The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-07-01
DEFAULTER
A SUICIDE
DAVID ~. BARKER WHO RoBBGD
wetls.FARGo EXPRESS COM.
pANY AT tOr SPRINGS DIGS.
SWEET LIFE; KEPT PROMISE
On March Y, 1907 Ne o sappeared
and Was Traced Everywhere F.
nally Turning Up In san Angelo,
Texas, in the Under World

thdss w ltlt OUutF WOFlus
Hot Springs. Ark. June 80 David
H. BARKER. dcfaultcr from the Hot
Springs office OF the Wells Fargo
Express Company for more than
Sliooo. and who disappeared on
March H. 1907 from this city.
committed suicide at san Angelo.
TcN. last Monday according to ad.
vices received here today Since the
disapp of Barker. officers
of the WcllsFarg have worked
all over the wost In the hope of
ciicciiug his capture For the past
two years ho has been part
owner ana operator of ranch ON
the Mexican border lie went 10
Old Mexico after making west.
oru tour to the Pacific coast. later
settled ON the border. and was well
known for the past Two years at
San Angelo as Jack Perch. he had
plenty Of ready money, which he
spent freely Barker killed himscslf
in a house Of III fame, taking carbol.
&C. acid The mistress with whom
he had been intimate since he went
there is reported 10 have accom-.
panied his remains to Kansas City
for intormcnt.
The identity of Barker was not
made known until yesterday. whom
l.. o. Head. travelling auditor OF
the company identified him from
photograph.
Sweet life and have kept prom
isc," is reported as his last words.
just before taking the fatal dose
The cause of the suicide is believ-
ed at San Angelo to he because
cash, which. it is reported, he kept
buried on the South Concho river.
Barker disappeared from Hot
Springs on March II, 1907. He had
been ten years in the service of
the Wells-Fargo company as mes.
scnger between Kansas City. his
home. and Fort Worth. He desired
office work in the company and
came here and was installed as
cashier. after which he was for
while transferred to the Memphis
office and later sent back here.
On Saturday afternoon. March II.
he stated to Geo. w Housley. the
local agent. that he was going to
spend Sunday fishing on the Qua
chita river Monday he did not
return. Houslcy notified the com
pany and attempted to open the
safe IN the office, when he found
the combination had been changed
Experts We're sent here and the
safe opened the following Wedncs-
day. II was then discovered that
Barker was short.
The shortage amounted to about
$4,000 The sums were divided in
$4,000 from the Citizens bank, 81 400
from the Wclls-Fargo and $4,000
from the Rock Island. He was un-
der bond for $4,000 I'm a surety
company, and the remainder of the
loss was that of the express com.
pany. In the safe Barker had left
about $500 in money orders and
about $3.50 In checks. Barker took
Of Wclls-Fargo travellers checks
which he may have filled out and
used later, but nothing Is known
as 20 that here. The fact that
Barker had made good his escape
from here at the time via the rail
roads was doubted by many. Some
thought he had killed himself on
the fishing TRIP. Other theories
We're that he had taken TO the
mountains and was making his hom,
there, and that ne had gone afoot
to the west, but nothing was evel
heard from him until II was re
ported he had been seen at Gold
fields two years ago. This later
report was not confirmed. but II,
investigation led TO the arrest o.
Wesley G. Parker, who was alsC
wanted in this city and who haC
been caught IN the tolls because o
the similarity of name 20 that o.
Barko-.
A. The time that Barker dIsap
pcarcd the races were on here
and 70 was generally accepted ,ha
, he had first been caught by th
boolimakcrs. Il was known that h
attended the races. but he was no
known 20 have plunged heavily
and the greater part OF tho de'a
. cation must have been taken ava
. by tho young man. Barker marie
1 . la thta pf,v aud nFfnr no dfeanDaaI