Evening star., 1935-01-18
WOMAN'S
| DEATHLA|D TO SON
Brother of Gangster Who
Died at Her Side GriIIed
After Arrest.
BY the Associated Press.

ny TIC ASSOClbIeQ fTeSS.
Though the Federal men aren't ex-
actly saying SO, it Is the general be-
lief that Arthur Doc) Barker, swag-
gering desperate. broke down and
"squealed" the tip that led to the
deaths OF his mother and brother
Ma" and Fred Barker.
His removal to st. Paul was an
nounced today by the Department OF
Justice. He was indicted there May
4, 1884, in the kidnapping Of Edward
G. Bremen, banker.
Barker'S capture In Chicago, jan
uary ga coup that the Department
Of Justice kept secret till late yester-
day-was conceded to have been the
big break" the Federal agents were
seeking in their drive to smash the
wide-roving Karpis Barker band Of
outlaws.
At the telephone direction Of j.
Edgar Hoover. director of the Division
of Investigation, the nervous gangster
was interrogated for hours immedi-
ately after his arrest.
Did he break DOWN." department
officers were asked today.
Answer Guarded.
1--WE can't tell you about that" was
the answer. Remember, we have to
put this man on trial and we can't
disclose what we learned"
1t was about that time that E. j.
Connelley, a crack investigator of the
department, was hustled down to
Florida. More than a dozen other
agents went there from division offices
in the South.
The net result was the finding of
the hideout of Fred and Kate (Ma)
Barker at Oklawaha; several days of
surveillance and finally the protracted
gun fight which ended the crime
career of Ma" and her son.
After the 100000 kidnapping OF
Bremen department officers conceded
they had hard case ahead Of them
The Karpis- Barker syndicate. con-
sisting of or 10 principals and a
dozen hangers-on, was Immediately
suspected, but it was not until March
% that the department publicly
identified them as the perpetrators.
Had Gang Alliances.
The group, dominated by Ma and
Fred, had roved through the Middle
West for years. maintaining close con-
facts with several other outlaw bands.
Ma and Fred were in Chicago last
Summer. A deposit box they rented al
a Loop bank under the name Of Mrs
F. E. Gordon" and Ray Gordon" was
raided by Federal men and more than
IS 900 was found in the box. 1t is
still there.
That raid was made late one after
noon. 1t became public that night
and by dawn Ma and Fred had jumped
a southbound train.
Facts surrounding the flight were
discovered by agents several days later
Forecasts Other Arrests.
I'VE intend to knock OF every one
who ever worked with this gang,
Hoover said. TT may run to Is or sc
people. We have always felt that the
Karpis Barker mob was the brainiest
and most dangerous i'm the country.
"As long as it was at large we felt
that a kidnapping or big bank rob-
berry might take place at any time"
Hoover yesterday said 1--WE are
making inquiries" to determine wheth-
er the group was also responsible fol-
the 100000 kidnapping of William
Hamm, another St. Paul resident
Members of the Touhy gang Of Chi
cago were tried and acquitted OF
carrying out this abduction.
Attributing unusual cunning to Ma
Barker, Hoover said. There Is a
legend that she taught her boys never
to be taken alive
Lloyd Barker Is in Leavenworth
Penitentiary. Another son, Herman
committed suicide in 1927 in the course
Of an encounter with police.