On October 31, 1906, three
lawmen and one outlaw are shot dead in a gunfight that will
become known as the "Shootout in Poplar Grove." Three lawmen
approach the campsite of two suspected burglars in a "hobo
jungle" near Kennewick. One of the outlaws opens fire on the
lawmen, killing two of them. A third lawman shoots one of the
outlaws dead. The other escapes but is later captured, but
only after a member of the posse is shot by mistake. When it
is all over, Kennewick "was left without a lawman on his
feet".
One Halloween
The Shootout at Poplar Grove began late on the afternoon of
Halloween when Kennewick Sheriff Deputy Joe Holzhey and a local
saloon owner, H. E. Roseman, went to a transient campsite in the
trees and questioned two men at a campfire about the burglary of
two Kennewick stores the night before. One of the men angrily told
the deputy that it made him "hot to have you spying around here."
The two transients told them to stay away or there'll be
trouble".
It was later learned that the two men were Jake Lake, a
44-year-old sheepherder, and George "Kid" Barker, 16, who had just
arrived after hopping a freight train in Spokane.
Holzhey and Roseman walked away, but soon met up with Benton
County Sheriff Alex G. McNeill and Kennewick Marshal Mike Glover,
who were also investigating the burglaries. The four decided to go
back to the poplar grove to question the two further.
According to Roseman's account, Lake suddenly appeared between
two trees, rifle in hand, and said, "Evenin' gents, I guess you're
looking for trouble -- well, you're goin' to get it".
They Commence Shooting ...
According to Barker's account, Lake saw the lawmen coming and
said, "We'll make the bulls hike back up to town; get your gun".
Lake stepped out, demanded to know why the men were "following
them" and ordered them to throw up their hands. Barker said that
the men reached for their guns and Lake "commenced shooting."
Holzhey and Glover went down immediately. McNeill took cover
behind a sapling and emptied his six-shooter, although he was shot
in the abdomen. Roseman, the only unarmed member of the party, took
cover. When the shooting stopped, he helped McNeill into a handcart
on the nearby railroad tracks and took him back into Kennewick.
... And Shooting
An outraged posse, fueled by whiskey by one account, immediately
formed. The posse galloped to the grove and found Glover shot dead,
Holzheny grievously wounded (he died the next day) and Lake shot
dead in the trees. Barker was nowhere to be found.
A frenzied search ensued with what was described as half the
male population of Kennewick. Posse member Forrest Perry later
found Barker cowering in a ditch not far from where the shooting
had occurred. Perry shouted at Barker to throw up his hands. The
rest of the posse, confused, opened fire. Perry screamed and went
down, shot dead. The posse had mistaken Perry for Barker.
Barker immediately surrendered and was taken to Prosser to stand
trial for murder. He escaped before the trial could be held,
however, and was never heard from again.
The entire bloody incident hinged on an unfortunate
misunderstanding. Authorities later determined that Barker and Lake
had nothing to do with the original burglaries.
Sources:
Jim Dullenty, "4 killed in 1906 gunfight at Kennewick,"
Spokane Spokesman-Review, October 5, 1978;
"Horror marked this Halloween," Spokane
Spokesman-Review, November 3, 1959.
By Jim Kershner, February 29, 2008
Copyright
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