Barger vs. Pyle Part 3: Will B. Barger's tragic end

 It must have seemed to many, after attempted murder charges against Emma J. Pyle were dismissed during February of 1901 and she returned to Colorado, that Will B. Barger, prominent Chariton attorney, politician and city leader, was a very fortunate man. Identified by Mrs. Pyle as her lover when she shot him in the head during March of 1900, he had dodged a bullet, emerged from a messy situation with his law practice and his position intact and with his wife and three children still standing loyally beside him.

That's Will, sort of, at left in an image published six years later. I've been unable to find an original photo, so this poor substitute was lifted from microfilm.

Two posts preceding this one provide additional details: "Barger vs. Pyle Part 1: He said. She said. Say what?" and "Barger vs. Pyle Part 2: Emma's marital adventures."

Mr. Barger maintained his reputation as one of southern Iowa's most adept trial lawyers, but did not seek local public office again after his term as county attorney expired on Jan. 31, 1900. Previously, he had served three terms as Chariton mayor. Nor was he successful during 1902 when Lucas County Republicans put his name forward as a candidate for district court judge. He continued to be very active in both local and state Republican politics, however.

There certainly were setbacks. His law offices and law library were destroyed by fire twice in just under two years --- in January of 1904 when the Mallory Opera Block burned and during late December, 1905, when the north-side Maple Block went up in flames, too.

And then, commencing during early 1905, there were occasional newspaper reports of ill health, "nerve troubles" generally attributed to overwork and worry, reportedly cured or at least alleviated by rest at home or visits to the curative waters of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Will also told friends that he was suffering from a mild case of Bright's disease, or kidney trouble.

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Things began to go seriously awry during 1906. During August, a young client named Ray Calkins, facing a charge of forgery, alleged in court that Barger had directed him to perjure himself. This caused presiding Judge Frank W. Eichelberger to appoint a three-member panel of attorneys, G.G. Fancher, E.W. Drake and E.A. Anderson, to investigate.

During mid-October, 1906, a very strange situation developed involving Barger, Nettie (Tuttle) Fluke, who had until quite recently been Barger's stenographer, and Grover Fluke, Nettie's new husband. The incident was reported upon in The Chariton Patriot of Oct. 18 as follows:

Grover Fluke was arrested this afternoon in front of the First National Bank, upon the charge of threatening the life of Will B. Barger. He was taken before Justice Storie and bound over to the grand jury. His bonds were placed at $1,000.

Mr. Barger states that when he went to his office this afternoon Fluke was there. He says that Fluke accused him of speaking ill of his (Fluke's) wife and of writing her insulting letters, and that Fluke pulled a gun and said he was going to kill him. Then, he says Fluke offered to spare is life and said that he (Fluke) and his wife would leave Barger alone and would leave town if he would give them a thousand dollars. Bargar refused, but upon Fluke's renewed threat to kill, said he would give him $500. Barger then told Fluke to follow him to the bank and wait outside for him. Barger went into the bank, out of another door and upstairs to C.P. Connell's office, where he telephoned to Justice Storie. The arrest of Fluke followed, and a revolver was found upon him. We understand that Fluke stated in the justice's office that he intended to kill Barger.

Mr. Barger says it is a plain case of threatened murder and of attempted blackmail on the part of Fluke. We do not know Fluke's side of the story as yet.

As it turned out, Mr. Fluke never had an opportunity to share his story. His arrest occurred on a Thursday. In court the following Monday, the charges were dismissed.

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Also during late October, the three-man panel appointed by Judge Eichelberger completed its investigation after examining Barger's behavior as far back as 1900 and his involvement in the Emma J. Pyle shooting affair. The panel's lengthy report was accompanied by a recommendation to file a motion of disbarment against Mr. Barger. 

The Leader of Oct. 25 reported as follows: "The committee has filed its report with the county clerk and Mr. Barger has been served with notice. The report covers several pages of typewritten manuscript and consists of twelve different specifications, including the Calkins case, his trouble with Mrs. Pyle, the Kate Welch matter (of Russell), threats to shoot the committee in discharge of its duty, etc. So far the case is made up. Mr. Barger will defend himself with all the vigor and ability he possesses which even his prosecutors will have to admit consists of no mean quantity."

"It is said that W.B. Barger has secured the services of J.W. Lewis and ex-Senator Smith, of Ottumwa, to defend him in his disbarment case. It is not likely the case will be tried at the coming term as it will take time for the defendant to make up his answer," The Leader also reported.

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During November, the case against Bargar was continued into the new year but would never be brought to trial. During early December, he suffered what was described as a "nervous breakdown" and remained at home in "critical" condition until shortly before Christmas, when he was transferred to a  private hospital in Des Moines for treatment. He failed to respond, however.

On Feb. 28, 1907, The Herald reported that "Last Friday's Des Moines papers contained the announcement that W. B. Barger, of this city, who had been in a private sanitarium there for two months, was examined by the commissioners of insanity and adjudged insane and taken to the Clarinda state asylum."

The Patriot, also of Feb. 28, reported that "The friends of Will B. Barger will be sorry to learn that it has been found necessary to send him to the hospital for the insane at Clarinda. He was taken there from Des Moines last Thursday. We learn that there is no hope for his recovery as he is declared to be suffering from general paresis.

"Mr. Barger has been suffering with mental trouble for some time, but it was thought his condition was not serious and that a few weeks treatment in a sanitorium would restore him to normal health. Thus hoping, he went to Des Moines for treatment. His condition grew steadily worse until last week it was found advisable to send him to Clarinda."

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General paresis, rare now in the 21st century, is a form of neurosyphilis. It most often occurs in people who have suffered from untreated syphilis for many years.

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Faced with the inevitable, Amanda Barger sold her husband's law practice during mid-March to W.W. Bulman, an attorney who previously had practiced in Waukon, Allamakee County. Mr. Bulman, who moved into the Bargar offices, also undertook to collect for Mrs. Barger any unpaid debts owned to her husband.

Also during March, Mrs. Barger sold the family home on Court Avenue to L.F. Maple, prominent Chariton businessman and her husband's former office landlord, and moved her family into a rented cottage on South Eighth Street.

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Mr. Barger died at the Clarinda asylum on Tuesday, May 28, 1907, and private services were held on Thursday at the family home on South Eighth Street before burial in the Chariton Cemetery.

The following paragraphs are taken from his obituary as published in The Ottumwa Courier of Saturday, June 1:

"W.B. Barger will long be remembered as a forceful and original character. Upon being admitted to the bar he at once took high rank as an able and successful lawyer. He has from the start held a large and profitable clientage and has been regarded as one of the most successful trial lawyers in this part of the state. He served three times as major of Chariton, one term as county attorney and was the successful candidate in his party primaries as Lucas county's choice in the judicial convention of this district on two occasions. He was a leading spirit in organizing Company H, Iowa National Guard, and served as captain of that company. He was active and prominent in the lodge life of this city, being an officer of the supreme lodge of Knights of Pythias at the time of his death.

"Mr. Barger was a positive character, outspoken as to his likes and dislikes; he was not always tactful or tolerant. He aroused strong antagonisms and at the same time made equally strong friendships. He was honest and upright in all his business engagements. He will be sincerely mourned by a large circle of loyal friends, and the entire community will deeply sympathize with his excellent family in the loss of a generous and loving husband and father."

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Amanda Barger and her children moved from Chariton not long after Will B. Barger died. She survived until April 28, 1934, when she died at age 67, in Cleveland, Ohio, where her daughter, Celene Doty, and son, Lewis Barger,  were living. Her remains were brought to Leon, home of her other son, Wilford, where funeral services were held, followed by burial beside Will Barger in the Chariton Cemetery.