KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
Captain Steven Tabor Howard joined the Des Moines Police Department on November 1, 1908 and rose through the ranks to Captain over the following 27 years.
Captain Howard was off duty on the evening of March 1st and often hung out at Arvid Carlson's joint on the east side called the Unique Tavern at E. 18th and University. Capt. Howard was waiting for his girlfriend Viola Moyer to get off work at the Belvedere Club at 2:30 a.m. By the time Capt. Howard and a friend Oscar Hughes arrived at the Unique, most of the customers were gone and Arvid Carlson was getting ready to take the daily receipts along with his brother, Roy, to the bank. Carlson was relieved to see that it was Howard and Hughes coming through the front door and not a couple of strangers.
There had been several robberies around the city and Arvid was nervous about carrying much money around.
A few minutes later Arvid left with the money leaving Steve Howard, Oscar Hughes and brother Roy in the tavern. The three sat around and just before 2:30 a.m. Howard got up to leave to pickup Viola at the Belvedere. Roy snapped off the lights and Howard was the first through the door. Just as he stepped down onto the concrete stoop in front of the tavern the other men heard a shot. Howard grunted and staggered back into the tavern. The gunman came in right behind him.
Another robber entered the tavern and ordered to hand over the money. The tavern receipts were already gone, but a little over $50.00 was given to the two. The gunman ordered the two to lie on the floor next to Howard and ran from the tavern. Carlson called the police and asked for an ambulance for Howard who was conscious and talking. Howard was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment. His wound was a .32 caliber bullet fired directly into his rib cage from a foot away, close enough to leave powder burns on this clothes and skin. The bullet had penetrated his right lung.
Capt Howard seemed to be pulling out of the woods. He continued to improve and by March 11th he was able to sit up in bed and eat his first meal since being shot. At around 6:30 p.m. he suddenly slumped into a comma. His doctor was able to revive him but about an hour later he slipped into another comma, one from which he never recovered. Howard died at 7:40 on the evening of March 11, 1935.
Around 2:30 the following Friday morning, Al Greenleaf was closing his restaurant, the Bonnie Café on East 15th and Lyon, for the night. Just as he switched off the lights he noticed someone moving around on the sidewalk outside the building.
Greenleaf was taking no chances. Greenleaf was a member of the Des Moines Rifle Club and owned numerous weapons and began carrying one of his pistols after the Unique robbery just a few blocks away.
When he saw the shadow moving across his front window he drew his gun and stepped outside. Just as he stepped down the sidewalk he heard the crack of a shot and the bullet hitting the front wall of the café right next to him. Greenleaf fired at the figure and the man turned and ran down the street with Greenleaf close behind.
Greenleaf watched the man enter 1505 Lyon Street and called police. Police arrived and found Carroll "Chance" Barker lying in bed with a bullet wound to his stomach. Barker was transported to Broadlawns Hospital and was in critical condition. Police found that Barker had a lengthy arrest record. He'd just come back to Des Moines from Omaha where he'd been living after being released from the Nebraska State Penitentiary at Lincoln. He'd served five years there for shooting a man during a holdup and prior to that served a two-year stretch for burglary in the state prison in Oklahoma.
Barker would only say that he had been shot by an unknown person somewhere down in the Southeast Bottoms. No weapon was found at the Lyon address.
William Milburn was raking his yard and found a .32 automatic with a spent cartridge jammed in the extractor.
Police technician test fired the weapon and compared the bullet taken from Howard and it was a match.
Barker claimed he was at a party at 1327 Steward when Howard was shot. A Clyde Hayes stated that he would testify that Barker had pawned that very same gun to him a month ago and reclaimed it with the past couple of weeks. The Stewart address didn't provide much of an alibi. Barker was at the address but left with 16 year old boy around midnight by the name of Leroy Eubanks. Eubanks who lived in a shanty at 1401 E. 20th street.
Police raided the E. 20th address and Eubanks and he admitted immediately to his part of the robbery. He and Barker were out of beer and were going to the Unique to purchase some when they observed only a couple of people inside and Barker decided to rob it and was the one who shot Howard. Police charged both Barker and Eubanks with the robbery and the Howard killing.
Eubanks cooperated but Chance Barker didn't, claiming he knew he was going to die from his wound and could see no advantage to admitting to anything. Chance Barker died from his wound on April 2, 1935. Leroy Eubanks was tried for Howard's murder and sentenced to 20 years at the Fort.
Captain Steven Tabor Howard joined the Des Moines Police Department on November 1, 1908 and rose through the ranks to Captain over the following 27 years.
Captain Howard was off duty on the evening of March 1st and often hung out at Arvid Carlson's joint on the east side called the Unique Tavern at E. 18th and University. Capt. Howard was waiting for his girlfriend Viola Moyer to get off work at the Belvedere Club at 2:30 a.m. By the time Capt. Howard and a friend Oscar Hughes arrived at the Unique, most of the customers were gone and Arvid Carlson was getting ready to take the daily receipts along with his brother, Roy, to the bank. Carlson was relieved to see that it was Howard and Hughes coming through the front door and not a couple of strangers.
There had been several robberies around the city and Arvid was nervous about carrying much money around.
A few minutes later Arvid left with the money leaving Steve Howard, Oscar Hughes and brother Roy in the tavern. The three sat around and just before 2:30 a.m. Howard got up to leave to pickup Viola at the Belvedere. Roy snapped off the lights and Howard was the first through the door. Just as he stepped down onto the concrete stoop in front of the tavern the other men heard a shot. Howard grunted and staggered back into the tavern. The gunman came in right behind him.
Another robber entered the tavern and ordered to hand over the money. The tavern receipts were already gone, but a little over $50.00 was given to the two. The gunman ordered the two to lie on the floor next to Howard and ran from the tavern. Carlson called the police and asked for an ambulance for Howard who was conscious and talking. Howard was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment. His wound was a .32 caliber bullet fired directly into his rib cage from a foot away, close enough to leave powder burns on this clothes and skin. The bullet had penetrated his right lung.
Capt Howard seemed to be pulling out of the woods. He continued to improve and by March 11th he was able to sit up in bed and eat his first meal since being shot. At around 6:30 p.m. he suddenly slumped into a comma. His doctor was able to revive him but about an hour later he slipped into another comma, one from which he never recovered. Howard died at 7:40 on the evening of March 11, 1935.
Around 2:30 the following Friday morning, Al Greenleaf was closing his restaurant, the Bonnie Café on East 15th and Lyon, for the night. Just as he switched off the lights he noticed someone moving around on the sidewalk outside the building.
Greenleaf was taking no chances. Greenleaf was a member of the Des Moines Rifle Club and owned numerous weapons and began carrying one of his pistols after the Unique robbery just a few blocks away.
When he saw the shadow moving across his front window he drew his gun and stepped outside. Just as he stepped down the sidewalk he heard the crack of a shot and the bullet hitting the front wall of the café right next to him. Greenleaf fired at the figure and the man turned and ran down the street with Greenleaf close behind.
Greenleaf watched the man enter 1505 Lyon Street and called police. Police arrived and found Carroll "Chance" Barker lying in bed with a bullet wound to his stomach. Barker was transported to Broadlawns Hospital and was in critical condition. Police found that Barker had a lengthy arrest record. He'd just come back to Des Moines from Omaha where he'd been living after being released from the Nebraska State Penitentiary at Lincoln. He'd served five years there for shooting a man during a holdup and prior to that served a two-year stretch for burglary in the state prison in Oklahoma.
Barker would only say that he had been shot by an unknown person somewhere down in the Southeast Bottoms. No weapon was found at the Lyon address.
William Milburn was raking his yard and found a .32 automatic with a spent cartridge jammed in the extractor.
Police technician test fired the weapon and compared the bullet taken from Howard and it was a match.
Barker claimed he was at a party at 1327 Steward when Howard was shot. A Clyde Hayes stated that he would testify that Barker had pawned that very same gun to him a month ago and reclaimed it with the past couple of weeks. The Stewart address didn't provide much of an alibi. Barker was at the address but left with 16 year old boy around midnight by the name of Leroy Eubanks. Eubanks who lived in a shanty at 1401 E. 20th street.
Police raided the E. 20th address and Eubanks and he admitted immediately to his part of the robbery. He and Barker were out of beer and were going to the Unique to purchase some when they observed only a couple of people inside and Barker decided to rob it and was the one who shot Howard. Police charged both Barker and Eubanks with the robbery and the Howard killing.
Eubanks cooperated but Chance Barker didn't, claiming he knew he was going to die from his wound and could see no advantage to admitting to anything. Chance Barker died from his wound on April 2, 1935. Leroy Eubanks was tried for Howard's murder and sentenced to 20 years at the Fort.
KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
Captain Steven Tabor Howard joined the Des Moines Police Department on November 1, 1908 and rose through the ranks to Captain over the following 27 years.
Captain Howard was off duty on the evening of March 1st and often hung out at Arvid Carlson's joint on the east side called the Unique Tavern at E. 18th and University. Capt. Howard was waiting for his girlfriend Viola Moyer to get off work at the Belvedere Club at 2:30 a.m. By the time Capt. Howard and a friend Oscar Hughes arrived at the Unique, most of the customers were gone and Arvid Carlson was getting ready to take the daily receipts along with his brother, Roy, to the bank. Carlson was relieved to see that it was Howard and Hughes coming through the front door and not a couple of strangers.
There had been several robberies around the city and Arvid was nervous about carrying much money around.
A few minutes later Arvid left with the money leaving Steve Howard, Oscar Hughes and brother Roy in the tavern. The three sat around and just before 2:30 a.m. Howard got up to leave to pickup Viola at the Belvedere. Roy snapped off the lights and Howard was the first through the door. Just as he stepped down onto the concrete stoop in front of the tavern the other men heard a shot. Howard grunted and staggered back into the tavern. The gunman came in right behind him.
Another robber entered the tavern and ordered to hand over the money. The tavern receipts were already gone, but a little over $50.00 was given to the two. The gunman ordered the two to lie on the floor next to Howard and ran from the tavern. Carlson called the police and asked for an ambulance for Howard who was conscious and talking. Howard was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment. His wound was a .32 caliber bullet fired directly into his rib cage from a foot away, close enough to leave powder burns on this clothes and skin. The bullet had penetrated his right lung.
Capt Howard seemed to be pulling out of the woods. He continued to improve and by March 11th he was able to sit up in bed and eat his first meal since being shot. At around 6:30 p.m. he suddenly slumped into a comma. His doctor was able to revive him but about an hour later he slipped into another comma, one from which he never recovered. Howard died at 7:40 on the evening of March 11, 1935.
Around 2:30 the following Friday morning, Al Greenleaf was closing his restaurant, the Bonnie Café on East 15th and Lyon, for the night. Just as he switched off the lights he noticed someone moving around on the sidewalk outside the building.
Greenleaf was taking no chances. Greenleaf was a member of the Des Moines Rifle Club and owned numerous weapons and began carrying one of his pistols after the Unique robbery just a few blocks away.
When he saw the shadow moving across his front window he drew his gun and stepped outside. Just as he stepped down the sidewalk he heard the crack of a shot and the bullet hitting the front wall of the café right next to him. Greenleaf fired at the figure and the man turned and ran down the street with Greenleaf close behind.
Greenleaf watched the man enter 1505 Lyon Street and called police. Police arrived and found Carroll "Chance" Barker lying in bed with a bullet wound to his stomach. Barker was transported to Broadlawns Hospital and was in critical condition. Police found that Barker had a lengthy arrest record. He'd just come back to Des Moines from Omaha where he'd been living after being released from the Nebraska State Penitentiary at Lincoln. He'd served five years there for shooting a man during a holdup and prior to that served a two-year stretch for burglary in the state prison in Oklahoma.
Barker would only say that he had been shot by an unknown person somewhere down in the Southeast Bottoms. No weapon was found at the Lyon address.
William Milburn was raking his yard and found a .32 automatic with a spent cartridge jammed in the extractor.
Police technician test fired the weapon and compared the bullet taken from Howard and it was a match.
Barker claimed he was at a party at 1327 Steward when Howard was shot. A Clyde Hayes stated that he would testify that Barker had pawned that very same gun to him a month ago and reclaimed it with the past couple of weeks. The Stewart address didn't provide much of an alibi. Barker was at the address but left with 16 year old boy around midnight by the name of Leroy Eubanks. Eubanks who lived in a shanty at 1401 E. 20th street.
Police raided the E. 20th address and Eubanks and he admitted immediately to his part of the robbery. He and Barker were out of beer and were going to the Unique to purchase some when they observed only a couple of people inside and Barker decided to rob it and was the one who shot Howard. Police charged both Barker and Eubanks with the robbery and the Howard killing.
Eubanks cooperated but Chance Barker didn't, claiming he knew he was going to die from his wound and could see no advantage to admitting to anything. Chance Barker died from his wound on April 2, 1935. Leroy Eubanks was tried for Howard's murder and sentenced to 20 years at the Fort.
Captain Steven Tabor Howard joined the Des Moines Police Department on November 1, 1908 and rose through the ranks to Captain over the following 27 years.
Captain Howard was off duty on the evening of March 1st and often hung out at Arvid Carlson's joint on the east side called the Unique Tavern at E. 18th and University. Capt. Howard was waiting for his girlfriend Viola Moyer to get off work at the Belvedere Club at 2:30 a.m. By the time Capt. Howard and a friend Oscar Hughes arrived at the Unique, most of the customers were gone and Arvid Carlson was getting ready to take the daily receipts along with his brother, Roy, to the bank. Carlson was relieved to see that it was Howard and Hughes coming through the front door and not a couple of strangers.
There had been several robberies around the city and Arvid was nervous about carrying much money around.
A few minutes later Arvid left with the money leaving Steve Howard, Oscar Hughes and brother Roy in the tavern. The three sat around and just before 2:30 a.m. Howard got up to leave to pickup Viola at the Belvedere. Roy snapped off the lights and Howard was the first through the door. Just as he stepped down onto the concrete stoop in front of the tavern the other men heard a shot. Howard grunted and staggered back into the tavern. The gunman came in right behind him.
Another robber entered the tavern and ordered to hand over the money. The tavern receipts were already gone, but a little over $50.00 was given to the two. The gunman ordered the two to lie on the floor next to Howard and ran from the tavern. Carlson called the police and asked for an ambulance for Howard who was conscious and talking. Howard was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment. His wound was a .32 caliber bullet fired directly into his rib cage from a foot away, close enough to leave powder burns on this clothes and skin. The bullet had penetrated his right lung.
Capt Howard seemed to be pulling out of the woods. He continued to improve and by March 11th he was able to sit up in bed and eat his first meal since being shot. At around 6:30 p.m. he suddenly slumped into a comma. His doctor was able to revive him but about an hour later he slipped into another comma, one from which he never recovered. Howard died at 7:40 on the evening of March 11, 1935.
Around 2:30 the following Friday morning, Al Greenleaf was closing his restaurant, the Bonnie Café on East 15th and Lyon, for the night. Just as he switched off the lights he noticed someone moving around on the sidewalk outside the building.
Greenleaf was taking no chances. Greenleaf was a member of the Des Moines Rifle Club and owned numerous weapons and began carrying one of his pistols after the Unique robbery just a few blocks away.
When he saw the shadow moving across his front window he drew his gun and stepped outside. Just as he stepped down the sidewalk he heard the crack of a shot and the bullet hitting the front wall of the café right next to him. Greenleaf fired at the figure and the man turned and ran down the street with Greenleaf close behind.
Greenleaf watched the man enter 1505 Lyon Street and called police. Police arrived and found Carroll "Chance" Barker lying in bed with a bullet wound to his stomach. Barker was transported to Broadlawns Hospital and was in critical condition. Police found that Barker had a lengthy arrest record. He'd just come back to Des Moines from Omaha where he'd been living after being released from the Nebraska State Penitentiary at Lincoln. He'd served five years there for shooting a man during a holdup and prior to that served a two-year stretch for burglary in the state prison in Oklahoma.
Barker would only say that he had been shot by an unknown person somewhere down in the Southeast Bottoms. No weapon was found at the Lyon address.
William Milburn was raking his yard and found a .32 automatic with a spent cartridge jammed in the extractor.
Police technician test fired the weapon and compared the bullet taken from Howard and it was a match.
Barker claimed he was at a party at 1327 Steward when Howard was shot. A Clyde Hayes stated that he would testify that Barker had pawned that very same gun to him a month ago and reclaimed it with the past couple of weeks. The Stewart address didn't provide much of an alibi. Barker was at the address but left with 16 year old boy around midnight by the name of Leroy Eubanks. Eubanks who lived in a shanty at 1401 E. 20th street.
Police raided the E. 20th address and Eubanks and he admitted immediately to his part of the robbery. He and Barker were out of beer and were going to the Unique to purchase some when they observed only a couple of people inside and Barker decided to rob it and was the one who shot Howard. Police charged both Barker and Eubanks with the robbery and the Howard killing.
Eubanks cooperated but Chance Barker didn't, claiming he knew he was going to die from his wound and could see no advantage to admitting to anything. Chance Barker died from his wound on April 2, 1935. Leroy Eubanks was tried for Howard's murder and sentenced to 20 years at the Fort.
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