No trace has been found this week of the kidnap trio who commandeered the car of H. E. Pipkin, Coldwater barber, and held him captive while they made their escape from the county seat last Friday evening. Pipkin was released three hours after the kidnaping near the Olin Millam home southwest of Protection. The kidnaping occurred about 8 p.m.The trio included two men and a woman, who stated they were in a jam and had to have Pipkin's car to make a getaway. When they reached Coldwater they were in a coupe bearing a Nebraska tag. The car was found to have been stolen from Oklahoma City and the tags changed.
Pipkin was returning from a fishing trip and was entering the garage at his home in Coldwater when accosted by the trio. The kidnapers and their captive left the county seat in both cars, but when they had reached a point near the Lewis Gray farm they all got in one car and proceeded to drive up and down country roads in the western part of the county.
When it got necessary to get more gas for the Pipkin car one of the men with a revolver held Pipkin captive a few miles southwest of Protection, while the other men and the woman drove to Protection where they purchased gasoline at the Edmonston & Son garage. Paul Crum, who filled the tank refused to take a check in payment for the gas, so the man gave a wrist watch in payment, and said he would send the money for the watch. He also gave a Wichita address where he could be reached.
When they picked up Pipkin and his captor, they drove south to near the Millam home were Pipkin was let out of the car and told not to report them. Pipkin became entangled in a barb wire fence and received many scratches.
Calls were placed for Sheriff W. T. Giles at Coldwater and he with other officers arrived soon.
Pipkin described the men as being between 30 and 35 years of age, and thought the woman was about the same age, although he did not get a good look at her.
The man who stayed with him while the car was filled with gas, explained they were returning from the world's fair, where they had gotten in a jam. Local officers have discredited this story when they learned the identify of the car they drove into the county.
The car taken from Pipkin was a 1934 Chevrolet coach, which had been driven about 1,200 miles. Pipkin stated the bandits informed him they intended to burn the car when they were through with it.
Although there is no reference to Bonnie and Clyde in the above story about H.E. Pipkin being kidnaped on June 1, 1934, it is interesting to note that kidnaping someone whose car they had stolen was something frequently done by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, as they did when they stole Alva Trummel's car near Wilmore, Kansas, in early September of 1933. Bonnie and Clyde were killed May 23, 1934, on a desolate road near their Bienville Parish, Louisiana hideout.
Alva Trummel Kidnapped (by Bonnie & Clyde), The Western Star, 8 Sept 1933.
Bill Brock relates Story of Highway Robbery at Meade Park, The Fowler News, September 7, 1933.
Bonnie Parker Worked in Dodge, Barrow in Hugoton, The Dodge City Globe, September 19, 1934.
Also see:
Sheriffs of Comanche County, Kansas, 1885 - 2006
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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