Barker–Karpis Gang Explained

The Barker–Karpis Gang was one of the longest-lived criminal gangs during the Depression Era, spanning from 1931 to 1935. The gang was founded by Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis, and later joined by Fred's brother Arthur "Doc" Barker. Along with the three core members, the gang's network spanned up to 25 members at one point.

Although not as well known as their contemporaries the Dillinger Gang, or the Barrow Gang, the Barker–Karpis Gang was perhaps more ruthless, not only committing bank robberies, but also extending the activities into kidnapping.^[1] It is best known for the myth that it was run by the Barker brothers' mother, Kate, usually referred to as "Ma Barker".

Foundations

The Barker–Karpis gang was put together by Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis in March 1931. Barker and Karpis had met in the Kansas State Penitentiary, and upon Karpis's release in March 1931, started to form the gang. The gang began robbing banks starting in mid-1931, but on December 19 of that year, they killed Howell County Sheriff Calvin Roy Kelly in West Plains, Missouri. They fled to Joplin, and then to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where Jewish-American organized crime boss Harry Sawyer (born Harry Sandlovich) found them a house at 1031 Roberts Road, owned by Helen Hannegraff. They used the name "Anderson", but a few weeks later, Helen's son Nick recognized Alvin's and Fred's photos in a copy of True Detective Magazine, and contacted the police. St. Paul's corrupt chief of police, Thomas Brown, tipped the Barkers off and they left town. Doc Barker later joined the gang in 1932 after he was paroled from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of night watchman Thomas J. Sherrill in 1921. The gang was led by the three of them, although many others rotated in and out of the gang including Chicago Outfit mobster Fred Goetz and Volney Davis. The gang continued their bank robbing activities until mid-1933, when they decided that robbing banks was becoming risky, and therefore decided to diverge into the field of kidnapping.^[2] Their graduation to more serious crime was mentored by Detective Brown.^[3]

Hamm and Bremer kidnappings

On June 15, 1933, the Barker–Karpis gang kidnapped William Hamm of Hamm's Brewery and released him on June 19, 1933. The ransom from this kidnapping netted $100,000. They then kidnapped Edward Bremer in daylight in St. Paul in January 1934, releasing him in February. The ransom from this kidnapping turned out to be $200,000. However, these kidnappings brought too much negative publicity, due to the recent Urschel and Lindbergh Kidnappings, and the fact that the father of Bremer Jr. was a personal friend of President Roosevelt, who mentioned the kidnappings in a fireside chat. On November 27, 1934, Lester "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis, at that time the Public Enemy No. 1, was mortally wounded in a gun battle with the FBI and died later that night. The next day, Alvin Karpis was declared Public Enemy No. 1, which brought the full force of the FBI down on the Barker–Karpis Gang.^[4] ^[5]

Downfall

The gang had faced problems. George "Shotgun" Ziegler had been gunned down in Cicero, Illinois in March 1934, possibly due to the mob's dislike of the gang's activities. Gang member William J. Harrison was killed on January 6 by fellow members of the gang. Following the declaration of Alvin Karpis as Public Enemy No. 1, Doc Barker was arrested on January 8, 1935, along with Byron Bolton. Russell "Slim Gray" Gibson was killed resisting the arrest. Along with his arrest came a map and letters to a cottage near Lake Weir, Florida, near Ocklawaha, in which Fred Barker and his mother, Kate "Ma" Barker were hiding under an assumed name. After a four-hour shootout on January 16, 1935, Fred and Ma Barker were killed. Controversy remains as to whether Ma Barker participated in the shootout, or was even a criminal at all. Alvin Karpis was nearly gunned down in Atlantic City, New Jersey, around the same time.

Karpis stayed on the move for another 16 months, pulling an armored car robbery and a train robbery in April and October 1935, before finally being arrested in New Orleans on May 1, 1936, alongside new accomplice Fred Hunter. Although Director J. Edgar Hoover personally claimed credit for Karpis's arrest, Hoover and the official FBI account of the arrest remains in question. Karpis offers his own version of the arrest in his book, The Alvin Karpis Story. The arrest of Karpis brought the FBI to fame and skyrocketed their public standing, along with J. Edgar Hoover's reputation.^[1] ^[5]

Aftermath

Doc Barker was sent to Alcatraz in the summer of 1935. Alvin Karpis soon followed upon his own arrest. Many other members of the gang ended up at Alcatraz prison. Doc Barker ended up being shot dead while attempting to escape in 1939.

While at McNeil Island Penitentiary Karpis began to teach guitar to the young Charles Manson, then known as “Little Charlie”. Karpis was sympathetic to Manson‘s tumultuous, institutionalized upbringing which saw him in countless orphanages, reformatories, and prisons all throughout his young life. Karpis later wrote “it (was) time someone did something for him.” He later said, "There was something unmistakably unusual about Manson. He was a runt of sorts, but found his place as an experienced manipulator of others. I did feel manipulated, and under circumstances where it hadn't been necessary."

Karpis was paroled in 1969, and deported to Canada. He moved to Spain in 1973. Karpis co-wrote two books with professional authors, one released in 1971 titled The Alvin Karpis Story, the other, released in 1979, titled On the Rock. He died on August 30, 1979, of natural causes, though it was initially believed to be a suicide or the result of foul play.^[6]

Summary of Barker–Karpis Gang activities

Background

1900–1920

1910—Herman Barker arrested for highway robbery in Webb City, Missouri.
March 5, 1915—Herman Barker arrested for highway robbery in Joplin, Missouri. (Herman and Lloyd Barker reportedly involved with the Central Park Gang of Tulsa, Oklahoma.)
July 4, 1918—Arthur "Doc" Barker involved in US automobile theft in Tulsa, Oklahoma; arrested (#841) (escaped).

1920–1929

February 19, 1920—Arthur Barker arrested in Joplin, Missouri (#1740); returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1921—Lloyd "Red" Barker arrested for vagrancy in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
January 15, 1921—Arthur Barker aka "Claude Dade" involved in attempted bank robbery in Muskogee, Oklahoma; arrested (#822).
January 30, 1921—Arthur Barker aka "Bob Barker" received at the Oklahoma State Prison (#11059); released June 11, 1921.
August 16, 1921—Arthur Barker and Volney Davis involved in killing of night watchman Thomas J. Sherrill in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (According to other sources^[7]) Thomas J. Sherrill. was a night watchman at St. John's Hospital in Tulsa.)
January 8, 1922—Central Park Gang involved in attempted burglary in Okmulgee, Oklahoma; shootout results in one burglar dead while police Captain Homer R. Spaulding^[8] dies of his wounds on January 19, 1922. One gang member is sentenced to life in prison while another had his sentence overturned.
January 16, 1922—Lloyd Barker received at Leavenworth Prison (#17243) after arrest for robbing mail at Baxter Springs, Kansas and sentenced to 25 years; released 1938.
February 10, 1922—Arthur "Doc" Barker received (#11906) at Oklahoma State Prison for the murder of Sherrill.
1926—Fred Barker robbed bank in Winfield, Kansas; arrested.
March 12, 1927—Fred Barker admitted to Kansas State Prison.
August 1, 1927-Herman Barker cashed stolen bank bonds at the America National Bank in Cheyenne, WY. Sheriff Deputy Arthur Osborn^[9] flagged down Barker's car. Barker picked up a gun from the vehicle's seat and shot Osborn. Osborn died as a result.
August 29, 1927—Herman Barker commits suicide in Wichita, Kansas after being stopped at police roadblock. (Wichita Policeman J.E. Marshall^[10]) had been killed on August 9, 1927, by the Kimes-Terrill Gang that Herman was associated with. Five other policemen were killed by the Kimes gang.^[11]