Jackson Jambalaya

Being a criminal isn't so much fun when the bullets are flying at you.

Back in the late 1960's when the classic film premiered, Faye Dunaway
was one thousand times prettier than the original thug Bonnie Parker.

These two knew damn well that the end of the fun would be death by copper.

We all know of Bonnie and Clyde; seen the movie and read the books, and it truly is an interesting story. But, we have our own FBI’s #1 Most Wanted bank robber and escape artist here in Mississippi – and the story of his demise matches that of Bonnie & Clyde.

Irvin Carl Chapman, with many AKAs, but better known locally as Charlie Chapman, was FBI Public Enemy #1 in 1939. He became a bank robber after losing all his money in the 1929 market crash; accordingly, he decided to go to where there was money and started robbing banks. During the 1930’s he was wanted for robbing banks in Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana and possibly other southern states. He broke out of one jail and two prisons, the last following a 60-year sentence he was serving at Eastham Prison Farm, the same prison where Clyde Barrow spent time.

After his last escape in June 1937, he followed his traditional pattern and tried to return home to Neshoba County. On his way he shot a Meridian patrolman who almost died but ultimately survived. Shooting the policeman increased law enforcement's interest and elevated him to the #1 Most Wanted list.

On a Sunday night, February 1942, following a tip from a couple of locals (one for the money, the other out of fear of being sent to prison), a squad of 18 officers including FBI, Highway Patrolmen, and local officials set up an ambush on Sandtown Road in east Neshoba County, having been told that Chapman was hiding in a shack of a black friend, Dee Baxstrom, in a car being driven by one of Chapman's friends, Albert Ward.

According to the account of Sheriff Will Brantley: "one group of officers stationed themselves on the north side of the road at the crest of a hill to east of the Baxstrom shack. Two other FBI men along with myself were stationed across the road on the South side. Another group, including a deputy sheriff along with the Kemper County sheriff and other officers were stationed on the west end of the road beyond Baxstrom's house.

We had only been located a few minutes when we heard a car drive up to Baxstrom's house, stop two or three minutes, and a car door slam shut. A few minutes later, the auto, a battered 1936 2-door black sedan, known by us to have been previously driven by Ward, labored slowly up the hill.

When it reached the crest, Agent Wylie and his men across the road turned powerful flood lights on the car and sent up a flare that brilliantly illuminated the entire scene for several minutes. At the same time, Agent Wylie shouted, 'Come out with your hands up' whereupon Ward kicked open the left front door and lurched backwards out of the car from the driver's seat with his hands up and half rolled under the car, which had stalled on the hill. (It was found later that he was intoxicated.)

As Wylie repeated his order, Chapman, with an oath, said, "Start shooting" and raised a .38 revolver to the right-hand front window, which was broken out, and from which he could plainly see us in the floodlights, sprawled on the grass some 20 feet from the car, and rapidly fired point-blank five times in our direction.

About that time, Agent Wylie shouted, "Fire' and simultaneously the FBI men on my left and right, armed with machine gun and buckshot gun, opened up in Chapman's direction, as did also the men stationed across the road from us.

At the command of "That's enough, boys" from the FBI chief, the firing ceased and the officer again commanded Chapman, already wounded, to keep his hands up. Chapman had his left hand up, but his right was not and he appeared to be trying to raise his gun again, whereupon Agent Wyllie again ordered "Fire', and a second charge of bullets sprayed the car from both sides of the road. The car ignited as the second round of fire struck, Chapman slumped down and at the same time a blaze sprang up inside the car as tracer bullets ignited the seat cushions.


(to be continued)

(Story continued and concluded)

Wylie promptly shouted, "Get him out of there, he's on fire," the officers rushed in and pulled Chapman from the auto and extinguished his clothing, which had caught fire on one trouser leg."

Chapman was dead when he was pulled from the car; having been hit with 20 bullets. The body was carried to DeKalb where an ambulance was called, and his body removed to Meridian. Later, another .38 caliber pistol was found on Chapman's side of the car, from which one bullet had been fired, but no accounting has been made of when or in what direction it was fired.

While the body was being removed, the squad on the west end of the road went to Baxstrom's house and placed him under arrest. It was discovered that two ten-gallon kegs and a blowtorch had been left in the yard after Ward's car had driven up. When questioned about where he and Chapman had started, Ward is reported to have replied, "We were just riding off to talk a little." According to the sheriff, he stated that Chapman told Dee before leaving the shack, "I will come back in a little while, and if I don't Ward will be back".

Chapman's death ended a search that had gone on for several years under the direction of the FBI, beginning with his escape from the Texas prison in 1937 after a conviction of bank robbery, but redoubled after Ralph McNair, the Meridian policeman was seriously wounded.

Chapman is buried in the Sandtown cemetery, approximately eight miles east of Philadelphia, where he was considered a local hero to many of his friends and neighbors, until the shooting of the policeman.

Isn’t “fatal demise” redundant?

Defund the Police.

Dad’s always told me the tale that Clyde dropped off a gun to be worked on at Hunt&Whitaker on Farish st. but had to take off, never to return to pick it up.

Today’s FBI would spend their time creating crimes to be charged against their political opposition, rather than actually arresting or killing real evil doers. Although, times were much harder then, more people had conscious and morals. Today, we’ve be given over to our sin and reprobate minds.

@4:31 Here is a wanted poster for Chapman. Thanks for all that.

https://i.imgur.com/KYTnSHm.jpeg