Bonnie & Clyde Barrow and the Meade City Park

This story is a work in progress, but I had an inquiry and thought I would go ahead and post what I have so far. The article below was from the Fowler newspaper. I have yet to get the information from the Meade newspaper, but when I do I will complete this post.

Bill Brock Relates Story of Highway Robbery at Meade Park

A brush with the outlaws, Bonnie & Clyde

The following story is a reprint from the Fowler News, Thursday, September 7, 1933

On Monday a picnic was planned and it was decided to go the Meade Park to eat supper. Mr. And Mrs. Waldon Sargent, Mr. And Mrs. Bill Brock, Mr. And Mrs. Clifford  Meyer and Alvin Gerber and Miss Lorine Berblinger composed the group of picnickers. The party went to the park in the Sargent and Gerber cars. We left Fowler about 7:30 for the park and upon arriving, the young people found that all the tables were full and it was necessary for them to find other quarters. They decided to eat their picnic lunch on the road east of the park about 200 yards from the Crooked Creek Bridge. The cars faced each other in order to give the picnickers light to eat their fried chicken. 

The ladies prepared the supper and we had started to eat. It was about 8:30 at this time. The group was laughing, joking and having a good time and making plenty of noise when a tall slender man about five foot, ten inches tall, wearing a felt hat, gray shirt and belt trousers came up and said, “Pardon me fellows, I’m stuck in a ditch, will you fellows come up and pull me out. I’ll pay you for it.” So Alvin and I and the stranger got in Alvin’s car and went to pull the stalled car out. This car about 200 yards north of us, was on the west side of the road, just a little southeast of the swimming pool. We drove up to the back end of the car to pull them out backwards. A rope was taken from the stalled car, which consisted of four people. I tied the two cars together and Alvin gave the car a pull and the stranger and I pushed but we were unable to make any headway. I saw that the car was full and looked in the car and said, “If some of you fellows will get out and push, I believe we can get this car out.” So one of them said, “Get out Dad and push. You’re big and stout.” 

So a large man, weighing about 220 pounds got out, helping us, but no headway was made and the rope was broken by the strenuous pull. So it was decided that the car could not be pulled unless they got the aid of a wrecker. About that time the man under the wheel got out holding his arm and said, “Boy, I sure hurt myself when I ran in the ditch.” 

This man looked to be about 6 foot 2 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds. He had a round face and short brown hair. Another fellow got out of the car. He was some larger, about 5 foot, 6 inches tall, of good build, round face weighing about 135 pounds. These men ranged in ages from 22 year to 28 years. 

One of the fellows said, “Are you acquainted here?” We told them that we were strangers here and one of them went to Alvin’s car and looked in it. At this time and even five minutes before Alvin and I knew that they were “pretty bad eggs.” 

We had a hunch that anything could happen at any time. Then the fellow returned from Alvin’s car, looking very suspicious and said, “All right boys,” pointing at me saying, “That fellow saw it all when he looked in the car.” 

At this time the bandit with the wounded shoulder or arm stepped back and pulled two guns from his hip pockets and pointed towards me. The other two fellows, one with two guns, the other with one, pulled them on Alvin, so we put our hands up and they said, “Take those hands down as we don’t want this to look like a hold up.” 

We both told them that we would do anything we could to get them out and really pleaded for our young lives for those hombres really had blood in their eyes. They then asked if Alvin’s car had a rumble seat in it. Alvin answered, “No, Sir.” 

This tall man was commanded to go over where those people were playing croquet and get a bigger and better car, a V-8 Ford, if possible. Before leaving the tall man took the woman from the front seat of the stalled car and as he removed her to Alvin’s car we noticed that her right leg was seriously wounded and hanging loosely and she was moaning, which showed to us that se was suffering terrible. And we could see from the moonlight that her clothing was saturated with blood. She weighted about 115 pounds and had long brown bobbed hair.  

Alvin and I were commanded to get into the front seat of the stalled car and the large man was forced to get into the back seat of the same car. This man tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Boy, this is my car.” 

The remainder of the picnickers had finished their supper and became suspicious and Waldo and Clifford came up to see what was the trouble. We could see them in the moonlight talking and laughing. The bandits informed us to yell and tell them to go back but the approaching men could not hear the loud voice, which was possibly very weak. Waldo and Clifford immediately walked into the trap. Upon arriving, Waldo said, “What’s the matter, can’t you get them out?” 

One of the bandits said, “We need a chain.” Waldo stated, “Oh, well, I’ll get you some barbed wire.” So he crossed the ditch, which was full of water to get some wire. As he returned on of the desperados commanded him not to get so near because he was a desperado and had dodged twenty laws that day. Waldo answered, I’m a school teacher, I won’t hurt you.” He and Clifford were commanded to sit on the running board of the stalled car.  

At this instant a screaming or crying was heard. One of the bandits said, “Is that a child drowning?” Waldo said “No sir, that is a woman screaming.” Now the bandits prepared at once to escape in Alvin’s car. One of them covered us with guns while the other carried the high powered artillery from the stalled car. Clifford and I were forced to hold the back door open while the cache and the guns were being moved.  

It was necessary to make five trips to move the articles. Two round bundles, wrapped in Army blankets, machine guns and ammunition of all descriptions. The bandit on guard told his partner to take all the ammunition. After the artillery was moved to Alvin’s care we were all commanded to line up on the road. Then we were ordered to walk south and not to run, but Waldo could not resist the temptation and started to run and he said, “Oh that’s nothing but a bunch of kids,” the bandits then drove west through Meade. The bandits seemed to be wounded and scratched and their clothes showed evidence of a great loss of blood. 

After the bandits left, the heavy set man stated that his name was Trummel of Wilmore. He stated that the bandits kidnapped him near his home and took his car. All they talked about on the trip was the gun battle they had that morning and also the wreck they had. The woman in the car was thought to be seriously wounded.  

This experience Monday evening will never be forgotten as long as we live. While we were in danger during the entire time we had a constant fear that the women would come up and get in the affray. Alvin, Clifford and myself realized that the worst could happen at any time, but we had a hard time keeping Waldo from talking. 

In closing, we hope that no one around here will be forced to experience such an ordeal and as for ourselves—one time is enough. 

( the above photos captured off the internet of the famous outlaws)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_and_Clyde#The_Spree (link to Wikopedia) For further information about Bonnie and Clyde Barrow.