Ford Bradshaw

Ford Allen Bradshaw (January 5, 1906 – March 3, 1934) was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was a rival of fellow Sooner, Oklahoma, bandit Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and although never as nationally well known as Floyd, Bradshaw's small town bank raids far exceeded those of Floyd during his criminal career.[2]

Ford Allen Bradshaw
Born(1906-01-05)January 5, 1906
Grady County, Oklahoma, United States
DiedMarch 3, 1934(1934-03-03) (aged 28)[1]
Westville, Oklahoma
Cause of deathKilled in police shootout
OccupationBank robber

Bradshaw was killed by a sheriff's deputy named William Harper while resisting arrest on March 3, 1934, at the age of 28.[1]

Biography

Terrorizing the state of Oklahoma during the late-1920s and early-1930s, Bradshaw's most successful robbery occurred on November 2, 1933, when he successfully stole $13,000 from a bank in Okmulgee, Oklahoma with Wilbur Underhill and others. Five days later, Bradshaw robbed a bank of $11,238 with Newton Clayton and Jim Benge in Henryetta, Oklahoma, on November 7, 1933;[3] the heist would be mistakenly attributed to Floyd, George Birdwell and Aussie Elliott the next year.[2]

A close friend of Underhill, Bradshaw drove into Vian on December 31, 1933,[4] with several other men and began a shooting spree damaging a local restaurant, hardware store and the town jail. This was in retaliation for Underhill's shooting death the previous day when federal agents surrounded the Shawnee cottage the outlaw had rented for his honeymoon and opened fire. The attack on Vian however, caused a public outcry which finally gained the attention of state authorities. After several months on the run, Bradshaw was cornered at the rear door of an Ardmore roadhouse and killed by sheriff's deputy William Harper while resisting arrest.[2][5]

See also

References
  1. "Many Attend the Funeral of Ford Bradshaw". The Democrat-American. March 8, 1934. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. Newton 2002, p. 38.
  3. Yadon 2010, p. 74.
  4. Courtney 2008, p. 169.
  5. "Outlaw Bradshaw is Slain in Flight; 'King of Cookson Hills' Is Shot by Deputy After Terrorizing Roadhouse Three Hours". The New York Times. March 4, 1934. Retrieved July 1, 2021.

Cited works and further reading
  • Courtney, Gary D. (2008). Carl Janaway - Smartest Bandit of the Cookson Hills. New York: House. ISBN 978-1-425-99588-1.
  • Newton, Michael (2002). The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers. New York: Facts On File Inc. ISBN 0-8160-4488-0.
  • Yadon, Laurence (2010). 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters & Lawmen. New Orleans: Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-455-60004-5.
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