Arthur "Doc" Barker
Alcatraz register no. 268. The warden's notebook page records receipt from Leavenworth on 26 October 1935 under a life sentence and a red header recording his death in the institutional hospital on 13 January 1939 from gunshot wounds received while attempting to escape.
- Born
- 1899-06-04
- Died
- 1939-01-13
- Aliases
- Doc, Arthur Barker (as the page and the FBI memorandum print it)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state. The identification photograph is a Bureau of Prisons record, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105.
On the record
- 1935-10-26 — The warden's notebook page (NAID 296721) records him received at Alcatraz from Leavenworth, age 36, offense "Conspiracy to Trans.Kidnap Person," dated 5-17-35, sentence "Life," district "D.Minn, St.Paul."
- 1939-01-13 — An FBI memorandum of that morning (Vault, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, Part 01) reports a call that five prisoners missing from Alcatraz had been found on the island's beach, names Arthur Barker among them, and says he and one other were wounded.
- 1939-01-13 — The Bureau of Prisons' Alcatraz history page says that on January 13, 1939, Barker, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, Henry Young and Rufus McCain got out of the isolation unit; that "Barker and Stamphill were shot when they refused to surrender"; and that "Barker died from his injuries."
- 1939-01-13 — The notebook page's red header reads "DIED IN INSTITUTIONAL HOSPITAL, AT 5:45 P.M.-January 13,1939, FROM GUN-SHOT WOUNDS, RECEIVED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE." The catalog's case-file description (NAID 117695687) gives the destination "DEATH" on the same date.
- 1899-06-04 — Birth: the page prints 6-4-99; the catalog's case-file description gives 06/04/1899.
Barker is on this archive through his Alcatraz records only. The catalog’s case-file description attaches the remark “BARKER-KARPIS GANG” to his register number; that is the catalog’s label, and no document filed here defines it. The notebook page names the offense as conspiracy to transport a kidnapped person. The role and family fields are left empty because no record cited here states either. Offenses are given as the notebook form prints them; the “Reason for Transfer” boxes are staff opinion and are not used.
Records
itemAlcatraz warden's notebook page for Arthur "Doc" Barker, No. 268Bureau of Prisons notebook page with the identification photograph of Arthur Barker, No. 268, received at Alcatraz from Leavenworth on 26 October 1935 under a life sentence from the District of Minnesota. A red header records his death in the institutional hospital on 13 January 1939. A copy is stored here.itemArthur Barker's Alcatraz inmate case file, No. 268 (National Archives catalog entry)Catalog entry for the Alcatraz case file of register no. 268, about 300 pages, not digitized. The description gives receipt from Leavenworth on 26 October 1935 and "DEATH" as the destination on 13 January 1939.
itemMemorandum for the Director (Tamm), 13 January 1939: five prisoners missing from Alcatraz are located on the island (FBI Vault)An FBI memorandum of 8:00 a.m. on 13 January 1939 reporting a call from Mr. Pieper that five prisoners missing from Alcatraz were found on the beach; a 9:15 addendum names Arthur Barker among them and says he and one other were wounded.itemAlcatraz (Federal Bureau of Prisons history page)The Bureau of Prisons' history page on Alcatraz names Al Capone among the well-known criminals who did time there, and says most of its prisoners were not well-known gangsters.