Raymond Hamilton - The Barrow Gang

The Barrow Gang

Little is known about Hamilton's childhood. He was born in Oklahoma and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he received his minor public education. He met Clyde Barrow who lived in the same neighborhood as Hamilton when both men were youths, and later he would join the "Barrow Gang". Hamilton participated in the killing of Deputy Sheriff Eugene C. Moore when Moore and Sheriff Charlie Maxwell became suspicious of the men at an outdoor country dance in Stringtown, Oklahoma. Sheriff Maxwell also sustained six gunshot wounds in the exchange, but survived. It was Barrow's and Hamilton's first murder of a police officer.

Hamilton's presence in the group was often problematic, with Clyde Barrow and other members of the gang commonly referring to his girlfriend Mary O'Dare as "the washerwoman." When Hamilton was imprisoned at the Eastham prison farm north of Huntsville, Texas, Bonnie and Clyde raided the farm to free him and four other prisoners on January 16, 1934.. One of the other escapees, Joe Palmer, killed a guard and caused a series of events which led to Texas Prison System chief Lee Simmons to issue a shoot to kill order against Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Simmons hired Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, who formed a six man posse in order to execute this order. Hamilton left the Barrow Gang after a fight about O'Dare and was recaptured on April 25, 1934. He was in prison when Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were ambushed and killed by Hamer's posse on May 23, 1934.