order to get wealthy. Bonnie and Clyde created a gang to help them with their crimes. The gang planned several robberies and together the group accumulated a lot of money.

• Bonnie and Clyde’s criminal behavior could also be described as rebellion. I believe this because at the time of their criminal streak, the depression was happening. They went against what the government and society wanted. I found it very bold and interesting that this couple rebelled to this extremity. During the depression, many people went broke because of government issues but Bonnie and Clyde decided to get rich on their own. Although what they did was illegal, many people at the time understood their choices. It was one of the only ways of gaining wealth at the time.

Simply Punished• I believe that Bonnie and Clyde should be punished for their

actions instead of being rehabilitated. I think this because the couple was fully aware of their actions. They planned each crime and they even got more people to join in their crime spree. The couple was terrified of their consequences and did things in their power to not get caught. This proves that the criminals were completely in control of the choices they made, and chose to commit the crimes. Those who commit a crime should be punished.