McCall/Barrow Story
By Don Middleton
One evening in October, 2000, a very frail voice asked if I mihgt be the son of one of his poker friends from the twenty's. names and dates coincided. The old gentleman was ? McCall. He was bron in 1895. On occassion he drove for Clyde Barrow. The call came from our third conversation. His voice was a window to the past. From prohibition, confrontations, banks and plans that backfired, his memory was concise, almost like a total recall. His related events coincided with files from that era. His preference of topic was "movie consultant" to the Bonnie and Clyde version. Warren Beatty starred. Michael Pollard reprised McCall's roll in the movie.
He was reluctant to elaborate on specific incidents of his time frame. He was still bound to a code of silence. The following is all that he would attest to. As his carrer diminished, he claimed to have killed 26 men. He was very adamant that his hand took out Dutch Shultz. He terminated from th Barrows crowd because as he put it, "Iwas head over heels in love with Bonnie. I had to move on. He related as to his extensive travels of major cities and countries. Sometimes it was with Lucky Luciano. He stated, "This was the only man I was ever afraid of. Just to be in a room with this man, one had to choose his words carefully. It was a time when men packed, with or without a permit. Especially, Americo." In our last conversation, I mentioned a story that involved the word. "Cicero". His voice faltered. I could sense his fear as his memory triggered an incident best forgotten. Immediately concurred. A hospital guard told me a gun was found in his room. The handgrips bore the letteres "CB". I was informed that the gun was in a museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He left me an autographed-signed book. He placed it in the hands of a young lady he trusted. I promised him the Smithsonian would receive it.
The lady received a nice price for the book. He mentioned his qurters held stacks of photos from his past, and travels. Hopefully, and eventually, a museum will own them.
At no time did he speak proudly of his past. As hobo's, the depression, mob violence, the Great Plains dust bowl, Babe Ruth, the great depression, and hell's kitchen was a part of our past, McCall was a product of our past. Perhaps not to be honored, but most definetely, to be recorded in our American history. At 73, I came in on the tail wind of that era. The untouchables are still with us until a power equal to or better than them comes along, they will always be.
Editor's Note: Most of us have researched and found that Clyde Barrow did most of his own drving and was quite noted for his ability to make a clear getaway and elude the alw. I think it is very important to pass on all reports to the readers for further research.
Evidently this was made possible, because by all accounts, only one lawman in the area wanted to pursue them after the gun fight, but he was out-voted by his twelve colleagues who were all too happy to watch the fugitives drive away in their bullet-riddled car on only two inflated tires.