The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-09
THE BARBER BROTHERS.
The Iowa Outlaws Finally Placed in
Jail at Independence.
A Talk with the Brothers About Their
Crimes - The Desperate Fight at
the Farm House.

there. The excitement at Waverly was grow
ing so intense, threats of lynching were so
loud, and mobs were reported coming in
from West Union, Fayette, Tripoli and the
surrounding country in such num-
bers that it was deemed advisable
to remove them. William Barber, the
youngest but largest begged to be taken
away, saying he wanted to see his
mother once more, and at $50 o'clock a
double carriage was driven to the Jail and
the boys were led between some cord-wood
thereto, and, in charge of deputy sheriffs
from Bremen county were driven across the
country to Waterloo, distance of twenty
miles, to catch the Illinois Central train to
independence. They were struggled through
the Waterloo depot into the coach, ard few
people knew of their being there The peo-
pie at Waverly seemed certain that the men
would be hung, and when dispatches were
received at the depot that MODS
were coming, the crowd swayed
back to the Jail, and it was late before
any one knew of their departure from
Waverly. Sheriff Currier took them from
the train to the omnibus, and from there to
their cells, where they were lett chained to-
gether hand and foot until morning. As
soon as the word was out that they were
there crowds began to congregate and discuss
the situation. some even there favoring
lynching, The boys had nothing on but
pants, shirt, vest and hat and blood from
their victims and themselves covered their
garments. Their feet were swollen; their
HAD s. l~.,.l1 i
Your correspondent secured photographer,
and had their pictures taken this morning in
the Jail, but it was only after considerable
solicitation that they would permit it.
Ike, the Oldest is a short, stubby-built
man, with more natural intelligence than
his brother, but is the most desperate OF the
two, and is the one who has fired all the fatal
shots He is very quiet, while William is
constantly blowing about what they could
do. Ike, when his family affairs were men
toned this morning, and was asked if a
picture should be sent to his wife, complete
ly broke down, and sobbed like child. He
is twenty-five years old, been married five
years and has two children. William is
twenty-three, been married five years and
has three children. Their father came from
New York State, is of French origin, and
located i'll Fayette county over thirty years
ago, There are three brothers and several
sisters. The oldest brother still lives in
The father has been dead eighteen
years. The mother left for Hendive,
M, T., six weeks ago. In the
coats they left behind in the woods was
found her address, which they had obtained
from one of their sisters. They cannot read
nor write to amount to anything because, as
Ike says, 1--WE never paid any attention to
it." They claim that Marion Sheperd, the
deputy sheriff shot last September, fired at
them first After killing him they skulked
to Waterloo and took the train from there to
Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs, and went
TO Clay County, Kan, and bought ferry on
the Republican river, which they ran three
months and afterward hired out as farm
hands near there. Being unable to write
they came back to arrange with their mother
to leave the country for good. They were
always of revolving disposition, and did
little work at home, but worked out some
for their neighbors and relatives.
INITIATING THE JAMES BOYS
They decided after their first bloody work
to be like the James and Younger brothers,
claiming everybody's hand was against them.
They were always looked upon as roughs
and were the terror Of the township. When
asked if they heard of the murder of farmer
and hired man in Kane county, Ill, in Au-
gust, 1892 they said no, but they heard that
rich old man named Lord was robbed there
by two men of his money, watch etc., but
was not hurt by the boys at all They got
wrathy when the case was mentioned, and
gave evidence of having been implicated
therein. Parties living near their old home
said to-day that after they came back from
Illinois, where they had been visiting a Sis
ter, they had plenty of money and spent it
freely in saloons. They were sworn to stay
together, and the fact that Ike could have
escaped on the night of their capture had he
not waited to hel p his brother indicates this
The fight in which they had been captured
must have been horrible, for it lasted nearly
two hours before they were finally securely
tied, and the bravery of young Kerstein is
seldom equaled In the face of two self
cooking revolvers held by William, this boy
rushed in upon him and grappled with him.
never to let loose until he had him died. and
even after Ike had shot him in the back he
helped tie William. After it was done he
raised up and said, Boys, l am dead" and
dropped to the floor. After the boys were
securely fastened, the father of young Ker-
stein placed revolver to the head of Ike and
tried to shoot, but did not know how to
handle the revolver. Had he known how he
would have blown the brains out OF both.
The BARRIERS claim they had no intention
of leading the life they have until after they
killed Shepherd and they then thought peo
pie would look down upon them and be
against them, the same as against Jesse
James and the Youngers, and they decided to
fight it QUITO that line. They say that many
OF the men who were hunting them with
guns after they shot Shepherd, met them and
ran away, and that was one reason why they
dared to come back again. They believed
the people would fear them, and they claim
to have purchased railway tickets and ridden
to Independence less than a week ago, when
they left, before they went down
to Waterloo, through the country,
and thence to Independence, Cedar
Rapids, and to Council Bluffs over the
Chicago & Northwestern, and then to Clay
county Nebraska, where they bought and
ran a ferry for three months on the Repubi-
can river, and then sold it and worked for a
farmer living near there.
They intended to visit all their sisters and