Pair of guns linked to outlaws Bonnie and Clyde to be auctioned Jan. 21 A pair of vintage guns believed to have been owned and used by the notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde will be sold at auction Saturday, Jan. 21, by Mayo Auction & Realty in Kansas City, Mo.
“When they were in Springfield, they kidnapped a police officer and had him in their car,” he said. “They bragged to the officer about having stolen their Tommy gun in Ohio, and the serial number on my gun is the same as one that was once listed as stolen in Ohio. That to me is huge.” The account was documented in the local paper, the Springfield News-Leader.
Plus, he said, the police officer who gave the guns to his great-grandfather had nothing to gain by saying they came from Bonnie and Clyde. “It was a gift from one policeman to another,” he said. “There was no reason to invent a fairy tale to go along with it. What’s unfortunate is, we don’t know who that policeman was. If we did, we might have an airtight case. But we don't.”
Interestingly, Mr. Lairmore's great-grandfather had his own encounter with another one of the Depression era's most notable and notorious criminals: Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd (1904-1934). According to family lore, Mr. Lairmore went to Floyd's home, to issue a warrant or make an arrest, and a gunfight broke out. In the ensuing melee, Mr. Lairmore was shot in the leg.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were notorious outlaws, robbers and criminals who, with their gang, traveled the central United States during the Great Depression, from 1931-1935. Though they were widely known for their bank robberies, Barrow actually preferred to rob small stores and gas stations. They killed as many as nine police officers, plus other innocent civilians.
The raid and shootout in Joplin left two police officers dead. The scene of the raid (and where Bonnie and Clyde had an apartment) is now a museum. Visitors can rent the second-floor room and spend the night. Bonnie and Clyde’s crime spree led them through Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana, where the two were killed in a hail of gunfire.
Mayo Auction & Realty is one of the premier auction and real estate firms in Kansas and Missouri. The family-owned business is a team of professional auctioneers and Realtors. It conducts real estate and personal property auctions, with an emphasis on auctions of real estate, estates, antiques and collectibles and specialty collections.
Mayo Auction & Realty also conducts auctions in a spacious, 7,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Kansas City. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or collection, you may call them at (816) 361-2600, or you can e-mail them at Robert@auctionbymayo.com. The firm is located at 8253 Wornall Road.
To learn more about Mayo Auction & Realty and the antique weapons and militaria sale planned for Jan. 21, 2012, please log on to www.auctionbymayo.com.
