Frederick George Barker (December 12, 1901 – January 16, 1935) was an American criminal who, along with
Alvin Karpis
Alvin Francis Karpis (born Albin Francis Karpavičius; August 10, 1907 – August 26, 1979), a Depression-era gangster nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile and called "Ray" by his gang members, was a Canadian-born (naturalized American) crim ...
, co-founded the
Barker-Karpis gang, which committed numerous robberies, murders and kidnappings during the 1930s. Barker was the youngest son of
Ma Barker, all of whose children were criminals. He was killed in a lengthy gunfight with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI) in 1935.
Early life
Fred Barker was born to George Elias and
Arizona Donnie Clark "Ma" Barker in
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
on December 12, 1901. The family moved to
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
,
Oklahoma, in 1912. Barker's older brothers Herman, Lloyd and
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...
were committing crimes throughout his childhood, belonging to a gang of local delinquent youths called the Central Park Gang. The gang met in the park to plan crimes and stash their stolen goods. There, Barker met future members of the Barker-Karpis gang, including Volney Davis. He was first arrested and imprisoned in 1927 for
burglary
Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murde ...
. While in prison he met
Alvin Karpis
Alvin Francis Karpis (born Albin Francis Karpavičius; August 10, 1907 – August 26, 1979), a Depression-era gangster nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile and called "Ray" by his gang members, was a Canadian-born (naturalized American) crim ...
. According to Karpis, Barker was a dominant figure in jail who was able to obtain
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in variou ...
and other perks. Karpis also said he was a "natural born killer" who "never hesitated".
[Mahoney, Tim ''Secret Partners'', Minnesota Historical Press, 2013, p. 25.] Unlike Karpis (nicknamed "Creepy Karpis"), Barker was known for his personal charm. He was released in 1930.
Gang

After their release, Barker and Karpis joined up to commit a string of burglaries in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
, often collaborating with other local criminals. Several notable gangsters joined the Barkers in various crimes, including
Harvey Bailey
Harvey John Bailey (August 23, 1887 – March 1, 1979), called "The Dean of American Bank Robbers", was an American criminal who spanned a long career and was one of the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s, walking off with over $1 mill ...
,
Frank Nash
Frank Nash (February 6, 1887 – June 17, 1933) was an American bank robber, and has been called "the most successful bank robber in U.S. history." He is most noted for his violent death in the Kansas City Massacre. Nash spent part of his child ...
,
Fred Goetz
Fred Samuel Goetz (February 14, 1897 – March 21, 1934), also known as "Shotgun" George Ziegler, was a Chicago Outfit mobster and a suspected participant in the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, in 1929.
Early life
Goetz was born in Chicago ...
, and Dr.
Joseph Moran. They were accompanied by Ma Barker and her boyfriend, Arthur Dunlop (sometimes called Dunlap).
Things became difficult for the gang when they were confronted by Sheriff C. Roy Kelly in December 1931. Karpis and Barker shot and killed Kelly, an act that forced them to flee the area. The two had also probably killed an
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
police chief, Manley Jackson, a month earlier, but had avoided suspicion at the time. The gang relocated to
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
, where, in 1932, Barker, his brother Arthur, Karpis, and
Lawrence DeVol
Lawrence DeVol (17 November 1903 – 8 July 1936) was an American criminal, bank robber, prison escapee and Depression-era outlaw. He was connected to several Midwestern gangs during the 1920s and 1930s, most often with the Barker- Alvin Karpis and ...
robbed Third Northwestern National Bank in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
. DeVol killed policemen Ira Leon Evans and Leo Gorski during the escape, while Barker murdered Oscar Erickson, a passing motorist. Barker and Karpis were also suspected of killing Dunlop, an alcoholic whom they considered to be untrustworthy after someone tipped police to the gang's hideout. According to other gang members, Dunlop was also abusive to Ma.
Around this time Barker started a relationship with Paula Harmon, widow of bank robber Charles Harmon. Karpis did not approve of Paula, considering her to be a "drunk" and a "rotten choice, though you couldn't tell that to Freddie".
Kidnappings
The gang became nationally notorious in 1933-4, when they organized the
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...
s of local businessmen William Hamm and
Edward Bremer. The crimes were orchestrated by
racketeers Jack Peifer and Harry Sawyer with inside information about police activity being provided by corrupt officer
Tom Brown, who ran the "Kidnap Squad". Arthur carried out the kidnappings with a different accomplice each time. During the Bremer kidnapping, Barker nearly shot dead the victim when the
ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice.
When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...
was not paid promptly. They netted $100,000 for the first victim and twice that for the second.
With the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI) in pursuit, Barker and Karpis attempted to get
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...
to alter their appearance and remove their fingerprints. The procedure was carried out by Moran, an underworld doctor. The operations were so painful that Fred asked one of his friends to shoot him to stop the pain, but his friend refused. Moran disappeared shortly thereafter. A badly decomposed body was discovered a year later washed up from
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
on
Crystal Beach,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. Police identified it as Moran. In 1971, Karpis wrote in his autobiography that the identification was mistaken; he claimed that Moran had been murdered by the Barkers and then buried in a lime pit in
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
. The most accepted version of the tale is that Karpis and Fred Barker took Moran on a boat ride on Lake Erie, during which they both murdered him. He was killed either for his botched surgery or for shooting his mouth off about the gang in a
brothel
A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub p ...
.
[Newton, M. (2002.) The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers. Checkmark Books, an imprint of Facts on File, Inc. 0-8160-4489-9][Matera, D. (2004). John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal, p. 291. Carroll & Graf Publishers.] The last time Moran was seen alive was at a brothel in which he drunkenly bragged, "I have you guys in the palm of my hand". He left the bar with Karpis and Barker and was never seen again.
After this the gang attempted to
launder Launder or Launders may refer to:
* Launder (surname)
* Launders (surname)
See also
* Laundering (disambiguation), several types of washing, literally or metaphorically
{{Disambiguation ...
the ransom money, though this proved to be difficult because the serial numbers had been recorded by the FBI, a fact that soon became known to the gang. While Harry Sawyer traveled to
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
to launder the money, his wife Gladys and Fred's girlfriend Paula were arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior at a hotel in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
. Paula had a
mental breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
while being questioned and was returned to her family in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Barker moved to Cuba with his brother, his mother, and Karpis. However, they soon relocated to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
after Karpis became concerned that the money had not been adequately laundered. They rented a lakeside property in
Ocklawaha under the pseudonym "Blackburn", claiming to be a mother and sons wanting to vacation in a country retreat.
Arthur soon left Florida for Chicago. Karpis also moved on, leaving Fred and Ma in the house. FBI agents caught up with them after Arthur was spotted and arrested in Chicago on January 8, 1935. A map found in his possession indicated that other gang members were in Ocklawaha, but did not identify the address. The FBI soon located the house at which they were staying after identifying references to a local alligator named "Old Joe" and questioning locals about newcomers.
Death

Agents surrounded the house at 13250 East Highway C-25 on the morning of January 16, 1935. Unknown to the FBI, Karpis and other gang members had left three days before, leaving only Fred and Ma Barker in the house. Ordered to surrender, Fred opened fire. The resulting firefight lasted for about fifteen minutes. The FBI agents retreated to a safe distance, but lobbed
smoke bomb
A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce a large amount of smoke upon ignition.
History
Early Japanese history saw the use of a rudimentary form of the smoke bomb. Explosives were common in Japan during the Mongol invasions of the 13 ...
s into the house. Gunfire continued to come from the house, and Fred and Ma apparently moved from room to room, as shots came from different windows. The FBI returned fire. Allegedly, many local people came to watch the events unfolding, even holding picnics during the gun battle.
[Stuart B McIver, ''Touched by the Sun'', Pineapple Press, 2008, pp.71ff.] Gunfire ceased coming from the house after five hours; the FBI ordered local estate-handyman Willie Woodbury to enter the house wearing a bulletproof vest. Woodbury reported that the occupants were dead.
Both bodies were found in the same front bedroom. Fred Barker's body was riddled with bullets, but Ma appeared to have died from a single bullet wound.
A
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United S ...
was lying between the bodies of Ma and Fred. Their bodies were put on public display, and then stored unclaimed, until October 1, 1935, when relatives had them buried—at Williams Timberhill Cemetery in
Welch, Oklahoma
Welch is a town in northern Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. It is south of the Kansas state line, at the intersection of state highways 2 and 10 with U.S. Highway 59. The population was 619 at the 2010 census, an increase of 3.7 percen ...
—next to the body of Herman Barker, who had died in 1927.
On January 20, four days after his death, Paula Harmon was committed to the State Hospital for Insane in
Rusk, Texas
Rusk is a city and the county seat of Cherokee County in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 5,285.
History
The town was established by an act of the Texas Legislature on April 11, 1846. It was nam ...
.
Media
* In the 1957 docudrama ''
Guns Don't Argue
''Guns Don't Argue'' is a 1957 low-budget feature film about the early achievements of the FBI in defeating the most notorious criminals of the 1930s. The film involves dramatizations of the crimes and eventual demise of various gangsters, along w ...
'', Fred is played by
Sam Edwards.
* Fred is portrayed by Joe Di Reda in "Ma Barker and Her Boys", an episode of 1959 TV series ''
The Untouchables'', which pits federal agent
Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago. He was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables. ...
against the Barker clan, and fictionally depicts Ness as leading the assault on Ma Barker and her sons at their Florida hideout. In this version, Lloyd, Fred and Arthur are all present at the final shootout. Fred is portrayed as the most devoted to his mother. He shoots Lloyd when he tries to give up. In reality Lloyd was in prison throughout the career of the Barker-Karpis gang.
* In ''
The FBI Story
''The FBI Story'' is a 1959 American drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead.
Plot
John Michael ("Chip") Hardesty ( Jam ...
'', he is portrayed by Alan Craig.
* Fred is played by
Eric Morris in ''
Ma Barker's Killer Brood'' (1960). In this version, in the final shootout he is revealed to be a coward who wants to surrender, but Ma refuses to let him.
* In ''
Bloody Mama
''Bloody Mama'' is a 1970 American exploitation crime film directed by Roger Corman and starring Shelley Winters in the title role, with Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert Walden, Alex Nicol, and Robert De Niro in supporting roles. It was very l ...
'' (1970) he is portrayed by
Robert Walden. In this version he is the weakest member of the family and is involved in a
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
relationship with "Kevin Dirkman" (a fictionalized version of Karpis, who was still alive at the time).
* In ''
Public Enemies'' (1996) he is portrayed by
Gavin Harrison
Gavin Richard Harrison (born 28 May 1963) is an English musician. He is best known for playing with the progressive rock bands Porcupine Tree (2002–2010; 2021–present), King Crimson (2008, and 2014–present) and The Pineapple Thief (2 ...
.
References
External link
*Fred Barker'
pinky ring foundat gangs hideout in Oklawaha, Florida by metal detectorist Alan James on June 11th 2016.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Fred
1901 births
1935 deaths
1932 murders in the United States
American bank robbers
Deaths by firearm in Florida
Depression-era gangsters
People from Aurora, Missouri
Prisoners and detainees of Oklahoma
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States