Levi Clayton Barker

Buried in Blackburn Cemetery in Ashe County NC

Levi and his uncle (Alfred) were looking at land in Ashe County June 1903 and staying with Christopher Columbus Davis (Crick Davis) and his wife Nettie Greer Davis.

Per newspaper account 80 years later:

Christopher Davis entered his home in the Flatwoods Community and, with a double bladed axe, murdered his wife and Levi Barker. Levi's father, Alfred was seriously wounded, having one arm almost severed by Davis and receiving severe cuts on the rest of his body. Alfred Barker crawled to the nearby home of Davis' brother to report what had happened. Barker reportedly died three years later from effects of his wounds.

Levi Barker's head was severed by Davis and Nettie Greer Davis was badly wounded, with arms and legs severed, before her husband finally removed her head with a blow of the axe.

Ironically, according to reports attending the tragedy, both Barkers were preachers (PER FAMILY-NOT TRUE), were holding a revival in the vicinity at the time and had been invited to stay in the Davis home.

The Grand Jury, in a body, returned into open court the folliwng bill of indictment for the July 1903 term of Super Court, sitting in Ashe County:

"The Jurors for the state open their oath present that C.C.Davis late of the County of Ashe and state of North Carolina on the 1st day of January, 1903, with force and arms at, and in, the county aforesaid, feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought, did kill and murder L.C.Barker, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state."

An almost identical "true bill" of indictment was returned against Davis for the murder of his wife, known in the indictment as Nettie Davis.

As the trial got underway, Defendant Davis, pleaded not guilty, but then changed his plea to guilty to murder in the second degree. The jury subsequently found him "Not guilty of the felony and murder charged in the bill of indictment, but guilty of murder in the second degree, in manner and form as charged in the bill of indictment."

Davis was sentenced to 30 years at hard labor in prison, but apparently served only a short period of his sentence. He died soon after being released from prison.

Hattie Greer and Christopher Columbus Davis were buried near their home, the murder scene. Hattie's grave has a headstone. C.C.'s does not.

Levi Barker's body was returned to Silas Creek for his final resting place...

....Eighty years of mute testimony to a flash of rage, whose motives he shrouded in time and often unfathomable mystery of human emotion.

1870 census: June 30, 1870 Chestnut Hill, Ashe Co, NC

(Jefferson Post Ofc)

AJ Borker 24

Cynthia Borker 27

Solomon Borker 4

Levi Borker 2

1880 census: June 4th&5th, 1880 Helton, Ashe Co, NC

AJ Barker 34 Farmer

Cynthia A Barker 36

Solomon Barker 14

Levi Barker 12

Columbus Barker 10

James Barker 7

Huston Barker 4

Jesse W Barker 2