One might think Bonnie and Clyde could not "work" with Jesse James since they were not contemporaries, but this group managed to pull it off.
As far as Arizona authorities were concerned, it all started with the robbery of a grocery story in Safford.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Wednesday, April 17, 1968:
Bonnie, Clyde Held With Jesse James
BENSON (AP) — Three fugitives who identified themselves as “Bonnie, Clyde and Jessie James” were arrested Tuesday following a widespread manhunt touched off by a $100 grocery store holdup in Safford.
With two sheriff’s planes directing the search, as many as 30 police, sheriff’s and highway patrol cars chased the trio into Cochise County, where they were arrested at the 7-Bar Ranch between Benson and Willcox.
The young fugitives, all housed in the Graham County Jail, were identified as Virginia Nell Collins, Jessie James Smith and Harvey D. Webb, all 20, who said they were from Texas.
They were arrested after they drove their cars off Interstate 10 onto the 7-Bar Ranch and tried to flee on foot in the desert. Two sheriff’s deputies, and FBI agent and a Benson police officer converged on them.
Cochise Sheriff’s Deputy Les Jones said the three, one of whom was armed, stopped running and gave themselves up when another officer said, “Stop or I’ll blow your head off.”
Later, investigators found a note in the car which said:
“Sorry about the car. Signed, Bonnie, Clyde and Jessie James.”
It may seem like a bit much of a show of force for a $100 robbery, but one must remember that $100 went so much farther in 1968.
It sounds like even the law enforcement officers have been watching too many gangster movies to have made such a comment as "Stop or I'll blow your head off," but at least it worked.
The next day it was revealed that the quote of the officer was cleaned up, but the interview of the desperados indicated they might just not understand the gravity of the situation.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Thursday, April 18, 1968:
Ariz. Lawmen Deprive ‘Bonnie’, ‘Clyde’ Of Shot At Glory
(Editor’s note: A young man and woman calling themselves “Bonnie” and “Clyde” were arrested in eastern Arizona Tuesday night. When an Associated Press reporter called the sheriff in Safford for more details, the sheriff said, “They’re sitting right here. Want to talk to them?”)
By ROBERT K. WALKER
PHOENIX (AP) — “Bonnie” and “Clyde” lamented Wednesday that they were surrounded so quickly by Arizona lawmen that they didn’t have a chance to fight to the death.
The pair—who really are Virginia Collins and Harvey D. Webb, both 20— chatted freely with Graham County Sheriff “Skeet” Bowman and gave a volunteer telephone interview to the Associated Press from the jail at Safford.
A third person arrested with them, Jesse James Smith, 20, declined to talk.
They were arrested by a swarm of officers Tuesday night after a 100-mile chase which began with the $100 robbery of a Safford grocery store in southeastern Arizona. They are charged with armed robbery.
Texas authorities said they were wanted in that state on kidnap and rape charges.
Found in a car they abandoned was a note reading: “Sorry about the car. Signed Bonnie, Clyde and Jesse James.” Webb and Miss Collins, referring to themselves and each other as Bonnie and Clyde, said Wednesday they had patterned their lives after Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the two bank-robbing desperados cut down by police in the 1930s. But they said they didn’t get the idea from the recent movie, “Bonnie and Clyde.”
“I got a lot of kin that knowed them," Webb—or “Clyde"—said, claiming a relative had even helped Barrow by giving him ammunition.
Webb said he took the name of “Clyde” because he didn’t like the name he was given at birth: Harvey Dell Webb.
“I’ve seen the show,” the young man said. “It ain’t like the real thing. I run in the country where they did.”
“Bonnie” said she went to the movie, but didn’t see it.
“I was drunk and went to sleep,” she drawled.
Both said the next time they are trapped by the law things will be different.
“I’ve got a ticket to the end,” Clyde declared.
“There ain’t no stopping’,” Bonnie commented.
Clyde said that one problem was that the three were armed only with .22 caliber weapons—two pistols and a rifle—against the officers’ magnums. “Cap pistols,” Clyde said in describing his weapons.
“If there hadn’t been all that many, we would have shot it out with them,” Clyde said.
Bowman and Clyde both told of an ambush attempt which failed.
Clyde said he headed for high ground at the end of the chase and planned to pick the officers off one-by-one as they approached his two partners.
As he was drawing a bead on an officer with a rifle, Clyde said, a voice interrupted him.
“You move and I’ll blow your —- —— head off,” Clyde quoted an officer as telling him.
“We didn’t have the glory of shooting it out,” Clyde added, saying things would be different next time.
Asked if the three had robbed any banks as the original Bonnie and Clyde did, Webb replied: “We never did get to the banking business.”
Clyde said the worst charge against them apparently is kidnaping a couple in Texas and forcing them to accompany them on a 300-mile journey.
“They had a good time,” Clyde said, “they acted real nice.”
“Bonnie wanted to kill them but I talked her out of it,” Clyde said.
Bonnie agreed: “I would have if he had let me.”
Clyde denied that he had raped the girl who was abducted.
Bonnie said she liked to smoke cigars like the original Bonnie Parker, but the most she could talk the sheriff into was getting cigarettes for her.
What does it take to lead the life of “Bonnie and Clyde?”
“It takes guts,” Bonnie said, “and no brains.”
Both admitted prison would put a crimp in their plans.
“I’ll be 70 when I get out,” Clyde signed.
“It will give us a little time to plan ahead,” Bonnie figured.
All three of the fugitives said they were from Texas.
Clyde said he was born in Oklahoma and raised in the Fort Worth, Tex., area. Bonnie was born in Louisiana.
Clyde said the three of them had teamed up two months ago but he wouldn’t say where they had been since joining forces.
“Bonnie and Clyde and Jesse James all together for the first time,” Clyde declared.
Bowman offered the third member of the group a chance to speak with a newsman, but Smith declined.
“He’s the silent partner,” Bowman commented.
It was perhaps rather optimistic of the pair to think they would have the opportunity for a "next time." The Morgue Lady will search and see if she can find any follow-up stories to these.
She couldn't help but notice that Jesse James Smith's name was spelled two ways — sometimes as Jessie — even when quoting the note left in the car, but she just doesn't know which is accurate. Since the person was a young man, it was likely Jesse.
