Trooper
John R. Barter
September 24 , 1927 - January 12 , 1959
Badge #122
Joined in 1953
Trooper Barter was on patrol on United States Highway 62 near Altus when he turned
onto a county road to investigate a disturbance. He found a parolee, who he had been
in the service with, and a woman. When Trooper Barter asked about the gun the man
carried, the man stated they had been target practicing.
It was later determined that the pair had earlier shot at the man's wife and had just tried to kill a black porter who refused to live with the woman.
When Trooper Barter directed the man to surrender the weapon the parolee shot the Trooper in the chest.
A motorist reported the crime and the two were arrested at a Highway Patrol roadblock near Randlett some three hours later.
The man was executed for the crime in 1960 and the women was sentenced to a prison
term and was paroled in 1975.