Salem Press

American Villains
Ma Barker

Gangland matriarch

Born: c. 1871; Ash Grove, near Springfield, Missouri
Died: January 16, 1935; Lake Weir, near Oklawaha, Florida
Also Known As: Arizona Donnie Clark (birth name); Bloody Mama; Kate
Barker; Arizona Donnie Barker

Cause of Notoriety: Barker, as the matriarch of an outlaw gang, was implicated in kidnappings and robberies.

Active: 1925-1935
Locale: American West, Midwest, and South

Early Life
Arizona Donnie Clark—to come down in legend as Ma Barker (BAHR-kuhr)—was born in Ash Grove, near Springfield, Missouri. She was raised in a religious family and believed in hard work and traditional values. She married George Barker at the age of twenty and had four boys: Herman, Lloyd, Arthur, and Fred. Her husband disappeared after the last son's birth and left her to raise the boys on her own. They lived in poverty, and the boys often got into trouble. She usually managed to get them out of jail by having emotional outbursts in police stations or with arresting officers.

Criminal Career
Differing opinions exist on whether Ma Barker did, in fact, have a criminal career with her sons and another famous gangster, Alvin Karpis. Some allege that she was simply a mother, traveling and protecting her sons, who were criminals. Others have portrayed her as a mastermind of the sons' crimes. She has been credited with planning a number of bank robberies. Several kidnappings of major public figures were also attributed to the Barker-Karpis gang. In 1927, her son Herman was killed by a federal agent during a robbery in which he had killed a police officer. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) head J. Edgar Hoover, in accounts after Ma's death, said that the death of her son turned her into an even more dangerous criminal.

In 1935, another son, Fred (called Freddie by his mother), was out on parole and living with his mother at a cottage on Lake Weir. Although Ma was never arrested or tried for a crime, she was considered dangerous by the FBI, and this fact was used as justification for her killing at the hands of FBI agents during a raid of the cottage. The FBI has extensive files on her and her sons, which later became available through the Freedom of Information Act.

Impact
The life and death of Ma Barker gained much public attention and became the basis of numerous books and films. She was the main character portrayed in a 1970 film titled Bloody Mama, starring Shelley Winters. The 1996 film Public Enemies also included her life as part of its story. Much of the debate about her case stems from historical analysis of the actions of Hoover, who had described her as a dangerous criminal.

Near Lake Weir, Florida, a reenactment of the final shoot-out is held annually to commemorate the biggest gun battle in FBI history (three to four thousand rounds were used). The event includes vintage cars, gunfights, and actors representing the Barkers and the FBI.

Further Reading
Gentry, Curt. J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets. New York: W. W. Norton, 2001. This book is based on more than two hundred interviews and access to previously classified FBI documents. Despite lengthy footnotes and an extensive list of source materials, it is very readable. Since Hoover labeled Barker as a dangerous criminal, accounts of his life provide background on his pursuit of her and her sons.

Hamilton, Sue, and John Hamilton. Public Enemy Number One: The Barkers. Bloomington, Minn.: Abdo and Daughters, 1989. A book written for young adults, it summarizes the lives of Ma Barker and her sons.

Karpis, Alvin, with Bill Livesey. On the Rock: The Prison Story of Alvin Karpis. Toronto, Ont.: Beaufort Books, 1980. Karpis was associated with Barker's sons and took part in several of their major escapades. He was captured in 1936 and told his story while in captivity. A description of his association with the Barkers is included.

Maccabee, Paul. John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crook's Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1995. The Barkers were instrumental in two kidnappings in St. Paul: those of William Hamm, Jr., and Edward Bremer. Both of these crimes are chronicled in this definitive work on crime in St. Paul.

Winter, Robert. Mean Men: The Sons of Ma Barker. Danbury, Conn.: Routledge Books, 2000. Traces the escapades of Barker and her sons.

Mary C. Ware

See Also: Clyde Barrow; John Dillinger; Pretty Boy Floyd; Alvin Karpis; Machine Gun Kelly; Baby Face Nelson; Bonnie Parker.