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While not born in the Today in Fort Smith/Arklahoma region, a family-based cadre of 1930s outlaws operated out of--and were eventually buried--outside a small town in extreme northeastern Oklahoma just miles below the Kansas border.
The Barker-Karpis Gang, led by Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis, remains one of the most notorious criminal organizations of the Depression-era. Rooted in the family of Arizona "Ma" Clark Barker and her four sons, the gang's story is one of crime, violence, and ultimately, downfall.
George Barker was born in 1858 and married Arizona Donnie Clark in 1892. He worked in various low-paying jobs throughout his life, including as a farmer, watchman, station engineer, and clerk.
Described as "shiftless," George Barker and his family paid little attention to their sons' education, resulting in them being more or less illiterate.
Arizona Donnie Clark, better known as "Ma" Barker, was born on October 8, 1873, in Ash Grove, Missouri. She was the daughter of John and Emaline (Parker) Clark.
Ma Barker gained a reputation as a ruthless crime matriarch who allegedly controlled and organized her sons' criminal activities. However, later reports suggest that her role in her sons' crimes was exaggerated by the media to increase newspaper sales.
The family moved to Tulsa. in 1912, where Fred's older brothers, Herman, Lloyd, and Arthur, were already involved in criminal activities. After their father's death in 1916 Ma Barker and the boys moved to Craig County which would serve as their base of operation for several years.
Herman (1893-1927), Lloyd (1898-1947), Arthur (1899-1939), and Fred (1903-1935) as well as their brother would all meet a violent end
Herman died on August 29, 1927, in Wichita, Kansas, after a robbery and confrontation with police that left one officer dead.
He shot the officer at point-blank range in the mouth. He killed himself to avoid prosecution when he was seriously wounded after crashing his car
Lloyd Baker was sentenced to 25-yers in prison, but after being paroled from Leavenworth , , he worked as a cook in a POW Camp at Ft. Custer, Michigan, during WWII and received an Honorable Discharge from the army.
Lloyd married and worked as assistant manager of a bar and grill in Denver, Colorado. On 18 March 1949, his wife shot and killed him in their home in Westminster, Colorado. She was subsequently placed in an insane asylum.
Arthur Barker was sentenced to life in prison and was first sent to the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas.
Later he was sent to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco, California.
On the night of January 13, 1939, Arthur Barker, along with Henri Young and Rufus McCain, attempted to escape from Alcatraz. Their plans failed, and Barker was shot and killed by guards.
Fred's criminal career took a significant turn when he met Alvin Karpis while serving time in prison. After their release, they teamed up and began a series of robberies and murders across the Midwest.
The gang's most infamous crimes were the kidnappings of William A. Hamm, Jr., and Edward Bremer, which netted them $100,000 and $200,000 in ransom, respectively.
The gang's downfall began with a map found during a raid in Chicago, which led federal agents to Ocklawaha, Florida. On January 16, 1935, a four-hour gun battle ensued, resulting in the deaths of Fred Barker and his mother,
The house was riddled with nearly 3,500 bullets, and federal agents found machine guns, rifles, pistols, and approximately $14,000 in cash.
Ma Barker's role in the Barker-Karpis Gang has been a subject of much debate and mythologizing. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover famously described her as “the most vicious, dangerous, and resourceful criminal brain of the last decade”. However, this portrayal has been contested by many, including members of the gang itself.
According to the FBI and popular media, Ma Barker was the mastermind behind the gang's criminal activities. She was depicted as a ruthless matriarch who controlled her sons and orchestrated their crimes.
Many historians and gang members, including Alvin Karpis, have disputed this portrayal. Karpis claimed that Ma Barker had no real role in planning or executing the gang's activities.
Instead, she was more of a caretaker who traveled with her sons and provided them with a sense of family. Karpis described her as someone who "couldn't plan breakfast," let alone a criminal operation.
While Ma Barker may not have been the criminal mastermind she was made out to be, her influence on her sons cannot be entirely dismissed.
She was known to be fiercely protective of her boys and did not discourage their criminal behavior. Her presence provided a sense of stability and support, which may have indirectly contributed to their criminal endeavors.
The bodies of Ma Barker and two of her four boys were all returned to the small town of Welch in Craig County for burial in the Williams Timberhill Cemetery.
Arthur was buried at the Olivet Gardens of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, San Mateo, California and Lloyd found his final resting place at the Elmwood Cemetery in Brighton, Colorado.
