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David
Henry Barker December
25, 1852 - November 22, 1890
Texas
Lawman By James R Hewitt Jr.
© Copyright 1998-2003, All
rights reserved Page last updated on April30, 2003
Signature of David Henry Barker
My great
grandfather, David Henry Barker was born in Lafayette County, Missouri on
December 25, 1852 and died in Colfax County, New Mexico on November 22, 1890. He
was by trade a Stock Raiser and Butcher. However, from about 1874 until his
death he served at various times in the capacities of Deputy Sheriff and County
Constable for Shackelford, Wheeler and Oldham Counties in Texas. From The Flat
of Fort Griffin in Shackelford County Texas, moving up into the Texas Panhandle
at Mobeetie near Fort Elliott in Wheeler County then to Oldham County, Texas at
Tascosa along the trail to Dodge City Kansas and from their into the Raton Pass
region of north eastern New Mexico Territory. He followed the same
migration route as many well-known lawmen and gunslingers of his time.
Recently I came
into possession of a cache of documents letters and journals documenting
incidents between Dave Barker and the likes of Sheriff John Larn, John Selman,
Pete Fulton AKA: "The Dutchman" and John Gough AKA: "The Catfish Kid". The “Long
Canyon” Mining Camp killing of Alex Weir and the death of his killer Charles
Gardner who was gunned down by Dave Barker while he was resisting arrest
in 1888. And Dave's own demise when James T. Gibbons gunned him down in a
dispute over a dog at Catskill, New Mexico in 1890. I have temporally removed my
original work from these pages while I update the story with this new
information.
If you have an
interest in the life and times of Dave Barker or want to contribute information
I would like to hear from you. Please
e-mail me.
James R Hewitt Jr.
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