The Galveston Daily News
Thursday, April 26, 1934
pg 1, 9

ROUNDED UP

 RAYMOND HAMILTON CAUGHT IN TEXAS

Following robbery of the First National Bank at Lewisville, Denton County, in which they made away with nearly $1,000 in cash.  Raymond Hamilton, much-wanted escaped convict and desperado and T.R. Brooks, were captured at Howe, 7 miles south of Sherman.  (Texas News photo).

OFFICERS GET BANDIT AFTER LEWISVILLE'S BANK ROBBED
Notorious Raider's Flight Abruptly Halted at Howe; Gives up Meekly

Sherman, Tex., April 25 - (AP) - Slippery Raymond Hamilton, bank robbing expert of the notorious Clyde Barrow gang of outlaws, fell into the hands of officers here late today while trying to escape with the loot of a small town bank - his favorite prey in a spectacular career of crime.
Fast driving - the tactic used by the Dallas desperado so successfully in former getaways- failed to keep him out of reach
of the law and he was abruptly halted at the little farming community of Howe, seven miles south of Sherman.

Gets Narrow Lead.
With him in the stolen sedan he was using for the latest of his bank holdups was T. R. Brooks, 21-year-old Wichita Falls man  who claimed this was his first arrest. In the car was about $1000 taken from the First National Bank at Lewisville, Denton County, less than two hours before.
Using a favorite system, Hamilton entered the bank alone, covered the president and assistant cashier with an automatic
pistol and calmly gathered up available cash in the cashier's cage. The he dashed out a side door, jumped in a car which his confederate had waiting outside and sped away to the northeast.
Driving the car at top speed, Hamilton tore through Little Elm, 15 miles northeast of Lewisville, seven minutes ahead of pursuing officers. At Frisco, in Collins County, he was leading his nearest pursuers by 15 minutes. Then he turned onto the highway leading toward Sherman and as he raced into Howe he found his way blocked by a party of officers which had driven to head him off.

No Resistance.
Offering no resistance, Hamilton and Brooks surrendered their loot and two automatic pistols and were brought to jail here under heavy guard. Howard Gunter, assigned to drive the robbers' stolen car into Sherman, became involved in an automobile wreck as he reached the business district and he was injured fatally, dying in a Sherman  hospital a short time after the accident. Gunter had been one of the men pursing Hamilton and Brooks across Collin County.
Officers here said Hamilton and Brooks would be taken to the county jail at Dallas for safekeeping.
Hamilton has been at large since Jan. 16, when he fled from Eastham state prison farm in a daring break planned by Clyde Barrow. A guard Major Crowson, was fatally wounded in shooting at that time and another guard was seriously hurt.
Hamilton said the belief that Barrow and Bonnie Parker freed him from the Eastham state prison farm "all wrong."
Hamilton remarked that he "bought his way out of that prison farm." He would not amplify this statement.

The Waco News-Tribune
Waco, Texas
April 26, 1934

Hamilton Tells Story of Escape and Barrow Split
Sherman, April 28 -  (AP) Raymond Hamilton, of the Clyde Barrow gang of terrorists, came to a friendly parting of the ways  with his gang chieftain, he revealed while propped on bunk in the death cell of the Grayson county jail tonight.
"Clyde and I parted at Terre Haute, Ind., after the Lancaster bank robbery. Clyde would not stay at a house, always
wanting to get his sleep on the run. I had to rest and wanted to stay at a house for a while.

Two 'Old Heads' Helped
"Two old heads helped me in the Grand Prairie bank robbery. Who were they" I couldn't say. but I will say that my
brother Floyd had nothing to do with it."
"Clyde and I are not enemies. Our split was friendly. I just had some other business," the blond young bank robber said.
"People have me all wrong. I'm not a killer. I'd always give up at the showdown instead of fighting it out."
This remark he substituted for an assertion earlier in the afternoon that if "I had had a machine gun this afternoon
I would have shot it out with them."
The jovial attitude he had maintained for several hours after his arrest quickly changed to one of uneasiness
when he was informed that Mary O'Dare, his alleged companion in a McLennan county bank robbery, had been captured at Amarillo. "Well, I guess I got her into trouble. It looks like I have gotten my whole family in trouble."

STORY OF GIRL'S CAPTURE
Special Investigator M. L. Miller of the district attorney's staff at Amarillo telephoned Hurt of the woman's arrest
immediately after news of Hamilton's capture near Sherman was received. The woman was arrested Monday but had been held in strictest secrecy by officials in the hopes that she could shed some light on his whereabouts.
Officers had expected Hamilton to return to Amarillo for the woman.
Hurt quoted Miller as saying that Amarillo officers knew Hamilton was planning to rob another bank but did not know where.
Miller said he, Special investigator Denver Seals, Ranger Captain D.E. Hamer and Rangers Jim Shown and W.R. Todd "had been waiting at Amarillo a week to put Hamilton on the spot."
Mary O'Dare was reported to be the woman Hamilton associated with in New Orleans recently. It was at that time that he wrote Albert Baskett, Dallas attorney, who represented him in Dallas trials, that he had severed connections with Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.

WIFE OF GENE O'DARE
Mary O'Dare once was the wife of Gene O'Dare, now serving a 99-year sentence for bank robbery. O'Dare and Hamilton
were captured together in Bay City, Mich., skating rink early in 1933 after they fled Texas and the loot of the Carmine State bank robbery.
Floyd Hamilton, brother of the notorious criminal has been charged with the robbery of the Grand Prairie State bank and with complicity to murder and aiding a convict to escape in connection with Hamilton's spectacular delivery from the Eastham state prison farm January 16.
Charges of complicity in murder and aiding a convict to escape have been filed against Floyd Hamilton at Crockett, on the basis of the Mullen statement. A prison guard, Major Crowson, was wounded fatally in the escape from the farm January 16 of Raymond Hamilton and four other convicts.
Mullen was held in some unnamed jail by Texas rangers today as a precaution against gang reprisals for his
having made the statement.
Floyd Hamilton, in the Dallas county jail, also denied the allegation that he was with Raymond when the Grand
Prairie State bank was robbed March 19 of more than $1500.

HAS FULL CONFESSION
District Attorney Ben Greenwood, at Palestine, revealed that Mullen had made a 10-page written statement to him at Corsicana last Thursday implicating Floyd Hamilton in the Eastham farm delivery.
The statement quoted Mullen as saying he had plotted the break with Raymond Hamilton while he was serving time at the farm with the young bank robber and gunman, Raymond Hamilton.
Raymond Hamilton, speaking freely, told of staying at a New Orleans hotel for several days recently. He would not say whether Mary O'Dare had been with him.
After he left New Orleans, Hamilton said he traveled "in style" to St. Louis, occupying the Pullman car of a fast train. Upon his arrival in St. Louis Hamilton said he assumed another alias and went directly to a hospital where he underwent an operation to have a bone removed from his nose.
Back in Texas, Hamilton said he "stayed most of the time in north Texas."

ROBBED THE ARMORY
Hamilton admitted he robbed the United States government armory at Ranger, obtaining a machine gun and several rounds of ammunition. Presumably his visit to Dallas was for the purpose of leaving the "little arsenal" there, for the stolen arms were later recovered at a Dallas residence.
He remarked that "they got my machine gun in Dallas."
Questioned about the identity of the youth caught with him today, Hamilton said: "Oh, I just picked him up on a freight train."
Except for the visit to New Orleans and St. Louis,Hamilton said he had not been out of Texas since his delivery from the Eastham prison farm. He told officers that he spent last night at Ranger and had stolen the car used in today's robbery two days ago at Henrietta, Texas.
Hamilton was reluctant to talk about Clyde Barrow.
"Bonnie and Clyde didn't have anything to do with springing me from the prison farm. I didn't have a gun. When the time came to run I ran. Hilton Bybee (who fled at the same time but was later captured), just ran because it seemed like a good idea at the time."
Hamilton refused to divulge arrangements made for the prison break. He merely remarked:

"KNEW HE WAS GOOD"
"They knew I was good so they split me on it."
Hamilton said the belief that Barrow and Bonnie Parker freed him from the Eastham state prison farm was "all wrong."
Hamilton remarked he "bought his way out of that prison farm." He would not amplify this statement. He said he did not have a gun when he fled the Eastham farm.
"When the shooting started I just ran like hell," he said.
Hamilton was emphatic in his statement that he was in Houston at the time two state highway patrolmen were slain near Grapevine several weeks ago and said he knew nothing of the double killing.
The expert bank robber said he had not see Barrow and Bonnie Parker "since the Lancaster bank robbery."
"I'm not saying I robbed that bank - understand. I'm just saying that I haven't seen Clyde and Bonnie since it was robbed."
Hamilton and a deputy sheriff became involved in an argument when the Grayson county officers stripped him of his clothing and made a minute search of his body.
Hamilton remarked: "When they shake 'em down in this jail, they really shake 'em down."

HUNDREDS SEEK A VIEW
While Hamilton and Brooks, surrounded by scores of peace officers, sat in the death cell and chatted, more than 1500 persons stormed the entrance to the jail, anxious to have a look at the notorious killer.
Hamilton admitted that he wrote a letter to Albert Baskett, Dallas attorney, which contained word of his split with Barrow.
He said that he also enclosed the #100 bill which Baskett said he received in the letter.
While Dallas and Denton county officers debated as to where the slippery terror should be confined, Hamilton grinned and remarked: "I'd like to go to Dallas. I've never been in the Denton jail and I don't want to go there now."

Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light
Corsicana, Texas
Friday, April 27, 1934
pg. 2

. . . Hamilton and his associate whom, he said, he picked up on a freight train journey, were captured two and one half hours after the bank stick-up. They were fleeing northward in a (Plymouth) sedan, which the pair had stolen at
Henrietta Tuesday.
Credit for their capture and, perhaps, the major portion of a considerable reward, goes to two Grayson county first-term deputy sheriffs and a Sherman optometrist, who actually made the arrest. They were Deputy Sheriffs Collier Yeury and D. S. McDaniel, and Dr. John T. Nall, arms instructor of the Sherman police force.
The sedan in which the pair was fleeing was equipped with a short wave radio set which kept them advised of the
movements of officers. They realized they were being closed in on and had no chance to escape, Hamilton said from his cell during his short stay at the Grayson county jail.
The capture was effected on the main Sherman highway in the town of Howe, a community of 800 inhabitants located eight miles south of Sherman.

Officers on Job Sheriff Binton Davis and his corps of seven deputies had been scouring the countryside since 2:45 p.m. when they received the information of the Lewisville bank robbery, a description of the bandit and of the car in which he and a companion fled.
Deputy Yeury and McDaniel, accompanied by Dr. Nall, were headed toward Dallas on the main highway.
"That's the car! There they go" shouted Dr. Nall as the officers' car passed a sedan occupied by two men and racing at high speed.
McDaniel, who was driving, whipped his car around sharply in the highway and sped after the suspected sedan.
"We kept drawing closer to the fleeing car but could not get within shooting range," Dr. Nall explained. "We say it speed into the town of Howe, swerve to the right,  make a right about turn and head back toward us. I yelled for McDaniel to head into them and he did.

Cars Head Together
"They saw they were trapped and skidded their ties as the front end of their car ran into the front end of ours. Deputy Yuery and I jumped out and covered the two men with our rifles, McDaniel joined us as soon as he could. They crawled out of their car with their hands in the air."
Dr. Nall said neither bandit made a move for his gun, notwithstanding each had large caliber pistols in their pockets.
They were quickly disarmed.
"I guess you know who you've caught?" were the first words Hamilton uttered. "I'm Raymond Hamilton but I don't intend to give you any trouble. I'm just fresh out of ammunition, money, whiskey and women. Let's go to jail."
The two officers and their doctor companion handcuffed the two prisoners, placed them in their car, and headed for  Sherman, eight miles away.
Sheriff J. Benton Davis said this morning that a check revealed $504 was recovered from Hamilton after his capture.

The Denison Herald
Sunday morning, May 28, 1934

BONNIE & CLYDE REVIVAL BRINGS UP RELICS IN CAPTURE OF RAY HAMILTON
by John Clift

Sherman - While Clyde and Bonnie are drawing the...share of acclaim these days, Sheriff Woody Blanton came up with an old picture taken shortly after the capture of Raymond Hamilton that jogged the memories of a lot of Grayson County residents.

The youthful sandy-haired Hamilton was captured here hours after he held up the Lewisville Bank by Roy McDaniel, a freshman deputy from Denison, Collier Yeury, serving his first term as a deputy under Sheriff Benton Davis, and Dr. John T. Nall, a Sherman optometrist, who doubled as an arms instructor for the Sherman Police force.
The three were in on the massive manhunt and had just left Howe when Nall spotted the fugitive speeding past them, headed north.
"That's their car!  There they go!" shouted Dr. Nall.
McDaniel, who was driving, whipped his car around sharply and sped after the suspects but couldn't get within shooting range.

TRAPPED THEM
"We saw it speed into Howe, swerve to the right, and make a right about turn and head back toward us." Dr.  Nall reported later.  "I yelled for McDaniel to head into them and he did, before they could pick up speed.
"They saw they were trapped, and they skidded their tires bad as we crashed into them.  Yeury and I jumped out and covered with our rifles.  McDaniel joined us as soon as he could.  They crawled out of their wrecked car with their hands in the air.  Neither bandit made a move for their guns, even though they both had large caliber pistols in their pockets.
"I guess you know who you have caught." were the first words Hamilton...  I'm Raymond Hamilton, but I don't intend to give you any trouble.  I'm just fresh out of ammunition, money, whiskey and women.  Let's go to jail."

Mrs. Nall, widow of the former optometrist, explained that her husband's hobby was guns and he spent a lot of time as a sort of gun expert with the Sherman police force.
In those days of the Hamilton brothers, John Dillinger and, of course, Bonnie and Clyde, posses to chase the bank robbers was a common thing.

REWARD BIG
The press reported that the Merchants & Planters Bank in Sherman gave Sheriff Davis $100 as a reward.  The state of Texas paid off $300 and each of a dozen banks Hamilton had burglarized reported another $100 each.  The press, at the time, said this was split up among the "force" and included Dr. Nall.
However, Mrs. Nall said her husband never received any.  "To the best of my memory the reward money was turned over to the widow of a Gunter editor who was killed in a car wreck during a chase for Hamilton." she said.
Mrs. Homer Boyce of Denison, a sister of McDaniel, said her memory was dim on the whole thing.  "I found the picture of Roy and the others and gave it to the sheriff." she said.  "But I couldn't even recall the names of all of the person who were there."
Frank B...., a Herald reporter, got in on an interview with Hamilton.  The bank robber said the man captured with him, T.R. Brooks, was just a fellow he met in a railroad yard in Fort Worth and talked into coming with him.

WAS IN DENISON
He told of riding trains and buses around the country until he was broke.  "It cost a lot to travel." he grinned.  He rode the rails into Fort Worth, then to Whitesboro and Denison.  He was in Denison a couple of days before he decided on robbing the Lewisville bank.
He went to Henrietta, Texas, riding the rails, then stole the car (a Plymouth) he was in when caught.  He got only $1,300 at the bank.
Hamilton told B.... that he had never broken up with Clyde Barrow as reported.  "We just had business as different places and parted.  I ain't saying Barrow sets too fast a pace for me, but robbers can't travel in gangs.  They wouldn't last long.  The law would spot them quick.  A long hand is the only one to play.  Strike quick and split!"
The bandit said he was never afraid of being recognized in public.  "When people did look at me hard, I'd just my head." he said.
One thing that amazed Hamilton was the large number of person lining the streets of town they sped through after leaving Lewisville.  "I fully expected spectators to start firing at us at any time, but no one did.  I knew the officers were close behind.  The roads were so muddy that if I had gotten off the pavement, I would have mired up."

MEMORY DIMS
To see a movie with crowds watching the getaway would seem like a press agent's dream today, yet Hamilton described that as happening then.
Memory of most persons who recalled the capture and arrest of Hamilton and Brooks was quite dim.  But the Herald put out an extra on the capture.  The front page was filled with the story, plus a kidnapping in Arizona and a report that the trail of John Dillinger had cooled off.
Public enemies were the headlines in those days.
"But I don't think they excited the public half as much as the movie 'Bonnie and Clyde' has done," said Blanton  "That movie gave the pair a halo.  That's bad.  Maybe the reason they haven't done a movie on Hamilton is that he died in the chair."  But then Hamilton probably figured right on that from what the Herald reporter.
"I like jails, especially the one in Dallas.  Officers have always treated me nice, except in the penitentiary - they treat you like Hell down there."
Thus Raymond Hamilton wrote his own epitaph.