Obituary: J. M. Barker, 1865 - Smith County, TX Contributed by Vicki Betts July 25, 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************************** HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 11, 1865, p. 4, c. 4 The following items we clip from the Marshall Republican, of September, the 1st: "Murdered—Major J. M. Barker of Starville [sic], Smith county, was murdered seven miles east of Marshall, on the Shreveport road, on Tuesday, last, it is supposed by a man by the name of J. s. Butler, o the same town. A man by the name of Ed. Duke was in company with Butler, but whether or not participated in the murder, we are not able to say. It seems there was an old grudge existing between the parties.