Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Port Huron Times-Herald Monday, September 4, 1922 BARLOW SHOT DEAD BY EMPLOYE AFTER POKER GAME DISPUTE Big Sunday "Party" Ends in Slaying; JOHN SEYMOUR Held on Murder Charge ARCHIE BARLOW, 50, proprietor of the Atlantic H. W. CAMPBELL, Kearney street, inform- hotel on Quay street was shot and killed Sunday ed the officers that he did not see the night on his farm in Kimball township by JOHN actual shooting of BARLOW, but had been SEYMOUR, 61, who has been working on BARLOW'S told that BARLOW had knocked SEYMOUR farm for a year. down. He stated that he did not see this BARLOW'S body today rests on a slab in Falk's incident. He assisted in placing BARLOW morgue and SEYMOUR, his diminutive slayer is into MINOR'S automobile and held the dead in a cell in the county jail facing a charge man in his arms on the ride to Port Huron. of murder or manslaughter. CAMPBELL stated that he did not have any The tragedy which was enacted on the BARLOW drinks at the picnic. "Everybody was so farm about 8:30 p.m. Sunday was the culmination excited that it was pretty hard to tell of a day of feasting, card playing and drinking, what had happened or how it happened," according to the statements of witnesses made said CAMPBELL. to Prosecuting Attorney HENRY BAIRD, Assistant C. E. CEDARLEAF, 303 Erie street, Prosecutor DON R. CARRIGAN, Coroner ALBERT A. stated that he had several bottles of FALK and Sheriff H. W. MAINES at the prelimi- beer at the picnic, and that drinks re- nary examination which was held at FALK'S tailed for 50 cents a drink for whisky undertaking rooms Sunday night. WILLIAM ROBERT- and 25 cents a bottle for beer. He stated SON, circuit court stenographer, took the that he did not see SEYMOUR shoot BARLOW statements of the witnesses. or did not see BARLOW hit SEYMOUR. He Among the witnesses questioned were JAMES said he was so excited that he did not CORNELL, 784 Water street; H. W. CAMPBELL, really know what happened. "Somebody Kearney street; C. E. CEDARLEAF, 303 Erie yelled that BARLOW had been shot, and I street; HERMAN SPARKS, 610 Lapeer court, and ran over and saw BARLOW lying on the FRANK MINOR, 912 Seventh street. MINOR was ground. I helped to place him in MINER'S questioned at the county jail, where he was marchine." detained for a few hours. JAMES CORNELL, 784 Water street, stated that he had several drinks and paid 50 Tragedy Stories Vary cents for whisky and 25 cents for beer. When pieced together the statements of the He stated that WILLIAM BOFINGER, JOHN witnesses show that the BARLOW farm has been DUNBAR and JOSEPH BETTIS were in charge the scene of what are termed "picnics." Sun- of the refreshment stand, where the drinks day's "picnic," according to the statements were served. made by two of the witnesses was staged un- The names of a number of men, all mem- der the auspices of the Port Huron Aerie of bers of the Eagles, who were at the pic- Eagles. nic which closed with the BARLOW tragedy About 50 members of the order were present were secured from witnesses. Prosecuting during the afternoon and in the grove near Attorney BAIRD stated that more witnesses the BARLOW farmhouse, which is near the bank were to be questioned today in connection of Pine river in Kimball township, a refresh- with the tragedy. ment stand had been set up. Refreshments and beer and whiskey were served at the refresh- BARLOW'S History ment stand, according to the statements of ARCHIE BARLOW, the victim of the shoot- witnesses, and behind the bar were WILLIAM ing affray, had been proprietor of the ROFINGER, JOSEPH BETTIS and JOHN DUNBAR. Atlantic hotel, corner of Quay and Michi- When it became too dark to cavort around gan streets for the past several years. the grove, several of the picnickers, in- He married MRS. JOHN KEYES, formerly MISS cluding BARLOW, decided to play poker and CONWAY, about six years ago. MRS. BARLOW they adjourned to the kitchen of the BARLOW owns the hotel property and has assisted farmhouse, where the pasteboards were dealt in the management. out. MRS. SEYMOUR, according to one of the witnesses stated that the men should con- BARLOW Had War Record tribute a dime each to a "jackpot" to pay BARLOW served during the Boer war with her for cleaning up after the game. the Canadian forces, and also served with the 149th battalion of Canadian forces in Dispute Breaks Out the World war. He has a brother who is A dispute arose outside of the house be- chief of police at Newliskard, Ont. The tween SEYMOUR and one of the men who had latter has been notified of BARLOW'S death. been playing cards, but whether it was over During the time that BARLOW has been man- the fact that because the latter had not aging the Atlantic hotel he had been in the contributed to the MRS. SEYMOUR'S "cleanup" police spotlight on several occassions. BAR- jackpot is not known, so tangled are the LOW was recently made the defendant in a stories of the witnesses. BARLOW left the suit for damages brought by CLARENCE COGLEY, kitchen and went outside remarking that who alleged that he had been permanently "he would settle the matter." injured in a beating which he alleged he BARLOW, it is alleged, knocked SEYMOUR received at BARLOW'S hands. down several times. SEYMOUR arose from the JOHN SEYMOUR, slayer of BARLOW, has been ground and staggering toward the house a resident of Port Huron for many years. yelled "I will kill you, you ......." He is a painter and decorator by trade, but Within a minute or two SEYMOUR appeared for the past year, together with his wife, on the porch of the house with a 22 calibre has been employed on the BARLOW farm in rifle in his hand. He aimed it at BARLOW, Kimball township. who was standing a few feet away. SEYMOUR pulled the trigger. BARLOW dropped to the SEYMOUR'S Story ground. In a twinkling the scene of merry- At the county jail this morning SEYMOUR making was changed to one of excitement told his story of the tragedy. When taken and panic. Men shouted, some ran to their into custody last night by Sheriff H. W. machines and for a few minutes nobody MAINES at the BARLOW farm shortly after apparently knew what had really happened. the shooting, SEYMOUR was in an intoxi- FRANK MINOR, deliveryman, went for his cated condition, according to the officers. machine and turning around ran it up to This morning his memory was somewhat vague where BARLOW lay on the ground. as to the details which led up to the trag- edy. He said: Drive In With Dead Man "BARLOW and several of the Eagles came H. W. CAMPBELL, JAMES CORNELL, C. E. into the kitchen after dark to play a game CEDARLEAF and HERMAN SPARKS picked BARLOW of cards. They had a bottle of whisky hid- up and placed him in the MINOR machine. den out in the yard, and when one of the BARLOW was apparently unconscious. So far men went out to get a drink and found the as known he did not speak from the moment bottle missing they blamed me. BARLOW came he was shot. MINOR headed his machine for out and knocked me down, and I went into Port Huron to get medical assistance for the house and got the rifle. I don't re- BARLOW. member much what happened after that." On the way in CAMPBELL, who was holding SEYMOUR also stated that there had been BARLOW in his arms said, "Boys, BARLOW is an argument over a "jackpot" for MRS. SEY- dead." MOUR for cleaning up after the players got The men in the machine decided that it through with the card game. would be best to deliver the body to Sheriff H. W. MAINES so MINOR drove up in MINOR Was Asleep. front of the county jail on Broad street FRANK MINOR, when questioned at the and delivered his dead passenger. Sheriff county jail, stated that he was asleep when H. W. MAINES notified Coroner ALBERT A. the shooting took place. He stated that he FALK, who after an examination stated that did not see the quarrel and did not hear BARLOW had been dead for about an hour. the report of the rifle. He brought BARLOW BARLOW'S remains were taken to FALK'S to Port Huron in his machine and said that morgue and prosecuting Attorney HENRY BARLOW did not speak on the ride in. One of BAIRD, Assistant Prosecutor DON R. CARRI- the men in the machine told him that BARLOW GAN, Sheriff H. W. MAINES and Coroner was dead as they were on their way in. MINOR ALBERT A. FALK decided to question a num- stated that drinks were served at the picnic ber of witnesses at once, in order to SEYMOUR shot BARLOW with a .22 caliber ascertain the details which led up to Flobert rifle. The bullet entered BARLOW'S the tragedy. body just below the heart. A postmortem ex- amination will be held today by Dr. A. J. MacKENZIE and Dr. T. H. COOPER to determine if the bullet entered BARLOW's heart. =========================================================================================================