How Can So Many Ambush Witnesses Differ?? Henderson Jordan's 1934 Ambush Account

As May 23rd marks the 76th anniversary of the ambush of B&C, I've decided to re-stoke what is a great debate. Varying accounts of the Sailes, LA waylay, exist even among the lawmen who participated in the carnage that day.

Some revere earlier accounts told nearer the ambush, as being the true story-- while others look to the last account expressed by Ted Hinton, as being the defining tale of the waylay-- with it's self-effacing lawman's cover up and kidnapping assertion. The account I've chosen to re-publish for this weekend's B&C anniversary, is the rarely seen Henderson Jordan account of the ambush. Sheriff Jordan's version, was originally published in the November 1934 issue of True Detective Magazine.

This article was written by the Bienville Parish Sheriff, as told to C. F. Waers. As this article encompasses 12 pages of rather fine print, I leave the initial and post ambush events for another time-- to focus solely on the ambush. For those unfamiliar with the correct pronunciation of his name, I and other northerners are routinely corrected by those from Texas and Louisiana-- that Jordan is indeed pronounced Jerden. As usual when I recount info such as this-- this is a verbatim quotation from the 1934 article. The only adaptation I've made, is in re-forming paragraph structure to better fit the blog. We pick up the story on page 9 of the article, with Henderson Jordan saying--

Clyde Barrow, Henry Methvin and "Bonnie" Parker had visited the old Cole place near Sailes Monday night. The following morning Clyde, "Bonnie" and the escaped convict drove to Shreveport. Their car was parked in a secluded spot. Methvin started off on foot to obtain food for himself and his companions. Something had alarmed Barrow. No one ever will know what caused him to drive away before Methvin returned. An aside here-- as it's thought that a reported police patrol, was responsible for chasing away a suspicious car parked near The Majestic Cafe' at the time Henry was witnessed purchasing sandwiches-- it now may be known how B&C were separated from Henry Methvin. Back to the story-

I learned that an hour or so later he returned to the place, but had been unable to find Methvin. Alarmed over the separation from Henry, Barrow and "Bonnie" returned to the Cole place. They arrived there between 5 and 6 o'clock. They soon learned that Methvin had not returned to his father's home. Barrow gave an order to Ivan Methvin. "You go to the old place and see if Henry is there." the outlaw commanded. "We will go to Bossier Parish. He may have gone there." I was to learn later that the gang had a meeting place in the parish, between the towns of Benton and Plain Dealing. The vital part of my informant's message was yet to come. His voice lower than ever, he quoted Barrow. "We will still meet you on the road between Sailes and Gibsland between nine and ten o'clock in the morning." the outlaw told the elder Methvin.

Could we trap Barrow on the highway? I rushed to the telephone and called Capt. Hamer. My message was short. "Come to Arcadia at once. Get your other men if you can." There was no time to be lost. We would have to select a place for the trap, a place distant from homes. I knew it would be difficult to find a desirable clearing along the Gibsland-Sailes road. A forest lined road would have offered too good an opportunity for the pair to escape. The tentative plan for the trap was made in my office. Besides myself, there were five others in the room: Captain Hamer, Chief Deputy-Sheriff Prentis M. Oakley, of Bienville Parish, Deputy Sheriffs Alcorn and Hinton of Dallas County and Patrolman Gault.

About 11 o'clock, I took Captain Hamer and Deputy Alcorn in my car to Gibsland, a little town southwest of Arcadia. For the next two hours we drove back and forth over the sandy, graveled road between Gibsland and Sailes. Our plan made it necessary to establish the trap somewhat closer to Sailes than to Gibsland. Methvin would be driving north over the highway and we wanted him to be the first to arrive at the trap. At last we found what seemed to be a perfect spot. It was about three miles north of Sailes and situated on a straight north and south stretch of highway. The road swung down a fairly sharp grade, over a small rise and then to a steeper hill. The place for our ambush was on the rise. The road cut through the small hill to leave an embankment of about three feet in height on both sides. The forest receded at the point and the sides of the road were lined with low brush. In throwing back the earth from the cut, the highway workers had created a low ridge along the cast embankment. Grass and weeds along the edge made a perfect cover. From behind the ridge could be obtained a good view of the road to the north. We could see the road for three quarters of a mile to the north and a full half mile to the south.

Would Clyde Barrow and "Bonnie" Parker keep their appointment with Ivan Methvin? That was all that was vital to us. We would be ready for them! We returned to Arcadia to pick up the other officers. Shortly before 3 o'clock the morning of May 23rd, our posse of six men left Arcadia in two motor cars. Less than an hour later we were squatting in the dew-soaked brush and weeds at the trap. Our cars were hidden deep in the brush. I had arranged the men in a line about forty yards long, all on the east side of the road. Deputies Alcorn and Hinton were at the north end of the line: They would be better able to identify Barrow and "Bonnie" Parker than other members of the group. Captain Hamer because of his accuracy with firearms, was stationed at the south end. I was near the center of the line. Chief Deputy Oakley was at my right and Patrolman Gault to my left.

Deputy Hinton was armed with a Browning automatic rifle. Deputy Alcorn, Captain Hamer and Patrolman Gault were armed with automatic shotguns loaded with buckshot. Deputy Oakley and I were carrying Remington automatic rifles and there was a third rifle of that type available for use. All of us, of course, were carrying our regular sidearms. Chilled by the dew, we were glad when the sun rose over the trees. All of us were hungry. The next meal was the principle topic of discussion, and we talked about food to lessen the monotony. Barrow seldom was mentioned. Attacks by swarms of mosquitoes did not make the wait easier. At about daylight I called to Deputy Hinton. "How are the groceries holding out Ted?" "What groceries? I have eaten the stock off your rifle and am starting on the barrel."

Our plan was to stop Methvin as he drove along the road. We would force him to park at the side of the highway, awaiting the appearance of Barrow and "Bonnie" Parker. We wanted to capture them alive if possible. There would be no chance of that if we tried to stop their car as it sped over the road. Barrow was known to be a fast driver. A barricade would have spoiled any chance we might have of avoiding bloodshed. The sound of a motor came from the south. Instantly all members of the group dropped to reclining positions in the undergrowth. A truck pulled over the hill. It appeared familiar to me. As it drew closer I recognized the driver. When it was about fifty yards from the trap I stepped into the road and signaled the driver to stop. He was Ivan Methvin. As the truck pulled to a halt the other officers stood up. Methvin looked at them. "What's the trouble?" he asked. "We have set a trap for Barrow and "Bonnie" Parker, Methvin" I said. "We are going to take them when you meet them on the road. Right here is where the meeting is going to take place."

If Methvin had any objection to the idea he did not put it into words. He pulled his truck over to the west side of the road, and headed north. It stood directly across the highway from Deputies Alcorn and Hinton. "Pull off that right front wheel," I instructed him. "I want to give the effect that you have a flat tire. Barrow will stop when he sees you." I told Methvin to stand beside his truck. I called the officers together. "We are ready," I said. "There's only one thing more. Don't start anything until it is absolutely certain that Barrow and his woman are in any car that may pull up. Maybe we can take them alive, but I don't believe we ought to take any unnecessary chances. If they reach for their guns, let them have it!". As the hour of 9 o'clock approached the strain increased. Two or three cars flashing down the highway from the north caused added tenseness as we awaited the word from Deputies Hinton and Alcorn. For each of these cars they shouted: "No!"

At 9:15 a car nosed over the north hill and started down the grade. At the distance we could tell that it was a Ford V-8. It was the type of car that barrow was driving, according to my informant. As it drew closer we could distinguish its color as light tan. That, also checked with my information. Traveling at a pace of about forty-five miles an hour, it rapidly was cutting down the distance. The driver apparently saw Methvin. The car began to slow down. Deputy Alcorn, crouching peered through the weeds. His rifle was in his right hand. His left hand was stretched out behind him ready to emphasize a signal. "It's Barrow!" he called. "The Parker woman's with him!" The car was about a hundred yards away, traveling at a much slower speed. The occupants looking at Methvin, apparently felt safe. The first warning had sent a vibration up my spine. As the time neared when life or death hinged on split second action, the taut feeling passed. I was ready. I could see most of the other men in the posse. None showed the slightest trace of nervousness.

"Bob," I called. "Be sure, man!" Deputy Alcorn replied. His words barely were audible. "I know! It's Barrow and his woman. Steady!" A heavy rumble from the south caused me to look in that direction. A wood-pulp truck was approaching at a fair rate of speed. Two Negroes were in the cab. It seemed as though the truck might present a shield for the Barrow car. Then the truck slowed down to a crawling speed. Evidently the driver feared a collision. The Ford sedan came to a halt between my men and Methvin's Chevrolet truck. "Hello, Got a flat?" Barrow called. "Yes," Methvin replied. "Did you find Henry?" "No. Haven't you seen him?" Clyde Barrow was under the wheel of the car. "Bonnie" Parker was sitting beside him. I observed thankfully that no one was in the rear seat. Methvin continued the conversation by answering Barrow's question in the negative. He then spoke to "Bonnie". "Have you got a drink for me?" There was no answer to that question.

I jumped to my feet, shouted: "Put 'em up Clyde! You're covered!" The tan Ford leaped forward. Barrow had shifted into low gear as he was talking to Methvin. I was watching Barrow. His left hand was on the steering-wheel. He picked up a gun with his right hand. "Bonnie" Parker was seen to raise a pistol. The door on Barrow's side of the car started to swing open. Barrow would not surrender. The sharp report of a rifle sounded. Its echo was drowned by the roar of six guns. Lead was poured into Barrow's car. The windshield was shattered. Most of the bullets were taking effect there and in the left front door of the sedan. The car continued to move. Gunfire was raking it from six angles. The glass in the rear left door was blown to bits. I saw black holes appear in the side of the car. The noise was deafening. I had no idea of time. It might have been an hour that I stood there on the firing line. Actually, everything was over in seconds.

I saw Barrow's head fall against the back of the seat. Blood was gushing out. I saw "Bonnie" Parker slump forward as if to pick something off the floor of the car. The motor of the Ford had died. Still in gear, the car coasted jerkily. It rolled into the ditch on the west side of the road, coming to a stop against the side of the embankment. There was no sign of movement inside the car. All of us leaped onto the graveled road and ran toward the stalled machine. Our weapons were ready. But even then, we knew that we could discard our guns. Nothing could have lived through that volley of more than a hundred and fifty shots. Clyde Barrow was dead! "Bonnie" Parker, her head between her knees, was dead! They had been unable to fire a shot.

I looked down the road at the wood-pulp truck. It had stopped at the first shot. The two Negroes who had occupied the cab had fled into the timber. The back of Barrow's head had been beaten to a pulp by the hail of lead. He had been struck at least a dozen times in the body. Six or seven bullets had taken effect in "Bonnie" Parker's face. We later found that she had been struck by twenty-five shots. Her right hand virtually was cut off. Both the outlaws had been cut badly by flying glass. In the lap of Clyde Barrow was a sawed off 16-gauge automatic shotgun. His right hand was curled around the shortened stock. Seven grim notches had been carved in the wood by the killer. In "Bonnie's" lap was a .45 caliber automatic pistol. There were three notches on this gun. Between the pair was another automatic shotgun.

On the floor of the car was a bag containing forty clips for a Browning automatic rifle. Three rifles of that type were in the rear of the car. All were loaded. Under the robe on the rear seat were ten automatic pistols and one revolver, all fully loaded. Three bags and a box contained more than two thousand rounds of ammunition. Clyde Barrow and the red-haired "Bonnie" had been ready for us, or any other officers that might have accosted them. We gave them a chance to surrender. They refused. Six Texas and Louisiana officers are alive today because they shot first and shot fast and straight. While we were examining the car and the bodies of its occupants, Ivan Methvin replaced the wheel on his truck. He drove away.

So there you have it-- Henderson Jordan's published account of the ambush. You'll note some issues with this account, when compared to other ambush posse member accounts-- as well as physical evidence present in the death car and bodies of Bonnie & Clyde. Some of this evidence includes bullet holes through the rear window, said fired by Ted Hinton-- and bullet holes above Bonnie's passenger window-- "admittedly" fired by Bob Alcorn in apparently having picked up a Remington Model 8, flanking the car-- and firing at the Warren car from it's right side. Either one of Hinton's or Alcorn's shots likely struck Bonnie from behind-- breaking her spine.

There's also that critical "moment"-- when Prentiss Oakley pressed off the 2 initial shots, said heard by witnesses prior to all hell breaking loose in a barrage of gunfire. Oakley was reportedly haunted the rest of his life, in having shot so quickly without B&C having the opportunity to surrender (another discrepancy between accounts). Of course perhaps the greatest difference between Hinton and Jordan, has to do with the location of Ivy Methvin at the time of the ambush. Also Hinton, who may have had one of the best vantage points of the ambush-- cast doubt concerning a gun being raised within the death car prior to the gunfire. In this article, Jordan conceals the identities of his informants well-- although now thanks to the Dallas FBI files-- we now have documented accounts of who the informants were, and the extent of their involvements. One thing I get to say whenever Henderson Jordan's ambush account is stated, is to remind all that the Bienville Parish posse was not Captain Hamers posse, as many believe-- but rather was Sheriff Jordan's posse and responsibility. A slight point of order.

I welcome your comments.