Chris Enss's Blog - Posts Tagged "barker-karpis-gang"
Losing Lloyd Barker
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Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
The monument placed on Herman Barker’s grave was a massive, granite stone that stood more than four feet high. The deceased’s name was carved into the marble along with his date of birth and the date he died. In the beginning, Ma regularly visited the site near Welch, Oklahoma, bringing flowers and some of Herman’s belongings from when he was a boy. She laid his things neatly on the mound of dirt that covered his remains. Detective Harrison Moreland, a writer for the Master Detective magazine, reported that Ma “turned her back entirely on morality once Herman was gone.” There had been a time when she might have lied to George about their sons’ criminal activities or tried to dispel the rumors she was spending time with other men, but that all stopped when she saw Herman’s bullet-ridden body lying on a slab at the morgue.
George Barker had taken time away from his job at the filling station in Webb City, Missouri, to attend Herman’s funeral. Ma paid little attention to her estranged husband. Any comfort she needed during her time of grief was handled by the man who accompanied her to the cemetery, Arthur W. Dunlop, also known as George Anderson. Ma had met Arthur at a club in Tulsa. He had been a carpenter and painter for Sommers Sign System. Ma never let Arthur stray too far from her side; even when George approached her for what he hoped would be a private conversation about where the money for Herman’s headstone came from, Arthur was milling around close behind the pair.
Ma dismissed George’s question about the headstone but informed the timid, grieving man that Herman and their other boys regularly sent money home for her support. She gushed over how considerate the Barker boys were and cursed those who argued that her sons were anything less. “If the good people of this town don’t like my boys,” Ma was often heard saying, “then the good people know what to do.” George returned to Missouri with the full knowledge that he and his wife would never reconcile and that his sons could never be respectable citizens.
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Register to win a copy of Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother through GoodReads and when you visit www.chrisenss.com
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
The monument placed on Herman Barker’s grave was a massive, granite stone that stood more than four feet high. The deceased’s name was carved into the marble along with his date of birth and the date he died. In the beginning, Ma regularly visited the site near Welch, Oklahoma, bringing flowers and some of Herman’s belongings from when he was a boy. She laid his things neatly on the mound of dirt that covered his remains. Detective Harrison Moreland, a writer for the Master Detective magazine, reported that Ma “turned her back entirely on morality once Herman was gone.” There had been a time when she might have lied to George about their sons’ criminal activities or tried to dispel the rumors she was spending time with other men, but that all stopped when she saw Herman’s bullet-ridden body lying on a slab at the morgue.
George Barker had taken time away from his job at the filling station in Webb City, Missouri, to attend Herman’s funeral. Ma paid little attention to her estranged husband. Any comfort she needed during her time of grief was handled by the man who accompanied her to the cemetery, Arthur W. Dunlop, also known as George Anderson. Ma had met Arthur at a club in Tulsa. He had been a carpenter and painter for Sommers Sign System. Ma never let Arthur stray too far from her side; even when George approached her for what he hoped would be a private conversation about where the money for Herman’s headstone came from, Arthur was milling around close behind the pair.
Ma dismissed George’s question about the headstone but informed the timid, grieving man that Herman and their other boys regularly sent money home for her support. She gushed over how considerate the Barker boys were and cursed those who argued that her sons were anything less. “If the good people of this town don’t like my boys,” Ma was often heard saying, “then the good people know what to do.” George returned to Missouri with the full knowledge that he and his wife would never reconcile and that his sons could never be respectable citizens.
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Register to win a copy of Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother through GoodReads and when you visit www.chrisenss.com
Public Enemies
Enter to win a copy of the new book
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
A cold breeze pushed past the dilapidated frame around the only window in the dank, stark room where Edward Bremer was being held hostage in the winter of 1934. Blindfolded and bruised, Edward attempted to turn the chair he was tied to away from the frigid air. In a gruff tone, Arthur Barker warned him to keep still as he pulled the collar of his coat closely around his neck. The winter in Bensenville, Illinois, was particularly cold that year. Temperatures dipped well below zero. The Barker boys and their associates made little effort to keep their kidnapped victim comfortable. With the exception of the time when Edward was forced to sign his own ransom notes, the ties around his hands were seldom removed.
On January 22, 1934, Edward was instructed to sign a second note to the Bremer family physician with instructions regarding the ransom money demanded. The first note was not taken seriously. In spite of the Barkers’ warning not to involve law enforcement, the police came in full force to search for Edward. Note number two was much more forceful and ominous:
If Bremer don’t get back to his family, [he] has you to thank. First of all, all coppers must be pulled off. Second, the dough must be ready. Third, we must have a new signal. When you are ready to meet our terms, place a N.R.A. sticker in the center of each of your office windows. We’ll know if the coppers are pulled or not. Remain at your office daily from now until 8 p.m. Have the dough ready and where you can get it within thirty minutes. You will be instructed how to deliver it. The money must not be hot as it will be examined before Bremer is released.
We’ll try to be ready for any trickery if attempted. This is positively our LAST attempt. DON’T duck it.
Edward remembered hearing a woman’s voice from down the hall of the warehouse building where he was held captive. “It was a strong, authoritative voice,” he informed federal agents once the incident was over. “In spite of the rough treatment and the frantic move to replace the blindfold and retie my hands, I heard some of what she said.” In addition to encouraging the outlaws on the job they were doing, she told them they were “too good for small time,” Edward told authorities. “This is where the big dough is made and you don’t have to stick your neck out every day.”
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Register to win a copy of Ma Barker on Goodreads or when you visit www.chrisenss.com
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
A cold breeze pushed past the dilapidated frame around the only window in the dank, stark room where Edward Bremer was being held hostage in the winter of 1934. Blindfolded and bruised, Edward attempted to turn the chair he was tied to away from the frigid air. In a gruff tone, Arthur Barker warned him to keep still as he pulled the collar of his coat closely around his neck. The winter in Bensenville, Illinois, was particularly cold that year. Temperatures dipped well below zero. The Barker boys and their associates made little effort to keep their kidnapped victim comfortable. With the exception of the time when Edward was forced to sign his own ransom notes, the ties around his hands were seldom removed.
On January 22, 1934, Edward was instructed to sign a second note to the Bremer family physician with instructions regarding the ransom money demanded. The first note was not taken seriously. In spite of the Barkers’ warning not to involve law enforcement, the police came in full force to search for Edward. Note number two was much more forceful and ominous:
If Bremer don’t get back to his family, [he] has you to thank. First of all, all coppers must be pulled off. Second, the dough must be ready. Third, we must have a new signal. When you are ready to meet our terms, place a N.R.A. sticker in the center of each of your office windows. We’ll know if the coppers are pulled or not. Remain at your office daily from now until 8 p.m. Have the dough ready and where you can get it within thirty minutes. You will be instructed how to deliver it. The money must not be hot as it will be examined before Bremer is released.
We’ll try to be ready for any trickery if attempted. This is positively our LAST attempt. DON’T duck it.
Edward remembered hearing a woman’s voice from down the hall of the warehouse building where he was held captive. “It was a strong, authoritative voice,” he informed federal agents once the incident was over. “In spite of the rough treatment and the frantic move to replace the blindfold and retie my hands, I heard some of what she said.” In addition to encouraging the outlaws on the job they were doing, she told them they were “too good for small time,” Edward told authorities. “This is where the big dough is made and you don’t have to stick your neck out every day.”
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Register to win a copy of Ma Barker on Goodreads or when you visit www.chrisenss.com
Murder in Wisconsin
Enter to win a copy of the new book
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
A dilapidated Ford Model T pickup slowed to a stop in front of the Barker home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in mid-May 1931, and Alvin Karpis climbed out of the bed of the vehicle. Alvin was a tall, self-confident
man, well dressed but not flashy. He carried a small duffle-style suitcase containing all the belongings he had in the world. He studied the weathered house in front of him, taking notice of its state of disrepair. The homes on either side were not in perfect condition; it was a low-income neighborhood, and everyone seemed to be struggling, but the Barkers’ house was in a sorry state in comparison.
A man and woman inside the Barker home were arguing. The exact nature of the disagreement was not clear, but the sound of doors slamming and glass breaking made it apparent that the fight had escalated into a war.
Alvin removed a cigarette from his suit jacket pocket and lit it while contemplating what to do next. Ma Barker exited the front door carrying a hammer and nails. She didn’t pay much attention to Alvin.
Her lower lip was bleeding, but she didn’t pay much attention to that either. She was focused on fixing a portion of the screen that had been
torn from the corner of the door.
“Are you Mrs. Barker?” Alvin asked, walking toward Ma and taking a drag off his cigarette.
“I am,” Ma said turning around to face Alvin.
“I want to get ahold of Freddie,” he told her. Ma looked Alvin over suspiciously. “Who are you?”
I’m the guy who called with Freddie in Lansing,” Alvin told her.
“Oh, yes, he told me about you,” Ma replied. “He told me you’d be getting out soon. He came to visit me when he got out. He’s a good boy.” Ma let her guard down, and Alvin stepped onto the porch. He told her he was a thief and that he’d been sent to the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing for attempting to rob a pool hall. It was just one of many crimes Alvin told Ma that he’d committed.
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Visit www.chrisenss.com
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
A dilapidated Ford Model T pickup slowed to a stop in front of the Barker home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in mid-May 1931, and Alvin Karpis climbed out of the bed of the vehicle. Alvin was a tall, self-confident
man, well dressed but not flashy. He carried a small duffle-style suitcase containing all the belongings he had in the world. He studied the weathered house in front of him, taking notice of its state of disrepair. The homes on either side were not in perfect condition; it was a low-income neighborhood, and everyone seemed to be struggling, but the Barkers’ house was in a sorry state in comparison.
A man and woman inside the Barker home were arguing. The exact nature of the disagreement was not clear, but the sound of doors slamming and glass breaking made it apparent that the fight had escalated into a war.
Alvin removed a cigarette from his suit jacket pocket and lit it while contemplating what to do next. Ma Barker exited the front door carrying a hammer and nails. She didn’t pay much attention to Alvin.
Her lower lip was bleeding, but she didn’t pay much attention to that either. She was focused on fixing a portion of the screen that had been
torn from the corner of the door.
“Are you Mrs. Barker?” Alvin asked, walking toward Ma and taking a drag off his cigarette.
“I am,” Ma said turning around to face Alvin.
“I want to get ahold of Freddie,” he told her. Ma looked Alvin over suspiciously. “Who are you?”
I’m the guy who called with Freddie in Lansing,” Alvin told her.
“Oh, yes, he told me about you,” Ma replied. “He told me you’d be getting out soon. He came to visit me when he got out. He’s a good boy.” Ma let her guard down, and Alvin stepped onto the porch. He told her he was a thief and that he’d been sent to the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing for attempting to rob a pool hall. It was just one of many crimes Alvin told Ma that he’d committed.
To learn more about Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Visit www.chrisenss.com
Remembering Ma
Enter now to win a copy of
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
The Barker boys…
All they were or hoped to be they owed to their mother.
Kate Barker wanted the nice things of life: the lovely home, the fine clothes, and lots of money in the bank. She ended up with a police slug in her heart and $10,200 in her wallet.
According to FBI records Kate Barker was an overbearing mother who somehow lost her bearings on the path of motherly love. In attempting to guide, she misguided. In trying to spread affection, she nurtured hate. The rational sense of motherly duty was warped by her desire to get the most and fastest for her boys.
The boys got this:
Son Herman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1927 after a shootout with a Kansas traffic officer.
Son Fred was riddled with eleven gunshot wounds in a police fight and died alongside his mother in 1935.
Son Arthur (called Doc) was killed in 1939 during an attempted breakout of Alcatraz.
Son Lloyd was slain by his wife in 1949 when she claimed he had threatened her and the children.
That was the legacy of Ma Barker, a woman who saw crime as a means to an end but who never counted on things ending like they did.
To learn more about Ma Barker and he Barker Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
The Barker boys…
All they were or hoped to be they owed to their mother.
Kate Barker wanted the nice things of life: the lovely home, the fine clothes, and lots of money in the bank. She ended up with a police slug in her heart and $10,200 in her wallet.
According to FBI records Kate Barker was an overbearing mother who somehow lost her bearings on the path of motherly love. In attempting to guide, she misguided. In trying to spread affection, she nurtured hate. The rational sense of motherly duty was warped by her desire to get the most and fastest for her boys.
The boys got this:
Son Herman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1927 after a shootout with a Kansas traffic officer.
Son Fred was riddled with eleven gunshot wounds in a police fight and died alongside his mother in 1935.
Son Arthur (called Doc) was killed in 1939 during an attempted breakout of Alcatraz.
Son Lloyd was slain by his wife in 1949 when she claimed he had threatened her and the children.
That was the legacy of Ma Barker, a woman who saw crime as a means to an end but who never counted on things ending like they did.
To learn more about Ma Barker and he Barker Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
Ma Barker's Last Days
Ma Barker’s last day. Last chance to enter to win a copy of Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
Federal agents shouted to Ma Barker to surrender. The answer came in renewed flashes of fire, shooting from first one window, then another. Occasionally law enforcement officials could see Ma’s gray head or Fred’s dark, red hair as they darted like phantoms across the corner of a window. Hours passed and the fight continued with intermittent bursts of shooting. News of the battle had spread throughout the surrounding country; crowds were arriving, but they kept well back from the line of fire.
It was just before noon when the fusillade died out. Agents carefully inched their way out of their hiding spots and rushed toward the house. They lobbed tear-gas shells into the upstairs windows and waited for it to take effect. Federal authorities sent Willie Woodbury into the house to find out if anyone inside was alive. Agents reasoned the Barkers wouldn’t shoot the loyal servant. Willie entered through the back door moving slowly and cautiously. A minute later, he stuck his head out the upstairs window, coughing and wiping his eyes. The tear-gas fumes were overwhelming. “They are all dead,” he called out to the investigators below. An armed agent hurried into the building to confirm Willie’s findings. It was true. The Barkers were dead.
Ma Barker and Fred were found lying side by side. Her arm was around her youngest boy, his blood staining her breast. Eleven machine-gun slugs were taken from Fred’s corpse, but one shot in the head had killed Ma. Her pudgy hands clasped an empty machine gun. According to the FBI report, a .45 caliber automatic pistol was found near Fred’s body. The report also said:
A search of the house after the battle had disclosed $14,000 in $1,000 bills, and an investigation revealed that these $1,000 bills were a part of those that had been obtained by Cassius McDonald in Havana, Cuba, in exchange for the Bremer ransom money. There was also found other currency of smaller denominations totaling approximately $293.00.
A small arsenal was located in the house which consisted of: two Thompson submachine guns, one Browning .12 gauge automatic shotgun, one Remington .12 gauge pump shotgun, two .45 caliber automatic pistols, one .33 caliber Winchester rifle, and one .380 Colt automatic pistol, together with machine gun drums, automatic pistol clips, and a quantity of ammunition.
There was also found in the house a letter signed by B. L. Barnes which was a letter to Fred Barker from his brother Arthur. The letter read as follows: “Hello ever [sic] one how is that old sunshine down there fine I hope. Boy it is not so hot up here, for we are having some winter. I Bet you and Buff are not catching no fish now for I think I caught them all when I was down there. I took care of that Business for you Boys it was done. Just as good as if you had did it yourself. I am Just like the standard oil always at your service ha ha. Tell, Bo, you know the Boy with the rosey [sic] cheek that Moxey is up here looking for him and if it is alright to send him down. I have not seen c_ _ _k yet I have Been Busy on that other he was perrty [sic] hard to locate. But will see him right away, and see if he wants come down there. Tell mother that deer was mighty fine and I said hello and her and the squaw had better not let you Bums Beat them in a catching fish ha ha well I will close for this time as ever you [sic] Big Bud. B. L. Barnes.”
To learn more about Ma Barker and he Barker Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
This is the last day to register to win a copy of Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother either through GoodReads or www.chrisenss.com.
In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.
Federal agents shouted to Ma Barker to surrender. The answer came in renewed flashes of fire, shooting from first one window, then another. Occasionally law enforcement officials could see Ma’s gray head or Fred’s dark, red hair as they darted like phantoms across the corner of a window. Hours passed and the fight continued with intermittent bursts of shooting. News of the battle had spread throughout the surrounding country; crowds were arriving, but they kept well back from the line of fire.
It was just before noon when the fusillade died out. Agents carefully inched their way out of their hiding spots and rushed toward the house. They lobbed tear-gas shells into the upstairs windows and waited for it to take effect. Federal authorities sent Willie Woodbury into the house to find out if anyone inside was alive. Agents reasoned the Barkers wouldn’t shoot the loyal servant. Willie entered through the back door moving slowly and cautiously. A minute later, he stuck his head out the upstairs window, coughing and wiping his eyes. The tear-gas fumes were overwhelming. “They are all dead,” he called out to the investigators below. An armed agent hurried into the building to confirm Willie’s findings. It was true. The Barkers were dead.
Ma Barker and Fred were found lying side by side. Her arm was around her youngest boy, his blood staining her breast. Eleven machine-gun slugs were taken from Fred’s corpse, but one shot in the head had killed Ma. Her pudgy hands clasped an empty machine gun. According to the FBI report, a .45 caliber automatic pistol was found near Fred’s body. The report also said:
A search of the house after the battle had disclosed $14,000 in $1,000 bills, and an investigation revealed that these $1,000 bills were a part of those that had been obtained by Cassius McDonald in Havana, Cuba, in exchange for the Bremer ransom money. There was also found other currency of smaller denominations totaling approximately $293.00.
A small arsenal was located in the house which consisted of: two Thompson submachine guns, one Browning .12 gauge automatic shotgun, one Remington .12 gauge pump shotgun, two .45 caliber automatic pistols, one .33 caliber Winchester rifle, and one .380 Colt automatic pistol, together with machine gun drums, automatic pistol clips, and a quantity of ammunition.
There was also found in the house a letter signed by B. L. Barnes which was a letter to Fred Barker from his brother Arthur. The letter read as follows: “Hello ever [sic] one how is that old sunshine down there fine I hope. Boy it is not so hot up here, for we are having some winter. I Bet you and Buff are not catching no fish now for I think I caught them all when I was down there. I took care of that Business for you Boys it was done. Just as good as if you had did it yourself. I am Just like the standard oil always at your service ha ha. Tell, Bo, you know the Boy with the rosey [sic] cheek that Moxey is up here looking for him and if it is alright to send him down. I have not seen c_ _ _k yet I have Been Busy on that other he was perrty [sic] hard to locate. But will see him right away, and see if he wants come down there. Tell mother that deer was mighty fine and I said hello and her and the squaw had better not let you Bums Beat them in a catching fish ha ha well I will close for this time as ever you [sic] Big Bud. B. L. Barnes.”
To learn more about Ma Barker and he Barker Gang read Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother.
This is the last day to register to win a copy of Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother either through GoodReads or www.chrisenss.com.
