MA BARKER FUGITIVE GANGSTER WANTED DEPRESSION POSTER

READ AND UNDERSTAND ENTIRE LISTING BEFORE BIDDING!!!

All my posters are made from a light paper (NOT CARDBOARD) and are textured and slightly yellowed to give them a look of vintage age.

Buy them before they run out! All posters are mailed in a crushproof mailing tube.

Bring back the Glory Days of the Depression era days of gangsters and own a piece of American history with this unique WANTED poster REPLICA that will compliment any decor. Artificially aged to look and feel just like an old original. Suitable for framing or hang it just the way it is.

Makes a great gift for any occasion.

Size: Approximately 11" x 14"

All my items come from a smoke and pet free home and are shipped the same day when I get payment!

A brief history: BARKER GANG

One of the fiercest of the 1930s criminal bands, the Barker-Karpis Gang ranked at the top of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) famed War on Crime, alongside John Dillinger, George "Baby Face" Nelson, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, and Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd. The Barker Gang is rooted in the family of Arizona "Ma" Clark Barker (1873?-1935) and her four sons, Herman (1894-1927), Lloyd (1896-1949), Arthur "Dock" (1899-1939), and Fred (1902-35). In 1927 Herman Barker apparently committed suicide after he was wounded by Kansas police. In 1932 Lloyd began serving a twenty-five-year term for mail robbery at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Herman and Lloyd were never part of the later gang that earned the family's notoriety.

The FBI villainized Ma Barker after they gunned her down in 1935. There is confusion about her role in the gang's activities. Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (1907 79), who, along with Freddie Barker, seemed to be the group's main ringleader, later wrote that Ma Barker was somebody that they looked after, but that it would not have occurred to her to get involved in their business. This is in contrast to the FBI's "Bloody Mama" image, which pictured her as the brains that controlled members with an iron fist. Born in Missouri, Arizona "Kate" Donnie Clark married George Barker in 1892, and they had four sons in Missouri. Circa 1910 the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, the boys continually found trouble, with Dock and Freddie joining a number of juvenile criminals known as the Central Park Gang.

By 1923 all four Barker boys were either in jails or reformatories. Ma Barker worked tirelessly to get them out, which was an endless job, as the brothers were constantly in and out of prison all of their short lives. While doing his time, Freddie Barker met Karpis, and they reunited upon their separate releases to begin a legendary crime spree. In 1932 Oklahoma Gov. William "Alfalfa Bill" Murray pardoned Dock from his life sentence for the murder of a security guard. Dock's acquaintance, Volney Davis, was also soon released. Several experts on crime history have speculated that Barker and Davis benefitted from the bribery of Oklahoma politicians, probably a state senator. The Barker-Karpis Gang robbed several banks throughout the Midwest and committed numerous murders, but two high-profile kidnappings elevated their status with the FBI. In 1933 they abducted William A. Hamm, Jr., a Minnesota brewery owner, earning $100,000 in ransom. In 1934 they netted $200,000 after kidnapping Minnesota millionaire Edward Bremer.

Several notable gangsters joined the Barkers in various crimes, including Harvey Bailey, Harry Campbell, Frank Nash, Fred Goetz ( "Shotgun" George Ziegler), Charles Fitzgerald, and Dr. Joseph Patrick Moran. In January 1935 the FBI arrested Dock and a week later trapped and killed Ma and Freddie Barker in a house on Lake Weir in Florida. The shootout lasted four hours, and it has been speculated that Ma shot herself. In 1936 the FBI arrested Karpis in New Orleans, with Director J. Edgar Hoover on the scene, although his role in the operation has been debated. In 1939 guards killed Dock Barker in an escape attempt from the federal prison on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of California. In 1947 Lloyd Barker gained his freedom, but he was shot and killed by his wife two years later. Arizona, Herman, and Freddie Barker are buried near Welch, Oklahoma. The FBI characterization of Ma Barker has persisted with movies such as Bloody Mama (1970) and Public Enemies (1996). Records do not indicate that she was ever arrested or charged with a crime.

Payment: Paypal Only!

Shipping costs: $2.75 within the U.S.A. $5.89 for International for the first poster. $.05 cents will be charged for shipping for each additional poster.

Returns: Items may be returned if they are damaged in the mail for a poster(s) of the same kind. I've shipped thousands of posters with not 1 lost to damage in the mail. That is the reason I don't charge extra for shipping insurance.

Terms: All sales are final. By bidding on this auction, you agree to the terms set forth in this listing in it's entirety and will complete payment within the allotted time given. When payment is complete, item will be shipped the same day and positive feedback will be left after receiving the same. If you get the urge to leave neutral or negative feedback without first emailing me so I can work out the problem, than you will get the same. What goes around, comes around. IF YOU CANNOT ABIDE BY THESE TERMS, THAN DO NOT BID!

Combined Shipping: Buy more than one and I will combine them on the shipping charges to save you money! All posters are carefully rolled up and inserted into a postal mailing tube. Payment is to be expected within 7 days. After that, I will send eBay an unpaid item notice and all non paying bidders will be left with NEGATIVE FEEDBACK!! If you experience problems with paying, email me through this listing right away and we will try to work something out. Communication is very important to me! After the auction is over, I will send an invoice within 24 hours. If you plan on getting several posters in different auctions, email me through this listing and I will wait until they are over to send you an invoice to save you money on your shipping charges.

Thank you for taking the time to view my broadsides and good luck on your bidding!