The Man Who Ran With Bonnie And Clyde

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/27/2025

Ralph Fults (1911-1993) was a Depression-era outlaw and escape artist associated with Raymond Hamilton, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow of the Barrow Gang. Famous outlaw, bank robber and criminal of the 30's. He met Clyde Barrow in prison when he was 19, where he was serving a sentence for grand larceny. In 1930, with Clyde Barrow, formed what came to be known as the "Barrow Gang". In 1932 the "Barrow Gang" was about to raid the Eastham Prison farm near Trinity, Texas to free prisoners when Fults was shot and captured. Barrow escaped. On another earlier foray in Texas with Bonnie & Clyde, he and Bonnie were captured and Clyde escaped again. In return for releasing Bonnie, he took the wrap and was sentenced to 15 years in the penitentiary. In 1935, six months after Bonnie & Clyde were shot to death in a police ambush, Fults was paroled. He joined forces with Raymond Hamilton, a former Barrow associate who had been declared Public Enemy No. 1 by the F.B.I. Fults and Hamilton shot their way out of several police traps as they left a string of robberies across Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. On March 28, 1935, they disarmed a 15 man posse and eluded 20 National Guardsmen after a bank robbery in Prentiss, Mississippi. Both were arrested within three weeks. Hamilton was executed. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Fults but he received a 100 year sentence in return for a guilty plea. Fults was again paroled in 1944 and "went straight". 8" X 10" Document Signed with biographical information about Fults with bold headlines "The Man Who Ran With Bonnie and Clyde", which contains his photograph. The piece is on fine quality rag content paper. Boldly signed "Ralph Fults" in upper blank portion, making a fine display piece. Fine and excessively rare outlaw item, suitable for framing. Provenance: In 1984 after reading about Fults in the Dallas Morning News Lone Star Autograph contacted him and asked him to sign several copies of his biographical article which we had reprinted on good quality paper. Fults kindly agreed and we mailed him the copies, which he signed and returned. Originally sold in 1984 $795.

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