Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Mary was arrested because she was present at her coffee shop when Babe Wilson shot his partner during a police raid. Although she had no knowledge of Babe's criminal activities, the authorities linked her to the gangster since she was his romantic partner and had been helping him flee. She was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Foreshadowing: Babe's hurried proposal to marry and flee to Canada on 'business' hinted that something was wrong with his plans.

• mary burns arrest
• aiding and abetting
• babe wilson
• coffee shop arrest
• wrongful imprisonment

Babe shot his partner to prevent him from testifying against him. When police arrived to arrest Babe, his partner was about to be taken into custody and Babe feared he would reveal details about their crimes. By killing his partner, Babe eliminated the only witness who could connect him to the robbery and murder he was wanted for.

Foreshadowing: The tense atmosphere when Babe arrived with his partner suggested a fractured criminal relationship.

• babe wilson murder
• gangster partner killed
• police raid coffee shop

Goldie Gordon was secretly cooperating with the police while imprisoned. Her escape with Mary was a calculated plan to use Mary as bait to lure Babe Wilson out of hiding. The authorities believed Babe would come for Mary once she was free, allowing them to capture the fugitive.

Foreshadowing: Goldie's sudden interest in befriending Mary during their imprisonment hinted at ulterior motives.

• goldie gordon
• police informant
• prison escape plan
• bait to catch babe

After escaping from prison, Mary took a job as a hospital maid to start fresh. Barton Powell, a famous explorer and writer, was recovering from snow blindness at the same hospital. Mary was assigned to read to him, and their daily conversations about his adventures created a genuine emotional connection that developed into love.

Foreshadowing: Mary's kindness and ability to connect through conversation were established early in the story.

• barton powell
• snow blindness
• hospital romance
• explorer writer

Mary left without saying goodbye because Spike, Babe's dangerous accomplice, had tracked her down and demanded she come with him to Babe. Fearing for Barton's safety if she refused, Mary chose to leave quietly while Barton slept rather than involve him in the dangerous confrontation that would follow.

Foreshadowing: Spike's threatening arrival at the apartment signaled that Mary's past would catch up to her.

• mary leaves barton
• spike threatens mary
• babe tracks mary down

Mary had fled to a small town in Utah hoping to escape Babe, but he tracked her down and attempted to abduct her during a church service. When undercover police in the congregation tried to arrest him, Babe produced a hand grenade and threatened to pull the pin unless they let him take Mary. The tense standoff ended with Babe escaping while Mary remained trapped in fear.

Foreshadowing: Mary's desperate escape from Oklahoma to Utah showed how thoroughly Babe had been pursuing her.

• church abduction utah
• babe hand grenade threat
• undercover police arrest

When Babe broke into Barton's lakeside house and threatened to kill Barton, Mary devised a desperate plan. She pretended to accept Babe's demands and moved in to kiss him, distracting him while she reached for a second pistol tucked in his shoulder holster. She then fired repeatedly, killing Babe before he could harm Barton.

Foreshadowing: Mary's courage under pressure was established throughout her journey of survival.

• mary kills babe
• pistol shoulder holster
• lakeside house confrontation
• barton saved

Detective Harper, who had been tracking Babe, arranged for Mary's criminal record to be cleared once Babe was dead. With the primary threat eliminated and her innocence in the original crime established, the authorities could legally expunge her record, allowing her to live a normal life free from the stigma of her wrongful conviction.

Foreshadowing: Detective Harper's pursuit of Babe had always included protecting Mary from her connection to the gangster.

• mary cleared criminal record
• detective harper expungement
• wrongful conviction cleared

Babe's obsessive pursuit of Mary went beyond romantic attachment. Mary's genuine love and loyalty represented something pure in his criminal life, and losing her would mean losing the only person who cared for him without fear. His violent insistence on taking her reflected his inability to accept rejection and his need to possess the one good thing in his life.

Foreshadowing: Babe's urgent proposal to marry and flee immediately revealed his possessive nature.

• babe obsession mary
• possessive gangster
• gangster romance threat