As Always dear readers we are most excited to bring you yet another TRUE story about the dark and sinister secrets of the The Dirty South. Today's story takes us a little further north to Limestone County, Alabama.
In the early 1900's a Limestone county man forced his pre-teen son into the family barn late one night...
The man forced his son into a stall with a mule that was wild and had a violent history of being temperamental. The man forced his son against his will into the stall and the mule began to bray and kick at the boy. The boy resisted and eventually escaped the clutches of his father and made his way to the police. After realizing the impact of what he was about to do to his own son, the man suffered a mental breakdown and was committed to a mental hospital where he died years later from malnutrition.
But why did this man try to kill his son?
Because of This Man.
Reverend John Samuel Baker
Reverend John Baker was a tall mysterious preacher with the charismatic gift of gab. Barker, who could speak and hold crowds spellbound for hours, told the Limestone County farmer that his son indeed for a fact "had the devil in him" Barker preached a special doctrine that involved the sacrifice of the seventh born child. Barker preached this sermon fervently the point were some of his followers actually did kill their own children. One man and his family left the area for a short time, killed the child who was about 5 or 7 years old and brought back the small body, in a suitcase to be buried under their house. After the police became suspicious the family relocated.
Barker preached that there was a devil in every single family, and that the possessed person must be killed. Barkers knowledge of the bible from cover to cover allowed him to quote any part of the bible in or out of context to manipulate his followers.
Barker also claimed to be "The Bride of Christ". He professed his femininity and said he experienced monthly periods, identical to female menstruation, including "an issue of blood".
Barker also insisted that his female followers be baptized in the nude. The majority of his sermons were about sex and were directed towards women. Barker never legally married.
And Barker was a drug addict.
While Barker would preach, he always had two young ladies serving him. One fanned him while another waited on standby with a jug of still unknown contents. He popped pills, drank like a fish, and started his sermons by drinking a Cocaine elixir while standing at the pulpit.
While high in the pulpit one Sunday morning Barker announced to his congregation that he was IMMORTAL.
Yep, Barker preached that he could not be killed, but he still surrounded himself with armed body guards going so far as to have armed guards surround his car while traveling in a small motorcade.
Barker encourage his followers to believe that making whiskey was ethical, as long as it was sold to "non-believers". Barker said as long as a portion of the proceeds make their way to the church, everything was all good, Prohibition or not.
According to the 1973 book, "A History of Limestone County" by Robert Henry Walker, old Reverend Barker would frequently send thugs to the homes of members in order to collect tithes and offerings.
Barkers followers known as Barkerites had their own community in the western part of the county.
Like all nutjob religions that emerged around that time, in 1915 Barker informed his faithful followers that God, himself had told him personally that the world was coming to an end in 1917.
Barker convinced his followers to sell their homes, animals and all earthly belongings and turn over the proceeds to Barker. Around the spring of 1917 the world continued to exist and some of Barkers followers started to pull away from this cult. Barker seeing the gig was up relocated silently to Oklahoma. Barkers nephew left with him, bringing along his son, who just so happened to be the seventh born son. Barker had his nephew to kill him son, a murder he was never charged for on account of the police could recover a body, he was however imprisoned on a lesser charges..
Barker died Feb, 1934 and is buried in Western limestone county in the barker family Cemetery (directions below, if your interested)
A few of his followers actually remained faithful until his death. Barker preached he could not be killed so if it looked like he had died, it was not real and he was only resting and would rise from the grave on the third day. His grave was guarded day and night for almost two years until the last follower died.
Directions To The Old Home place of John S. Barker
From Hwy. 72 in Rogersville, Alabama head north on Main St. (Hwy. 207) and turn right on College Street (Co. Rd. 26.) The road will become Upper Snake Road. Go about five miles and turn right on Lovell Rd. The old house will be on the right.
GPS location of the house is 34.86372576876629,-87.18425184488297
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