Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde, circa 1932-1934 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Background

Both Clyde Barrow (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) and Bonnie Parker (October 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) grew up in the slums of Dallas, Texas, but while Clyde ended up on the wrong side of the law by his teen years, Bonnie seemed to stay out of trouble. The two met in 1930, when Clyde was 20 and Bonnie 19; Bonnie was already married but was separated from her husband.

Clyde was sent to prison for robbery not long after their meeting, but the two reunited when he was released in 1932. Clyde initially appeared to try to straighten out his life but soon returned to small-time robberies, this time involving Bonnie in some of his criminal activities.

Crime Spree

Bonnie and Clyde, along with various accomplices, began a crime spree that would last two years. They mostly robbed gas stations, restaurants, and stores, sometimes hitting small banks as well, and in 1934 they engineered a prison break. Whenever the police caught up with them, Clyde and his accomplices rarely hesitated to shoot, allegedly killing 9 officers of the law—and 13 people total—while they were on the run.

Bonnie was often portrayed in newspapers as a “cigar-smoking gun moll,” after police raided a hideout and found photographs of her with a gun in her hand and a cigar in her mouth. (Bonnie vehemently denied she ever smoked cigars, only cigarettes, and there is little evidence that she ever murdered anyone.)

Deaths

Their crime spree finally ended in May 1934 when Frank Hamer, a Texas Ranger, and his posse tracked down Clyde and Bonnie in Louisiana. The group set up an ambush, hiding along the side of a road. When they saw Bonnie and Clyde’s car, the posse let loose with a hail of more than 100 bullets, killing both of the car’s occupants.

Funeral

Clyde’s and Bonnie’s gunshot-riddled bodies were taken back to Texas, and thousands of people came to see their corpses. In accordance with Bonnie’s mother’s wishes, the two were given separate funerals and Bonnie was buried apart from Clyde in a different cemetery. At the time of their deaths, Clyde was just 25 and Bonnie 23.

Learn more about Bonnie and Clyde through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about Bonnie and Clyde

Clyde Barrow, William Turner, and Embry Abernathy escape from McLennan county jail 12 Mar 1930, Wed Austin American-Statesman (Austin, Texas) Newspapers.comPhotos of Buck Barrow, Clyde Barrow, and "a young woman" - printed from negatives found at hideout 15 Apr 1933, Sat Joplin Globe (Joplin, Missouri) Newspapers.comBonnie, Clyde, and gang accused of kidnapping two women in April 1933 Sat, Apr 29, 1933 – Page 1 · The Ruston Daily Leader (Ruston, Louisiana) · Newspapers.comClyde Barrow and companions cornered by posse in Iowa in July 1933 Mon, Jul 24, 1933 – 1 · The Post-Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.comAssociate of Bonnie and Clyde accused of kidnapping a highway patrolman in December 1933 Sun, Dec 3, 1933 – Page 10 · The Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, Missouri) · Newspapers.comClyde Barrow's criminal record from Dec 1926 through Nov 1933 Tue, Jan 16, 1934 – Page 1 · The Paris News (Paris, Texas) · Newspapers.comAccount of Clyde Barrow's involvement in the Eastham Prison Farm breakout Tue, Jan 16, 1934 – Page 1 · The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) · Newspapers.comPhoto of Clyde with gun. Photo of Bonnie at right. Sun, Jan 21, 1934 – Page 1 · Medford Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon) · Newspapers.comBonnie and Clyde's alleged involvement in the Grapevine killings Mon, Apr 2, 1934 – Page 2 · Clovis News-Journal (Clovis, New Mexico) · Newspapers.comPhotograph of Bonnie and Clyde that was found at their hideout in Joplin, Missouri Thu, Apr 12, 1934 – Page 12 · The News-Herald (Franklin, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.comClyde Barrow is wanted "dead or alive" in 1934 Mon, Apr 16, 1934 – Page 7 · Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) · Newspapers.com1934 wanted posted for Clyde Barrow with photo, physical description & fingerprint 17 May 1934, Thu The Indianapolis Times (Indianapolis, Indiana) Newspapers.comHeadlines about the deaths of Bonnie and Clyde in May 1934 Wed, May 23, 1934 – Page 19 · The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) · Newspapers.comEx-Ranger tells about killing Bonnie and Clyde. Wed, May 23, 1934 – Page 1 · St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) · Newspapers.comNewspaper account of Bonnie and Clyde being ambushed and killed by police Thu, May 24, 1934 – 1 · The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) · Newspapers.comBonnie and Clyde to be buried separately in Dallas, per the wishes of Bonnie's mother Thu, May 24, 1934 – 10 · Des Moines Tribune (Des Moines, Iowa) · Newspapers.com"The Story of Bonnie and Clyde" by Bonnie Parker. Thu, May 24, 1934 – 1 · El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) · Newspapers.com"Bonnie's Husband Glad She Died as She Did" "Barrow's Sister-in-Law Glad Both Are Dead" 24 May 1934, Thu Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) Newspapers.comExcerpt from article describing involvement the Methvins in the ambush that killed Bonnie & Clyde 24 May 1934, Thu The Shreveport Journal (Shreveport, Louisiana) Newspapers.comPhoto of the bullet-riddled car Bonnie and Clyde were killed in Fri, May 25, 1934 – Page 1 · Miami Daily News-Record (Miami, Oklahoma) · Newspapers.comPhoto of the lawmen who killed Bonnie and Clyde Sat, May 26, 1934 – Page 8 · The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.comThousands come to see Bonnie and Clyde's bodies before burial Sat, May 26, 1934 – Page 14 · The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) · Newspapers.com"Barrow's Father Seeks Belongings of His Slain Son" 29 May 1934, Tue The Shreveport Journal (Shreveport, Louisiana) Newspapers.comBonnie and Clyde's relatives tried in Feb 1935 for conspiracy to harbor fugitives Tue, Feb 26, 1935 – Page 9 · The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas) · Newspapers.comReview of the 1967 movie "Bonnie and Clyde" with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty 19 Nov 1967, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.comBonnie and Clyde's death car put on auction block. Thu, May 24, 1973 – Page 2 · Del Rio News Herald (Del Rio, Texas) · Newspapers.com"Bonnie and Clyde guns, memorabilia to be auctioned" 15 Jul 2012, Sun Herald and Review (Decatur, Illinois) Newspapers.com