 HOWARD HALL MURDER OCTOBER 11, 1932 SHERMAN, TEXAS The Whitewright Sun
Whitewright, Texas Thursday, October 13, 1932 pg 1 STORE BANDIT KILLS VICTIM Sherman Clerk Is Killed By Robber Sherman - Howard Hall, 35, meat cutter in a suburban grocery store, was killed Tuesday night by an unmasked robber who fled after rifling the till of $50. Hall and Homer Glaze, another clerk, were preparing to close the store when the robber entered. After buying meat and eggs, he handed Glaze a dollar bill. As Glaze put it into the cash register, the man covered his with a pistol and took the money from the till. Hall protested at the holdup, whereupon the robber kicked him and struck him on the head. Pushing the two employes in front of him, the bandit advanced toward the door. Then he struck Hall again, knocking his glasses into the street. Hall grabbed for the man's hand and the robber fired four times, three of the shots striking Hall. He then attempted to fire at Glaze but the gun would not fire. The robber fled afoot but a group of small boys told police he entered a black sedan which two other men were waiting. Hall died in a hospital soon after the shooting. His assailant was described as a small man of light complexion, between 20 and 25 years old. 
by Steven Powell posted October 11, 2012 Thursday
marked the 80th anniversary of the legendary robbery/murder in Sherman
by Clyde Barrow. The infamous bandit of the Bonnie and Clyde due is
said to have killed a store clerk.
But 80 years later, historians - like Austin College history professor Dr. Light Cummins - no longer believe Clyde was the robber. "Digital research and the availability on the internet and the availability to consult jail records, arrest records, and other search documents made it possible for historians to conclusively prove that Clyde Barrow was not at Sherman at the time of the robbery," he said. He said about 15 years ago, historians began to doubt Clyde's involvement. "They however weren't even in the area at the time," he said. "Clyde and Bonnie were on their way back from Michigan." But someone did rob The Little Grocery Store, which stood on the corner of Vaden and Wells. And he killed Howard Hall, a store clerk who was trying to prevent the robbery. Cummins said that the day of the robbery, witnesses identified the gunman as Clyde - and that's all it took. "Bonnie and Clyde were big news, so most of the papers across the United States reported this robbery as the work of the Barrow gang." But Cummins said the duo did frequent the area - and may have had a few hideouts here. Joe Pollaro, a Denison resident, said one of the legendary hideaways is on his property. He said he and his family like to imagine Bonnie and Clyde sitting around the fireplace. "We've even speculated that they have a little stash on the side where they would go under and stash their money," he said. "I think my sons have already been down there checking it out." Pollaro said the History Channel even re-enacted the Bonnie and Clyde shootout here a few years ago. But even he admits that there's no way to know for sure whether Clyde was the true killer - or if he ever spent a night at the bungalow. "It could be myth, I don't know, it could be total fiction," he said. Cummins said Bonnie and Clyde sightings were always popular, especially in this area. "When it comes to Bonnie and Clyde, one can even say they're the Southwest version of 'George Washington slept here," he said. Regardless of the legends, Bonnie and Clyde do have a major tie to Grayson County. Cummins said a former Grayson County sheriff - and Sherman resident - was the man who ultimately took down the infamous duo.  Howard Hall Murder The Posse Posse that killed Bonnie and Clyde American Outlaws - Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow FELONY Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |
