Person:Dollie Keating (1)

'Bonnie & Clyde' Ray & Dollie had Bonnie & Clyde in their home at various times as they would wake them in the middle of the night.. This was on the Johnson place north of Creston, Iowa on Cherry Street road. They were introduced to Bonnie & Clyde by Charles " Chick" Bowers, Dollie's sister Maggie's husband and a purported member of the Chicago mafia. Ray & Dollie were bootleggers. Bonnie & Clyde had a 16 year old from "Kansas City" with them that was virtually a prisoner and forced to share a bed with them. This was most likely W D Jones. This would have likely have been between June 8th and July 20th 1933. Buck & Blanche joined the gang March 25th, 1933 after Buck was released from prison. W D Jones joined the gang December 24th 1932 and abandoned them April 13th, 1933 Clyde found W D and forced him back into the gang on June 8th, 1933. When Bonnie & Clyde came in the middle of the night to stay they threatened to kill Ray & Dollie's crying children if they didn't "get the kids out." Dollie hated Bonnie. She thought that Buck Barrow was very nice and not like Bonnie & Clyde. Buck was good with Dollie's kids,. Dollie also felt sorry for the 16 year old boy. The Dexter, Iowa shootout occurred July 20,1933. Buck and Blanche were captured. Buck died shortly thereafter in The King's Daughters Hospital in Perry, Iowa. W D Jones escaped from the gang for the second and final time September 7th, 1933.

This story was related by Red Wessel, a nephew of Dollie's. The story was told to him from his mother and dad. His sister also recalled seeing the fugitives at the Johnson home when she was about 7 years old. Red's father Henry would not let the kids or his wife go to the Johnson home at this time. They were sworn to secrecy at school to speak nothing of it. As the pair were murderers at this time and still loose there was a great fear that they would come kill the family.