Raymond Hamilton

Raymond Elzie Hamilton (May 21, 1913 – May 10, 1935) was only 21 years old when he had accumulated a prison sentence of 362 years. After his many escapes from prison, the police had to keep an ever present watch over him at all times.

Raymond had a brother Floyd, and four sisters: Lillian, Lucy, Margie (Maggie) and Audrey. Audrey, the youngest of the sisters, died from leukemia when she was in her early 20s, leaving behind a husband and two children.

The Barrow Gang

Little is known about Hamilton's childhood. He born in Oklahoma and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he received his minor public education. He met Clyde Barrow as a youth and went on to join the "Barrow Gang". Hamilton played a curious part in the death of Undersheriff Eugene Moore at an outdoor dance in Stringtown, Oklahoma. Clyde went on to accuse Hamilton of cowardice on several occasions, and there were problems with women: Hamilton took up with Mary O'Dare after her outlaw husband was sentenced to life. It was Hamilton who Clyde helped escape from Huntsville prison, another of the escapees, Joe Palmer, killed a guard and caused a series of events which let to Texas Prison System chief Lee Simmons to issue a shoot to kill order against Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker and hired Frank Hamer to execute this order. Hamilton was in Huntsville at the time of Barrow's death.

Death

Because Hamilton was similar in stature to Clyde and 'Buck' Barrow, it is not known whether or not they swapped clothing. It is known that Bonnie once "threw a fit" because Clyde let Raymond wear his shoes. In her autobiography, Blanch Barrow maintained that Clyde commonly referred to Mary O'Dare as "Washerwoman". Hamilton had a pale broad face and a short neck. Hamilton was electrocuted on May 10, 1935 at the Texas State Penitentiary, Huntsville, Texas, for a murder committed during a prison escape. He was preceded to the electric chair by Joe Palmer.

Hamilton walked calmly and firmly to the chair and seated himself with the words "Well, goodbye all."

Hamilton's brother Floyd, also an alumnus of the Texas Prison System, died in 1986.

External links

* [http://texashideout.tripod.com/ray.html Raymond Hamilton ] at texashideout.tripod.com