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Why Famed Criminal Clyde Barrow Had A Fellow Inmate Cut Off 2 Of His Toes In Prison
One half of the deadly Bonnie and Clyde duo hated prison so much, there was little he wouldn’t try to get himself out
The exploits of some crimminals captivate the public’s attention so much that they become celebrities. This was especially true during the 1920s and 1930s, when a significant shift in the United States due to an influx of technology and changing economic times created household names out of some who were breaking the law in spectacular fashion. Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, was one of those desperados. A robber and killer who died young, he wanted no part of prison, and as a young man when he was incarcerated, he even convinced a fellow inmate to cut off two of his toes as part of an ill-advised plot to avoid the full extent of his sentence.
Born on March 24, 1909, in Telico, Texas, Barrow grew up in impoverished circumstances. As a young man, this became exacerbated as the country entered the harsh times of the Great Depression. Like many others, he felt the sting of economic hardship, and it was during this period that he transitioned from being a youth frequently in trouble to a full-blown hardened criminal. .
Barrow became an inveterate thief, who was quick to jump to violence at the slightest provocation. His criminal activities reached a new level when he met Bonnie Parker in 1930. The two quickly became romantically involved, and Bonnie, captivated by Clyde’s charm, joined him on his criminal escapades. Together, they embarked on a crime spree that spanned multiple states over two years, robbing banks, gas stations, and stores, and brazenly using guns and big powerful cars to take on the authorities. During the course of their criminal endeavors, it’s believed that they may have killed as many as 13 people.
The couple’s public notoriety grew as they seemingly evaded capture over and over again. Dubbed Bonnie and Clyde, they fascinated the public, despite their violent actions. Their ability to almost effortlessly outmaneuver law enforcement made them appear to be above repercussions, thus sparking the public’s imagination. They also gained somewhat of a Robin Hood image because their focus on…
