Alva Citizens Meet Bonnie & Clyde

September 6 or 7, 1933 article in Alva Review-Courier

A Meeting With Bonnie & Clyde

Wilbur Mantz a 1933 residence of north Alva had his new Model A Ford roadster commandeered by the famous 1930's crooks, Bonnie and Clyde, and two of their companies.

Bonnie and Clyde had wrecked their own car in a washed out culvert located 8 miles north of Alva on a September day in 1933.

John Varner and Johnny Harold were two of the 10 men working on the road that day repairing the culvert. The others were Bill Mantz as well as Wilbur Mantz, Charley Harold and sons (Ray, Elroy, and Bud; Joe and Ted Jerrod.)

In an interview with the Alva Review-Courier, John Varner told that the car driven by the gang almost made it across the washed out gap, however, it hit the opposite bank with the front bumper. "The car was hanging in the air by the two ends until the bank at the front finally caved off and let the car down," he said.

They were heading to the west at the time and after the impact they got out of the car before the road workers reached them. Bonnie was lying on the ground with a coat wrapped around her. The men yelled for a car so they could get her to a docor. Ray Harold ran to the Wilbur Mantz house and got his car. Due to so much mud they had to push the car around from place to place. John went on to state that he carried Bonnie up the embankment and laid her down at the top.

It was then that he noticed that she was wounded and that it looked like a shotgun wound. He then placed her into the car beside Wilbur Mantz who was by that time under the wheel of the car.

"That's when the pistols came out. They all had pistols, even the girl. I don't know where she kept it," Varner said.

They then ordered Mantz out of the car. Then after lining the roadmen up in a line along the road the crooks made a trip back to the wrecked car and carried several small tool boxes and 2 or 3 machine guns.All was loaded into Mantz's car and as everyone got into the car with Bonnie they said to the men left by the road "Farewell, we'll be seeing you."

It was later found in the September 7, 1933 newspaper that 3 men and a woman appeared in Meade, Kansas, where they had stopped at a croquet tournament that was being held there. No doubt the large assembly of cars attracted them. They captured a farmer who was sitting in his car. However, during an upheavel one of the crooks was knocked out and was captured himself by a mallet swinging school teacher.

The others fled taking the farmer with them and after trading cars several times in the process of racing across the panhandle of Oklahoma into Texas where they released the farmer several days later.

By traveling to Meade, Kansas, Wilbur Mantz was able to claim his car. Thus ending an exciting moment in the lives of ten area men.

Dallashistory.org - History of Bonnie & Clyde

Running With Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie & Clyde's Hideout and Photos

The Story of Bonnie & Clyde