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 John "Red" Hamilton,
aka: Three Finger Jack (1899-1934) - An associate of
John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd, Hamilton was a native of Canada who had
lost two fingers on his right hand somewhere along the line, earning him
the moniker "Three Finger Jack." He was arrested in 1927 for robbery and
sent to prison in Michigan City where he became friends with
John Dillinger and Harry "Pete" Pierpont.
Using guns smuggled in by
Dillinger, Hamilton, Pierpoint
and others escaped from the prison on September 26, 1933 quickly formed
the
Dillinger
Gang, which robbed banks all over the Midwest. While hiding
out with the gang in
Chicago, Hamilton was caught in a garage by
Chicago
police sergeant William Shanley. Hamilton shot the officer, causing the
whole
Dillinger
Gang to flee to Florida. A month later, Hamilton,
Dillinger, and Pierpont robbed the bank at East Chicago, Indiana and
killed a police officer in their getaway. Most of gang then fled to
Arizona, where a number of them, including
John Dillinger were captured
but Hamilton did not accompany them. After being extradited to Indiana,
Dillinger escaped from the Crown Point Jail in March 1934 and Hamilton
quickly hooked back up with him. Along with Homer Van Meter, Baby Face
Nelson, and others, they began to rob banks again and after a furious gun
battle with the
FBI at Rhinelander,
Wisconsin's Little Bohemia Lodge on April 22, 1934, the gang split up.
Nelson headed to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, while Hamilton,
Dillinger,
and Van Meter fled to Hastings, Minnesota. There, they were ambushed by
lawmen and Hamilton sustained a mortal wound in the back. The gang then
fled to
Chicago and
soon holed up at a hideout of the
Barker-Karpis Gang
in Aurora,
Illinois.
Hamilton eventually died in the last days of April. The men then buried
his remains in gravel pit near Oswego. Later, in August, 1935, the remains
were dug up, identified by dental records, and Hamilton was interred in an
unmarked grave in the Oswego Township Cemetery.
 Raymond Elzie Hamilton, aka: Floyd Beatty (1913-1935) - Born in a
tent near Schulter,
Oklahoma to Alice and John Hamilton on May 21, 1913,
Hamilton was one of six children. He was raised in Dallas,
Texas and as a
young man, he met Clyde Barrow and went on to join the
Barrow Gang.
He participated in the killing of Undersheriff Eugene Moore in Stringtown,
Oklahoma on August 5, 1932. Raymond was eventually captured and was
serving 266 years in prison for auto theft, armed robbery, and murder at
the Eastham prison farm north of Huntsville,
Texas. However, in January,
1934, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker raided the farm and feed him along
with four other prisoners. 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.
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The diminutive 5'3" tall man soon took up with Mary O'Dare
after her outlaw husband, Gene O'Dare, was serving 99 years in prison for
bank robbery. Bonnie and Clyde and other members of the gang were not fond
of Mary O'Dare, characterizing her as a prostitute and gold digger. Clyde
Barrow snubbed the 19 year old girl whenever possible and often called her
"washerwoman" to her face. Raymond soon fell out with Clyde Barrow when he
and Mary were caught stealing money after a robbery. Raymond and Mary left
the soon left the
Barrow Gang.
However, he was soon captured on April 25, 1934. He was sent to the
Texas
State Penitentiary, Huntsville where he was executed on May 10, 1935 for
the murder of the guard in the earlier escape from Eastham Prison. As
Hamilton
walked calmly to the electric chair, his last words were
"Well, goodbye all." He was preceded to the electric chair by Joe Palmer.
I
J
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