In the small, burgeoning town of Kennewick, Washington, the fall of 1906 was shattered by a violent and tragic event that would come to be known as the "Great Halloween Massacre." On October 31, Marshal Mike Glover, a dedicated lawman who had served the city for three years and was a father to five children, met an untimely and brutal end. His death was the grim culmination of an investigation into a series of local burglaries that led him and other lawmen to a transient camp known as the "hobo
jungle" in a poplar grove near the Northern Pacific Bridge.
The trouble began on the night of October 30, when hardware and general stores in Kennewick were broken into. Marshal Glover initiated an investigation and sought assistance from Benton County Sheriff A.G. McNeill, who arrived in town on Halloween morning. Earlier that day, Deputy Joe Holzhey and a saloon owner named H.E. Roseman had visited the "hobo jungle" to inquire about the burglaries and were met with hostility from two men, later identified as Jake Lake, a 44-year-old sheepherder and convicted felon, and his teenage companion, 16-year-old George “Kid” Barker. After this tense encounter, Holzhey and Roseman left to regroup with the other lawmen.
Later that afternoon, Marshal Glover, Sheriff McNeill, Deputy Holzhey, and the unarmed Roseman returned to the poplar grove to question the two suspicious men further. As they approached, Jake Lake emerged from behind the trees, armed with a rifle, and chillingly greeted them with the words, "Evenin' gents, I guess you're looking for trouble -- well, you're goin' to get it." Without another word, Lake opened fire. Marshal Mike Glover was struck and killed instantly. In the ensuing gunfight, Deputy Holzhey was mortally wounded and would succumb to his injuries the next day. Sheriff McNeill was also seriously wounded but survived. Jake Lake was shot and killed during the exchange of gunfire.
In the immediate aftermath, a posse of outraged citizens formed to hunt for the remaining suspect, George “Kid” Barker. The search had a tragic consequence when a posse member, Forrest Perry, discovered Barker hiding in a ditch. In the confusion, the rest of the posse mistook Perry for the suspect and fatally shot him. Barker was eventually apprehended and taken to the Benton County jail. However, his incarceration was short-lived, as he managed to escape a few days later and was never seen again. It was later determined that Lake and Barker had not been involved in the burglaries that had initiated the tragic chain of events.
