Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Open Question-- What Ever Happened To Sonny Boy??

I've been asked what ever happened to Bonnie's rabbit Sonny Boy-- the Easter gift ultimately said to be destined for Emma Parker?? The other night Jim Knight told me of a story that someone at some point-- said a head of lettuce may have been found in the death car?? I had never heard that story before. One thing now known that wasn't known before the Dallas FBI Files, is that B&C did participate in a family get together near Nacogdoches or Martinsville, Texas apparently on May 5th, 1934. Bailey Tynes reported on this meeting to the Bureau of Investigation as did Frank Hamer, who told of what appeared to be the same clandestine meeting-- in a letter to Dallas SAC Frank Blake dated May 11th, 1934.

This family rendezvous was said to have been with the Barrows, but of course could have included Emma Parker. If Sonny Boy was with B&C at that time, it's conceivable he could have been given to Emma, or passed from the Barrows to Emma later on. As I know of no one who knows the ultimate fate of Sonny Boy, I throw this question out to all.


Does anyone have and ideas, as to what happened to Bonnie's rabbit Sonny Boy??

Update--
"Many thanks" to Stefanie over England way-- for recalling the fate of Sonny Boy, Bonnie's pet rabbit. Please view the comments below for the answer.

2 comments:

Stefanie said...

If you read page 164 of "Fugitives", Emma Parker tells when in 1934 she got Sonny Boy from Bonnie & still had him when the book was written.

A. Winston Woodward said...

I hadn't recalled that reference from Fugitives. Thank you Stefanie. I haven't heard from you in the longest time. I hope you and your family are well.

Apparently no one else recalled the Sonny Boy reference either, as there were no additional comments, from the B&C faithful. I even asked some other B&C Historians about this, when I was doing my "sordid" innuendos research. As others couldn't recall as well, I can only suppose the fate of Sonny Boy-- is somehow one of those lesser remembered events, within B&C History.

Consequently, I'm happy to see Sonny Boy's getting some attention now in people's thoughts. And I was bound and determined, to see this question addressed-- despite the "tidal wave" of B&C sexual rumor talk overshadowing it. I'll defend the fate of Bonnie's rabbit, over so much talk of shallow and unfounded B&C rumors anytime.

I'm sorry to say, an original copy of Fugitives is a missing link in my B&C collection. That's apparently a Christmas gift I must give myself at some point. I did however, find the reference you mentioned on page 189 of my Signet copy of the Fugitives reprint. Although not specific to the actual date (about the middle of April '34)-- Emma does state she ended up with Sonny Boy. Upon re-reading this, I particularly liked Bonnie's comment to Emma-- "Keep him away from the cops" "He's been in two gun battles and he'll land at Huntsville if the law finds it out".

With Fugitives, often among the first B&C books many (including myself) ever owned, in whichever form it was published-- I guess I have the same somewhat inadequate defense as so many, when Fugitives comes up in conversation-- in having the most complete understanding of this classic yet unfulfilled. I also admit to the habit, of sometimes reading more than one book at a time. Admittedly, this sometimes leaves me reading some books in pieces-- rather than reading cover to cover. But "thanks" to you Stefanie, I started Fugitives again today.