Maybank, Texas, April 20th, 1932.

A desperate gang of bandits attempting to burglarize a hardware store for firearms

touched off a dramatic manhunt Tuesday night that ended only after a pitched gun battle,

an unusual chase involving stolen automobiles and mules and the capture of two suspects in a

wooded area near this Henderson County community. Ralph Fultz, 21, and a young woman identified as

Bonnie Parker, 21 of Dallas, were taken into custody by Kaufman County officers after an all-day

pursuit that began when Maybank Police Chief David Drennan

interrupted their burglary attempt.

Two male accomplices, believed to be Clyde Barrow, 22 and Raymond Hamilton, 18, both of Dallas,

escaped on foot and remain at large.

The incident began shortly before midnight Tuesday when Chief Drennan, making his rounds of the downtown business district, heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the H. Bach hardware store on Market Street.

Drennan rushed to the scene and confronted three or four figures attempting to force entry through the front door of the establishment.

When the police chief identified himself and ordered the burglars to surrender, they responded

with gunfire. Drennan returned fire with his service revolver as the bandits fled down the

alley behind Market Street. Investigators believe the gang specifically targeted the hardware

store to steal firearms and ammunition.

The Bach establishment maintains one of the largest inventories of guns and ammunition in Henderson County,

with rifles, shotguns, and pistols displayed prominently in the front windows.

Officers theorize the bandits plan to use the stolen weapons for future holdups or possibly for a more ambitious criminal enterprise.

The bandits escaped in a Ford automobile, driving at high speed toward the outskirts of town.

A posse of officers from Kaufman, Henderson, and Dallas counties quickly formed and gave chase.

The pursuit took a bizarre turn when the bandit's automobile

...