Barrow Gang Joplin apartment re-opening!

[USMC0802]

Stopped by on Saturday hoping to take a photo or two outside, and had the incredible luck of running into the new owners who were there working. Very kind and gracious people. Gave us an indoor tour. It will be opening as an "Air BnB" location sometime in the next few weeks, so if you're traveling through that corner of Missouri be sure to reserve the place and stay the night.

[ghostsoldier]

That's pretty awesome!

 

Rob

[OCM]

Now that's a classic shot... Good for you. I don't recall any of my historian pals doing pictures in Joplin WITH a BAR.

 

OCM

[USMC0802]

Thanks Sandy. That tall blonde drives the V8 and loads magazines for me.

 

 

I like to think that we MAY have been the first to drag a 1918 BAR into that place since April of '33 but who knows...

 

 

I'll be staying the night down there when they open up...going to have to take a bunch of "correct" guns with me hah! Need to find out what kind of shotguns they had.

[OCM]

There is a list out there somewhere of the guns. Shotgun- pretty sure he had his " whippet " gun . Someone here probably knows.

[USMC0802]

That would make sense - I need to look at the gun photos found on the film they left behind. I've got an 1899 Krag handy, and a Colt 1917 around here somewhere.

 

 

Anyone know whether the "whippit" gun was a Remington 11 or a Browning Auto-5? One of those is on the project list...

[jim c 351]

USMC,

My money is on the Remington for a Whippet gun.

I seem to remember an agreement with Browning that the Remington's were to be sold in the US and Browning's were to be sold in Europe during that time period.

Jim C

[USMC0802]

The Remingtons would definitely have been more common, but Browning/FN had begun importing the Auto-5 again by the mid 1920s. My OCD would compel me to ensure I used the right gun when making one up...

[OCM]

I think it was a Remington 16 or 20 whippet. There was some confusion on the BAR with the local police, as these were military weapons, the local cops hadn't seen before. " Machine Gun Rifles "

Car was a 32 B-400 V8, convertible sedan. I've been in one , these are extremely small cars. I mean small. Think two door Ford Pinto size I guess. Your tall gal friend might have some issues pilling into that vehicle.

[jim c 351]

USMC,

According to Thomas Swearinger in "The Worlds Fighting Shotguns", the gun in Bonnies hand when she died was a Remington model 11, ser no. 1011722, 20 ga.

The barrel was cut to 16.2 inches and the stock was cut behind pistol grip. It measured 30.7 inches OA. Its on display in Waco Tx.

Hope this helps.

Jim C

[USMC0802]

Thanks Jim!

 

Does anyone have a detailed "inventory" of the guns and other items collected from the Joplin apartment? I am sure the owners would find such a list interesting, and I'd be happy to pass along.

[Motorcar]

I like the period correct furnishings from the two interior shots, is the rest of the room vintage as well? Took me a bit to find the rest of the room.....good for you. ( I could never afford a real BAR is what I meant by that...)

[USMC0802]

Hi Motorcar,

 

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with both the BAR and the display stand.

 

As for the furnishings, I have a terrible eye for furniture so I can't say how "correct" it is, but the majority of the apartment has a "pre war flavor" to be sure. The owners are still sprucing it up, and seem to be the kind of folks that will do it up right. I look forward to booking a night or two down there when it opens.

[OCM]

If you want to be real authentic, cook some Red beans on your stay, that's what Bonnie was cooking when the trouble started. One of Clyde's favorites. I have the ( handwritten) recipe given to me by Marie Barrow. Marie said it was Cumie's recipe as Bonnie didn't cook that much. ( no place to cook usually )

The guns: as I recall, the Joplin guns were listed in a newspaper article by the local paper. I may have the list but can't get to it now.

The Interior: I've had friends stay there in the past, including some of the family members. The owner then tried to keep it all period. The original front door is in a museum, I know author Jim Knight has the medicine cabinet.

The cars: I talked years ago to the original owner of the 32 Ford, Bob Rossbrough. When he got the insurance money for the car, he traded it for a new 34 Coupe. He told me it was a big mistake and laughed, but they were just crooks as far as he was concerned. He had no idea what happened to it. Buck's Marmon was given to the families of the officers killed. Cumie Barrow tried to get it back, but lost out.

[Motorcar]

I'm pretty happy with both the BAR and the display stand.

 

As you should be!

 

From page 172 in Jeff Guinn's book "Go Down Together" the police found "a cache of guns in the garage. The arsenal included four rifles, a shotgun, a pistol, and "an automatic rifle similar to a submachine gun." It was a BAR, a weapon so unfamiliar to rank and file city policemen that the Joplin cops didn't know what it was."

[jim c 351]

Didn't Clyde have a cut down whippit BAR??

That could be a "automatic rifle similar to a submachine gun."

Jim C

[ghostsoldier]

If you want to be real authentic, cook some Red beans on your stay, that's what Bonnie was cooking when the trouble started. One of Clyde's favorites. I have the ( handwritten) recipe given to me by Marie Barrow. Marie said it was Cumie's recipe as Bonnie didn't cook that much. ( no place to cook usually )

 

I eat red beans (and rice) all the time; like Clyde, it's one of my favorites. If you ever get in the mood to share that recipe, Sandy, I'd sure like to have a copy.

 

Rob

[USMC0802]

If you ever get in the mood to share that recipe, Sandy, I'd sure like to have a copy.

 

 

I second that! A high quality digital scan of that recipe would be a superb touch, framed in the kitchen!

 

 

 

[OCM]

Sure, I know I have it somewhere, just got to sort thru the right box. Recovering from a knee issue, so a bit slow these days.

I've made it a couple times, your basic depression era Texas food, red beans and rice from Cumie Barrow & Bonnie Parker.

 

Good thought USMC, had never thought of that, Bonnie's Red Bean recipe mounted in the kitchen.. Sounds like something I'd do. Then have a bag of Red Beans sitting on the counter.

 

This will be a needle in a haystack thing, I run across Marie's recipe once and awhile, to hunt will be hard, but we may get lucky.

Edited September 3, 2017 by OCM

[OCM]

I asked Jim Knight about the Joplin guns. He said he doesn't think anyone knows for sure what guns were left. A family member, that had an " in " he said, tried to get a list from the Joplin PD but was unsuccessful. Maybe best to go with the pictures found in Blanche's purse, ones with the 32 Ford B-400.

I think there was some confusion on just where Clyde's BAR " scattergun" came from, displayed at the Mo. State Highway Patrol. Also some confusion about the local newspaper saying it was a Tommy gun, but found out that belonged to the police, but saying they recovered a machine gun rifle ( BAR )

I'm not 100% on this but close.

Probably if totally confused, use a Whippet gun ( your flavor) , a BAR and a few 1911s. That would satisfy the general public probably.

 

OCM

[USMC0802]

Thanks Sandy, that'd be wonderful and I'm sure the owners of the apartment would do just that - guests could cook a "genuine Barrow dinner" during their stay!

 

I agree on the guns. I figure a Whippit, 1899 Krag carbine, the BAR, a few 1911s and 1917 revolvers should be close enough.

[OCM]

Yes sir- And have buttermilk corn bread with it cooked in a cast iron skillet and a pecan pie. I never got the recipe for it but Marie said Cumie Barrow made the best fried chicken in the State of Texas.

For some reason tho, history has Bonnie cooking red beans on the stove when the cops showed up. Probably did, no big mystery.

I think your selection of guns would be great. ( a good camera too )

[HANS]

My research indicates that they had at least three, probably five M1918 BARs in Joplin. They definitely left one behind, apparently in unmodified condition. It is unclear whether they fired one or more BARs, probably not.

Their main weapon, the one that killed the officers, was a Remington Model 11A in 16-gauge, almost certainly sawn-off. They left behind one Winchester Model 97 in 12-gauge, unmodified. Undoubtedly they also had several Colt M1911s with them, although none are reported to have been fired. They probably also still had their Colt SAA in .41 or .45 LC.

People have tried to pass off one Colt Pocket Hammerless in .380, one Winchester Model 97 Riot in 12-gauge, and one Auto-Ordnance Model 1921A (#4208) as genuine Barrow weapons that were discovered "later." The pistol is the most likely, the others are probably not real gang weapons.

 

Cheers

 

HANS

[OCM]

Hard for me to go with that HANS, BAR inventory. Unless the arsenal was carried in Buck's Marmon, which was left behind and recovered.

It's easier to understand if you've been around a 1932 model B-400, 5 passenger Sedan with a BAR. Maybe you have.

WB on a B-400, width, is only 55" , which makes the backseat about 48" wide, door to door. Front seats are bucket seats, passenger side seat folds down and then up forward to access the small entry to the rear. It was basically a Model A Tudor Sedan, 2" longer and a new V8 engine. ( good old Henry Ford) Tiny car. Three people in the rear seat, is cozy at best.

Packed with people and I think Snowball the dog. They ditched it soon after in Vinita, OK, about 70 miles away and got a Fordor or something.

Bob Rossbrough ( the owner of the B-400 ) told me they traced the plates to him in Marshall, Texas, and almost jokingly, the local Sheriff came in and said " Bob, You are under arrest " He picked it up, and I've wrote what he did from there in a post here.

 

OCM

Edited September 16, 2017 by OCM

[HANS]

Hard for me to go with that HANS, BAR inventory. Unless the arsenal was carried in Buck's Marmon, which was left behind and recovered.

It's easier to understand if you've been around a 1932 model 55, 5 passenger Sedan with a BAR. Maybe you have.

WB on a B-400, width, is only 55" , which makes the backseat about 48" wide, door to door. Front seats are bucket seats, passenger side seat folds down and then up forward to access the small entry to the rear. It was basically a Model A Tudor Sedan, 2" longer and a new V8 engine. ( good old Henry Ford) Tiny car. Three people in the rear seat, is cozy at best.

Packed with people and I think Snowball the dog. They ditched it soon after in Vinita, OK, about 70 miles away and got a Fordor or something.

Bob Rossbrough ( the owner of the B-400 ) told me they traced the plates to him in Marshall, Texas, and almost jokingly, the local Sheriff came in and said " Bob, You are under arrest " He picked it up, and I've wrote what he did from there in a post here.

 

OCM

 

There are reports that they had BARs as early as 1932, but even if they hadn't, they had several by 13-APR-1933. They had burgled the armoury in Wagoner OK on 04-APR-1933 and stolen several BARs. Blanche said in her statement to the FBI that they had "three or four Brownies Automatics" [sic]. Ballou wrote that they left with four. Since the police seized one, they must have had four or five and left with three or four. I make no claims as to how they transported the things, that's your forte. However, I note that they escaped in a Ford V8 sedan, which surely would have been large enough, just like the Death Car.

 

Cheers

 

HANS