Thursday, January 14, 2010

The 2010 B&CHB Polls-- And Away We Go

A new year means new B&C polls. Time's a wastin'-- so here are the answers to the 1st B&CHB Polls of an all new decade. It was Cumie Barrow who wrote of Clyde's calling Bonnie the sweetest baby in the world, in her unpublished manuscript. Apparently at some point, Bonnie left her purse at the Barrow station after visiting. In it, Cumie found Clyde's overture, on a note Bonnie saved and had carried with her. This was known to be the same note in which Clyde had drawn the diagram, that detailed where to find the pistol-- which Bonnie smuggled into prison to break out Clyde.

When sent to Waco in 1930, Clyde plead guilty to 7 counts of burglary. Clyde's early stint in prison was for 14 years. However, the seven 2 year sentences were to be served concurrently. Thus Clyde had the possibility of only serving 24 months of the 14 years of sentences imposed. It was a True Detective magazine series entitled The Inside Story of Bonnie Parker and the Bloody Barrows, in which Clyde and Bonnie were billed in reverse order. In addition to Bonnie's poetry, this tabloid series was one of the first examples of this new founded reality. To most and for for many years-- the West Dallas duo was known as Clyde and Bonnie. Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it??


It was Joe Palmer, who thought Henry Methvin liked B&C too much to have given them up. The Raymond Hamilton total time question was a bit tricky. According to Jim Knight's research, by the time the law finally sunk their teeth into Ray near the end-- in addition to the 263 years imposed on Hamilton, they added back a 3 year sentence, which was previously suspended-- making for a total of 266 years. Margaret Heneger was Buck Barrow's 1st wife. Less than a year after marrying Heneger, Buck fell for Pearl Churchley. Margaret and Buck divorced and Margaret was given custody of their son. Thereafter, Buck and Pearl married and had a daughter. It was only then, when Buck and Pearl's relationship dissolved, that Buck met Blanche in 1929.

The accompanying photo is of course Raymond Hamilton, looking as though he too-- knows the end is near. Thanks for your participation in the B&CHB Polls. Look for another batch of early year B&C Poll questions soon.


1 comment:

Shelley said...

Those are indeed some tricky poll questions you come up with, Winston - enough to stump even the most rabid of fans!

Thanks for the great, seldom-seen mugshot of Ray here. Do you know if this was his last one, or where or when it was taken? He definitely does not look like a happy camper, for sure! Not only has he run out of "whiskey, women, and ammo" or however he put it - but he also seems to be fresh out of his usual surplus of bravado. Poor ole Ray. He was just too fast to live, but too young to fry!

Speaking of Hamilton, it's that time of the year again. Seventy-six years ago yesterday (January 16, actually), Clyde & Bonnie - with the help of Ray's brother Floyd and that drug-addled "stoolie", James Mullen - liberated Ray and other future members of the "second Barrow Gang" - from that Hell-hole Eastham Prison Farm. Clyde shoulda left that one alone; it would prove to be his fatal mistake!