Wynona Burdett and the FBI file: Barker-Karpis Gang
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qualified as an expert witness and in simple language which was capable of being understood by everyone, explained briefly the science of fingerprinting and declared that the possibility of the fingerprint found on the gasoline can being that of anyone other than "Doc" Barker would only be one chance in several billion and declared emphatically that the possibility of there being a duplication of fingerprints was so remote as to be out of the question entirely. On cross-examination defense counsel, which obviously were untutored in the science of fingerprinting, made no effort to get at the real questions involved in the fingerprint evidence, but made every effort to seize upon the ridiculous in an effort to confuse the minds of the jurors. These questions were capably explained by the witnesses and no question was left in the minds of the jurors as to the true identity of the fingerprint. "Doc" Barker sat through the proceedings in utter silence, glaring as the witnesses took the stand against him. The sharp criminal eyes of "Doc" Barker had no effect on the witnesses.
At the conclusion of the Government's case on May 6, 1935, the charges against Jess Doyle and Edna Murray were dismissed. Jess Doyle was later returned to the State of Nebraska, where he entered a plea of guilty at Fairbury, Nebraska on a charge that he participated in the robbery of the Fairbury National Bank on April 4, 1933. He was subsequently sentenced to serve ten years in the Nebraska State Penitentiary for this crime. Edna Murray was returned to the Missouri State Penitentiary at Jefferson City, Missouri to complete the remainder of her twenty-five year sentence for highway robbery and she received an additional two year sentence on the charge of escaping from that institution.
Bruno Austin on May 6, 1935 was discharged from custody on the order of the Court, but only to be rearrested in Chicago and at that place on October 11, 1935 he was convicted of murder and sentenced to serve life imprisonment in the Illinois State Penitentiary.
During the course of the trial, Elmer Farmer on My 13, 1935 entered a plea of guilty to the conspiracy indictment and on June 7, 1935 was sentenced to serve twenty-five years' imprisonment. "Doc" Barker had no defense to offer and did not take the stand in his own behalf. The trial of the defendants who had not been dismissed or otherwise disposed of was concluded on May 16, 1935 and the jury began its deliberations. The moneychangers during the course of presenting their defense had contended they did not know the money exchanged by them was Bremer ransom money and they nervoulsy awaited the return of the jury. On May 17, 1935 the jury returned a verdict of guilty as to Arthur R. Barker, Oliver A. Berg, James J. Wilson, John J. McLaughlin, Sr. and Harold Alderton and on this same date "Doc" Barker and Oliver A. Berg were sentenced to serve life imprisonment. Vidler and Delaney were acquitted. On June 7, 1935 Harold Alderton received a sentence of twenty-years' imprisonment. Mclaughlin and Wilson were sentenced
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to serve five years each; McLaughlin died a few months later in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. Oliver A. Berg, after his conviction and sentence, was returned to the Illinois State Penitentiary to complete his sentence at that place and a Federal detainer was filed against him. Elmer Farmer, Harold Alderton and Aurthur R. Barker were temporarily detained at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, and later were removed to the United States Penitentiary at Alcatraz, at which place they must serve their sentences.
James J. Wilson was ordered to serve his sentence at the United States Industrial Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio, but he was later transferred to the Northeastern Penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. After the arrest of Volney Davis at Chicago, Illinois on June 1, 1935, he was removed to St. Paul, Minnesota, where on June 3, 1935 he entered a plea of guilty to the indictment charging him with conspiracy to kidnap Mr. Bremer and was immediately sentenced to serve life imprisonment. Davis likewise was temporarily detained at the United State Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas and subsequently transferred to the United States Penitentiary at Alcatraz.
After the arrest of Wynona Burdette and Dolores Delaney at Atlantic City, New Jersey, they were temporarily removed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where a son was born to Dolores Delaney. These women were subsequently removed to Miami, Florida, where on March 25, 1935 they entered pleas of guilty in the Federal Court to the charges of harboring a fugitive from justice, and misprision of a felony and on that same date each was sentenced to serve a five year term in the United States Detention Farm, Milan, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. John Karpavicz, father and mother of Alvin Karpis, took custody of the son of Dolores Delaney, who was christened Raymond Alvin Karpavicz.
The investigation continued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate the remaining fugitives in this case and on May 3, 1936 Harry Sawyer was apprehended by Special Agents at Pass Christian, Mississippi, a deputy sheriff and a Mississippi State Highway officer cooperating with the Agents in the apprehension. Sawyer, after the ransom negotiations in Miami, Florida and Havana, Cuba, joined his wife and together they proceeded to the Mississippi town, where Harry Sawyer was operating a drinking and gambling "joint" for colored persons. This created suspicion in the minds of the white citizens in this southern state and ultimatley led to the identification and apprehension of Sawyer. This was not the first arrest which Harry Sawyer had experienced, as the recoreds of the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that on December 12, 1914 Sawyer was arrested on charges of breaking and entering the offices of the Standard Oil Company, in Lincoln, Nebraska. On April 23,
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1915 he entered a plea of guilty and the court ordered him released on parole for a period of two years and Sawyer was subsequently dismissed from parole on September 25, 1917. Sawyer was again arrested on September 11, 1918 at St. Paul, Minnesota on charges of attempted grand larceny and was subsequently fined $100.00. He was again arrested on January 2, 1920 on charges of robbery and was later turned over to the Police Department at Lincoln, Nebraska on charges of jumping a bond, after being arrested for auto theft. He was subsequently released under a $1,000 bond, which was later forfeited. After the arrest of Harry Sawyer at Pass Christian, Mississippi, he was immediatley removed to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was committed to the Ramsey County Jail in default of $100,000 bond, to await trial on charges of kidnaping Mr. Bremer.
William Weaver and Myrtle Eaton had successfully eluded the company of other members of the Karpis-Barker gang and had continued to enjoy their small chicken farm at Allandale, Florida, to which place they had fled after leaving Grand Forest Beach, Ohio. On Sunday morning, September 1, 1935, the house which was occupied by William Weaver and Myrtle Eaton at Allandale, Florida, was surrounded by Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Weaver left the house early on this morning to get his Sunday newspapers and was confronted by Special Agents who took him into custody. Immediately thereafter, Myrtle Eaton was arrested in the house in which was found several firearms, including various small firearms and two shotguns. Special Agents also found that Weaver and Myrtle Eaton had in their custody a small boy who was known to the neighbors as Bobbie Osborne. The fugitives had obtained custody of this child from its mother and they were residing at Allandale, Florida as Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Osborne, posing as respectable citizens. Immediately after their capture, Myrtle Eaton and William Weaver were removed to St. Paul, Minnesota and committed to the Ransey County Jail in default of bond.
On November 27, 1935 a new indictment was returned by the Federal Grand Jury at St. Paul, Minnesota and in addition to those individuals who had been previously indicted, Cassius McDonald was included as a defendant in the conspiracy. McDonald was arrested by Special Agents at Detroit, Michigan on September 26, 1935, after conclusive evidence had been obtained that McDonald exchanged the ransom money in Havana, Cuba, with full knowledge that it was the Bremer ransom money.
A second trial in the Bremer case was begun at St. Paul, Minnesota in Federal Court on January 6, 1936 and the defendants at this time who faced the bar of justice were William Weaver, Harry Sawyer and Cassius McDonald. Harry Sawyer was confident of acquittal, but admitted on the witness stand that he had harbored and associated with members of the Karpis-Barker gang for a number of years. William Weaver likewise denied his guilt and
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contended that he was being prosecuted only because he had associated with members of the Karpis-Barker gang. Cassius McDonald endeavored to persuade the jury that he did not know the money exchanged in Cuba was the Bremer ransom money. The evidence was clear to the jury and after a two weeks' trial, which concluded on January 24, 1936, a verdict of guilty was returned against all three defendants. On that same date William Weaver and Harry Sawyer were sentenced to serve life imprisonment and after being incarcerated in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas were transferred to Alcatraz. The sentence of Cassius McDonald was deferred to serve fifteen years in a Federal Penitentiary and soon was transferred to Alcatraz.
The conspiracy indictment which was pending against Myrtle Eaton was dismissed at St. Paul, Minnesota and on February 26, 1936, she was indicted at Tampa, Florida, charged with harboring William Weaver. She denied her guilt, but on June 3, 1936 at Jacksonville, Florida, Myrtle Eaton was found guilty by jury. On June 10, 1936 she was sentenced to serve sixmonths in jail and pay a file of $1,000.00.
After the death of Fred Barker, Ma Barker and Russell Gibson and the apprehension of other members of the Karpis-Barker gang, Karpis and Campbell in January of 1935 found the ranks of the once powerful mob depleted of gunmen who could assist in further depredations, which were considered necessary for the fugitives' existence. After their return to Toledo, Ohio in January of 1935, Karpis and Campbell were afforded protection and shelter by the members of the underworld with whom they had been in contact during the more prosperous days of the gang immediately subsequent to the abduction of Mr. Bremer and for several months thereafter. They likewise renewed their contacts in Cleveland, Ohio, from which place they had so hurriedly departed in September of 1934. Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation continued the investigation to locate the remaining fugitives and it was learned that one of the first recruits secured by Karpis and Campbell was Fred Hunter, of Leavittsburg, Ohio. It is not definitely known in what manner Hunter first became acquainted with Karpis and Campbell, but it appears that the acquaintanceship was made through mutual friends at the Harvard Club in Newburgh Heights, Ohio, who sent Karpis to the Hollyhock Night Club in Warren, Ohio in March, 1935, where he met Hunter.
Fred Hunter, an ex-convict, was botn October 13, 1899 at Warren, Ohio, and was one of a family of six children. Hunter had five brothers and one sister. The father of the family, George Hunter, made an unsuccessful effort to raise his children to be law-abiding citizens. Fred Hunter's mother died in 1910 and while the father worked daily as a blacksmith and boilermaker, at least three of his sons began careers of crime. Fred Hunter, as Fred John Henderson, was first arrested by the Police Department, Toledo, Ohio, on June 3, 1920 for carrying a concealed weapon and in lieu of paying a $200.00 fine and costs he was committed to the Lucas County Jail, Toledo, Ohio, on June [illegible]___________________________ a jail sentence. On October 28, 1922, Hunter was
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arrested by the Police Department at Akron, Ohio as a fugitive from justice from Warren, Ohio. He was thereafter convicted for larceny and possession of dynamite and on April 17, 1933 was received at the State Penitentiary, Columbus, Ohio to serve an indeterminate sentence of three to twenty-seven years.
William Hunter, another son of George Hunter, began his criminal career on July 31, 1919 when he burglarized a hardware store at Warren, Ohio and stole goods and merchandise valued at $50.00. He pleaded guilty to this charge; was committed to the State Reformatory at Mansfield, Ohio. William Hunter thereafter was received at the State Penitentiary, Columbus, Ohio on June 2, 1926 to serve a one to fifteen year sentence for burglary and larceny. On April 26, 1932 William Hunter was fined $150.00 and costs at Warren, Ohio for receiving and concealing stolen property. In lieu of paying this fine he served time in the County Jail at Warren, Ohio. On December 19, 1934 William Hunter was received at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, Georgia, to serve two years for violation of the Internal Revenue Act.
Another brother, Albert, has also served a sentence at the Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio, for burglary.
Fred Hunter, prior to the time he became associated with Karpis and Campbell, was a gambler and also engaged to some extent in selling gambling paraphernalia. He was also a devotee of cockfighting.
Karpis and Campbell returned to the southwest for a second recruit by the name of John Brock, who came highly recommended due to his extensive criminal record which began on January 16, 1919 when he was received at the State Reformatory, Granite, Oklahoma, to serve a term of three years for grand larceny. The records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation reveal that Brock's second arrest occurred on July 15, 1922 when he was arrested by the Sheriff's Office at Hutchinson, Kansas for investigation. He was next arrested on October 1, 1922 as J. C. Creighton by the Sheriff's Office at Enid, Oklahoma, at which place he was arrested for investigation. Brock also was arrested on suspicion by the Sheriff's Office at Pawnee, Oklahoma as J. D. Adams on May 17, 1923. On January 19, 1930 as John Brock he was arrested as a vagrant by the Police Department at Tucson, Arizona and served twenty days in the City Jail. He was likewise arrested as a vagrant by the Police Department at Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 12, 1931 and fined $19.00 and costs. On October 18, 1931 he was received at the State Penitentiary, McAlester, Oklahoma, to server five years after committing an assault with intent to kill. During the time Brock was confied in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary he bacame acquainted with three of the criminals who later became prominent members of the Karpis-Barker gang - "Doc" Barker, Volney Davis and William Weaver.
In March of 1935 Karpis and Campbell proceeded to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they contacted George "Burrhead" Keady, well known associate of thieves and
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harborer of criminals. Campbell had previously associated with Keady at the time Campbell was characterized as an oil field petty thief and was committing crimes with Glen Leroy Wright and Jimmie Lawson, who later became well-known criminals in the southwest. This was prior to the time that Campbell graduated to "big time" crime. Keady recommended Brock to Karpis and Campbell as a man of ability and the introduction of Brock to them was consumated on a highway near Tulsa, Oklahoma and Brock agreed to "pull a job" with Karpis and Campbell. Brock was given instructions to meet Karpis and Campbell in Toledo, Ohio, from which place Brock was sent to the Harvard Club in Cleveland, Ohio on an errand for Alvin Karpis. He later rejoined his new associates in Toledo, Ohio and plans were formulated for another crime. In April of 1935 Karpis and Campbell disappeared for several days, leaving Brock in Cleveland. He became apprehensive that some misfortune had occurred to Karpis and Campbell and returned to his home at Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On April 24, 1935 a mail truck was robbed at Warren, Ohio by three heavily armed men and $72,000 in loot, composed of currency and bonds, was obtained by the bandits. Thereafter, two well-known criminal, George Sargent and Anthony Labrizzetta, were identified as two of the participants in the robbery of the mail truck. Sargent and Labrizzetta denied their guilt, but were brought to trial. The jury convicted them after deliberating ten minutes. Each was sentenced to serve twenty-five years in a Federal penitentiary. The court granted Sargent and Labrizzetta a new trial, but they were again convicted at their second trial. Subsequent investigation disclosed that the two convicted men were innocent of the crime and that Karpis and Campbell were the guilty parties.
Karpis and Campbell with new capital planned new crimes and through "Burrhead" Keady, sought to reestablish the Karpis-Barker gang and after the mail robbery they returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma and again contacted Keady and Brock. On September 5, 1935 Keady proceeded to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and met a half-breed Indian by the name of Sam Coker at the prison gates, who on that date was paroled from the institution where he had been serving a thirty year sentence for bank robbery. It is said that Karpis and Campbell supplied the funds necessary to secure the release of Coker from the penitentiary. Coker was first received at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Mary 17, 1924 to serve a thirty year sentence for bank robbery and he received his first parole from that institution on January 11, 1931 and within a few weeks was returned to the institution as a parole violator. He escaped on February 24, 1931. On May 9, 1931 he was arrested by the Police Department at Saint Joseph, Missouri for investigation and on the 10th of the following month he was arrested by the Police Department at Tulsa, Oklahoma as a fugitive from the State Penitentiary. This arrest occurred at the time Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis were arrested at Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 10, 1931, charged with a jewel burglary. Coker was not as fortunate as Karpis and Fred Barker, as after this arrest he was returned to Okmulgee, Oklahoma to await trial for the jewel theft.
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Although he was not prosecuted for that crime, he was returned to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on June 19, 1931 to complete his sentence for Bank robbery. Coker remained confined in the institution until September 5, 1935 when he was again released on parole. Coker, after his release on parole from the penitentiary, proceeded with Keady to the latter's home in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the two of them began celebrating Coker's good fortune by consuming considerable quantities of liquor and two or three weeks thereafter Coker proceeded to Toledo, Ohio and joined Karpis and Campbell.
About the first of November 1935, Fred Hunter returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma and solicited the aid of John Brock in a new criminal venture which was being planned. Brock agreed to participate in the new crime and with Hunter traveled by train from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Cleveland, Ohio, arriving there on or about November 4, 1935. At Cleveland, Ohio Hunter and Brock parted, Hunter proceeding to Youngstown, Ohio, while Brock went to Toledo and registered in a local hotel. However, the following day he was joined at the latter place by Fred Hunter and the two of them proceeded to the Toledo hide-out of Karpis and Campbell, which place was a local house of prostitution.
On the afternoon of November 7, 1935 five bandits armed with two machine guns, a shotgun and automatic pistols held up Erie Train No. 422 at Garrettsville, Ohio, which was en route from Detroit, Michigan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and there was stolen from the United States Mail $34,000 in currency and several thousand dollars in securities. During the course of the robbery the train crew was intimidated and one of the robbers fired a shot into the mail car. After Special agents received information concerning the "wild west" manner in which the ribbery was perpetrated, the possibility that Karpis and Campbell were responsible for this crime was considered and investigation resulted in the identification of the fugitives wanted in the Bremer kidnaping as bing two of the participants in the holdup of the mail train. Special agents further learned by their investigation that after the robbery, Karpis, Campbell, Hunter, Brock and the fifth member of the bandit gang known as "Sam", retreated to a garage in Port Clinton, Ohio operated by one John Zetzer, an ex-convist. Here the loot was divided and the gang separted, Campbell and "Sam" going to Toledo, Ohio.
Karpis, Brock and Hunter made elaborate plans for a "getaway". The former methods used by modern bandits in driving long distances in a fast automobile after the commission of a crime were two slow for Karpis, Hunter and Brock, so arrangements had been made through Zetzer, a pilot, for the use of an airplane. Early on the morning of November 6, 1935 the three mail train bandits boarded an airplane near Port Clinton, Ohio and with Zetzer as the pilot, flew to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Karpis and Hunter remained at Hot Springs while Brock returned to his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
During the course of the investigation conducted by Special Agents,
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Wynona...#8
"Ghost Riders In The Sky"
