Holt Coffey
Encyclopedia
Holt Coffey was the sheriff
of Platte County
, Missouri
from 1933 until 1937 and again from 1941 until 1945. Coffey, along with newly elected Platte City Prosecutor David Clevenger, was responsible for cleaning up much of the small time crime around Platte County, a suburb of freewheeling Kansas City, Missouri
.
On July 18, 1933, during Coffey's first term as sheriff, Bonnie and Clyde
and three other gang members checked into the Red Crown Tourist Court
south of Platte City. The conspicuous behavior of the gang caught Coffey's and others' interest, and on July 20, a ferocious firefight between the Barrows and thirteen officers injured both Coffey and his sixteen-year-old son Clarence. While Clarence suffered a wound in his arm that at one time was considered life-threatening, the elder Coffey sought no treatment for his minor wounds. The Barrows escaped and were cornered and engaged again by another posse five days later in Iowa.
An expert marksman, Coffey was also a one-time minor-league baseball player. The Coffey family maintained a close relationship with Blanche Barrow
, sister-in-law of Clyde, with Blanche claiming the Coffeys were more kind than her own family.
Coffey went on to own and operate the Red Crown Tavern from 1945 to 1950. He became a county commissioner in 1956. He died at age 72 in 1964.
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Platte County
Platte County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
from 1933 until 1937 and again from 1941 until 1945. Coffey, along with newly elected Platte City Prosecutor David Clevenger, was responsible for cleaning up much of the small time crime around Platte County, a suburb of freewheeling Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Massacre
The Kansas City massacre was the shootout and murder of four law enforcement officers and a criminal fugitive at the Union Station railroad depot in Kansas City, Missouri, on the morning of June 17, 1933. It occurred as part of the attempt by a gang led by Vernon Miller to free Frank "Jelly" Nash,...
.
On July 18, 1933, during Coffey's first term as sheriff, Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
and three other gang members checked into the Red Crown Tourist Court
Red Crown Tourist Court
The Red Crown Tavern and Red Crown Tourist Court in Platte County, Missouri was the site of the July 20, 1933 gun battle between lawmen and outlaws Bonnie and Clyde and three members of their gang. The outlaws made their escape, but would be tracked down and cornered four days later near Dexter,...
south of Platte City. The conspicuous behavior of the gang caught Coffey's and others' interest, and on July 20, a ferocious firefight between the Barrows and thirteen officers injured both Coffey and his sixteen-year-old son Clarence. While Clarence suffered a wound in his arm that at one time was considered life-threatening, the elder Coffey sought no treatment for his minor wounds. The Barrows escaped and were cornered and engaged again by another posse five days later in Iowa.
An expert marksman, Coffey was also a one-time minor-league baseball player. The Coffey family maintained a close relationship with Blanche Barrow
Blanche Barrow
Bennie Iva "Blanche" Frasure was the wife of Marvin "Buck" Barrow and the sister-in-law of Clyde Barrow. Buck and Blanche were part of the Barrow Gang from late March 1933 until their capture on July 24, 1933.-Early life:Blanche Barrow was born in Garvin, Oklahoma...
, sister-in-law of Clyde, with Blanche claiming the Coffeys were more kind than her own family.
Coffey went on to own and operate the Red Crown Tavern from 1945 to 1950. He became a county commissioner in 1956. He died at age 72 in 1964.
Further reading
- Barrow, Blanche Caldwell and John Neal Phillips (2004). My Life with Bonnie and Clyde. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3715-5.
- Guinn, Jeff (2009). Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1-4165-5706-7.
- Knight, James R. and Jonathan Davis (2003). Bonnie and Clyde: A Twenty-First-Century Update. Austin, TX: Eakin Press. ISBN 1-57168-794-7.
- Ramsey, Winston G., ed (2003). On The Trail of Bonnie and Clyde, Then and Now. London: After The Battle Books. ISBN 1-870067-51-7.