DS, signed “Mary Pitts,” four pages, 8.5 x 11, August 3, 1934. Voluntary statement issued to Special Agent Edward J. Dowd of the Division of Investigation, in which a 19-year-old Pitts details her time spent with Raymond Hamilton and the Barrow Gang during the early months of 1934, in part: "The latter part of Feby 1934, I first contacted Raymond Hamilton through his brother Floyd…[who] picked me up at the American Hotel…[and] told me that Raymond…would like to see me…After coaxing me to go along and telling me that Raymond wanted to do something for my brother O'Dell Chambless, who is now confined in the penitentiary at Huntsville for bank robbery, I packed up…The next morning about ten o'clock two cars were ready at Floyd Hamilton's house…One of the cars was driven by L. C. Barrow and the other one by Floyd Hamilton…We sat in the cars until we saw a black V8 Ford come along containing Raymond Hamilton, Henry Methvin, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow…Raymond Hamilton introduced me to Clyde Barrow. Bonnie Parker was drunk and had passed out, and I did not meet her until that same night…
After being with the boys about two weeks, including Bonnie Parker, they took me in their car to Wichita Falls, and dropped me off on the road, I went to my mother's house and remained there two days. Henry Methvin, Raymond Hamilton, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow came back in a V8 Ford coach and picked me up. We went through Oklahoma, and other States until we reached Terre Haute, Indiana…Raymond and I rode the bus and train and returned to Beaumont, Texas…After meeting Raymond I got in his car and drove off on some dirt road and spent the night. The next day in the morning after leaving me out on the road about four and one half miles, he told me he was going to town to get breakfast. I noticed him returning very fast in the car. He picked me up and went on and got stuck in the mud and were pulled out by a man. Then we went on and had a wreck. I was knocked unconscious, broke my jaw and cut my nose and head. The next thing I know we were in a car going through Mexia, Texas. There was some woman sitting in the back seat I heard the woman asked Raymond which bank he robbed. He said the bank at west, Texas…We exchanged cars…
We had stolen a paper on the road and noticed that two highway police officers had been killed and they suspicioned us or Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker…This was on Monday following Easter Sunday…Then we found out about a killing at Miami, Okla in which the paper stated that Raymond was with Clyde and Bonnie Parker who were suspected of doing the killing…From St. Louis we went by train to Baton Rouge, La…I left him at the depot, and returned to Dallas by bus…In the meantime Raymond robbed a bank at Lewisville, Texas and got caught and was sent back to the Huntsville Penitentiary…I last saw Raymond when he was tried at Huntsville for killing a guard when he escaped from Eastham farm on January 16, 1934. Raymond was sentenced to death…Raymond Hamilton and two other, Joe Palmer and Blackie Thomson escaped from the death cells on July 22, 1934. I do not know anything about the escape and have not seen or heard from Raymond since his escape." Pitts signs at the conclusion, and adds her signature to the bottom of the preceding three pages. In fine condition.
Includes three vintage glossy photos of Pitts: a 3.25 x 4.75 formal portrait; a 4 x 3.25 mug shot photo from Wichita Falls; and a 4.75 x 3.25 mug shot photo from Dallas, with reverse bearing handwritten pencil notations: “Apr 20 in 1934, 5´ 3 ¼″, Weight 110, hair Dark auburn, eyes Grey, Com. Med., Res 1600 Lamar St., Wichita Falls, Mary Pitts.” Also accompanied by a trove of letters and documents related to Pitts and her various dealings with Hamilton and the Barrow Gang, dated from August 1934 to February 1935, with many signed by notable attorneys and law enforcement officers of the day, including: E. J. Dowd, Clyde O. Eastus, J. Earle Kuntz, Fred Hickman, R. B. Nathan, and Melvin Purvis. A fascinating and detailed collection of material related to the notorious fringe member of the Barrow Gang. Pitts’ temporal role in the outlaw group proved miserable for Bonnie and Clyde, who often referred to her as ‘the washerwoman.’ Clyde made his opinion of her clear to Raymond Hamilton in a letter dated in April 1934: ‘When you wanted to get your Prostitute Sweetheart I thought it OK. But when you were so persistent about her going to town alone that idea wasn’t so ‘hot.’ I thought then and truthfully believe now that should she have gotten off without Bonnie she would have ‘spotted’ us all. She hails from a ‘rat’ family and you couldn’t expect better from her.’ The relationship between Hamilton and Pitts ultimately spelled the end of the former’s connection with Bonnie and Clyde.
