By Dennis McCaslin - Today in Fort Smith
Most small towns that serve as the birthplace of famous (and sometime infamous) individuals usually celebrate the celebrity of their native son or daughter. Many will post a "Birthplace of" sign at the city limits to showcase their pride in winning the celebrity lottery of sorts.
But one town in Crawford County produced a "celebrity" that rose to "fame" during the Depression-era for all the wrong reasons. There is no sign at the city limits and it's doubtful that current residents would even recognize his name or know anything of his exploits.
Jim Clark, born on February 26, 1902, in Mountainburg would grow up to become one of the most notorious bank robbers of the Depression era.
His criminal career, marked by daring heists and dramatic prison escapes, left an indelible mark on the history of American outlaws.
Very little is known about Clark's early lifre and no one named "Jim" or "James" is listed in a household in Crawford County in the 1910 census. Therefore, nothing is known about his parents and the family may have moved to Oklahoma shortly after his birth.
Clark’s descent into crime began early. He was accused of stealing silverware from a neighbor in Oklahoma while still a teenager, although he avoided arrest at that time was arrested just months later and charged with burglary and spent time in a juvenile detention center.
By 1923, at the age of 21, he was already serving time in the Oklahoma state reformatory in Granite.
After his release, he drifted to Texas, finding work in the oil fields. However, by 1927, Clark had turned to smuggling bootleg liquor from Juarez, Mexico, and was jailed for 30 days following a botched robbery.
Returning to Oklahoma, Clark’s criminal activities escalated. He was arrested for burglary in 1928 and sentenced to five years in prison. Released after serving less than a year, he quickly resumed his life of crime. In 1932, he was sentenced to two years for car theft but escaped from a prison camp in Colby, Oklahoma, just six weeks later.
During this time, the gang and Clark were utilizing the Cookson Hills in eastern Oklahoma as a frequent hideout. The robbers were associated with, at least loosely, with legendary outlaw George "Pretty' Boy Floyd, who is said to have helped provide refuge to the bank robbers with people he knew in northern Sequoyah County.
Clark’s criminal exploits reached new heights when he joined forces with Wilbur Underhill, Harvey Bailey, and Robert “Big Bob” Brady.
On May 30, 1933, Clark was part of a dramatic escape from the state penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas, orchestrated by Frank “Jelly” Nash. Armed with smuggled pistols, Clark and ten other convicts broke free, capturing national attention.
Following the escape, Clark and another convict, Clifford Dopson, took a young couple hostage and commandeered their car. Their journey was marked by violence, including the possible murder of a police officer in Kansas.
Clark and his gang continued their crime spree, robbing banks across Oklahoma. On July 3, 1933, they stole $11,000 from a bank in Clinton, Oklahoma, and seven weeks later, they hit another bank in Kingfisher.
Their plans to rob a bank in Brainerd, Minnesota, fell through when Bailey was arrested, leaving Clark and Brady to continue on their own.
Their final robbery together, on October 6, 1933, in Frederick, Oklahoma, was a disaster. They escaped with only $5,000, missing a much larger sum, and took three hostages. Their escape route was quickly discovered by police, leading to their capture near Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Despite giving a false name, Clark’s identity was soon revealed through fingerprints. His capture in 1934 marked the end of his reign as a public enemy.
After thirty-five years in prison, Clark was released on parole on December 9, 1969. The 67-year-old Clark returned to Oklahoma to marry the widow of his brother and where he would spend the rest of his life.
He worked as a ranch hand for several years and, when old age prevented him continuing, Clark managed a commercial parking lot for a local bank until his death on June 9, 1974.
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