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The house where Ma Barker died – on sale for $1m, bullet holes included

The scene of the FBI's gunfight with the mother of the notorious 1930s gang remains as it was in 1935

Reuters
Thursday 23 August 2012 07:05 EDT
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The lakefront Florida retreat where FBI agents gunned down gangland legend Ma Barker in 1935 is up for sale – bullet holes and all.

The two-storey frame house in rural Ocklawaha, 62 miles north-west of Orlando, is the site of one of the most celebrated raids in FBI history and the suggested starting price on bids for the property is $1m (£635,000).

There have been attempts to patch up and plaster over the bullet holes but Mark Arnold, an agent with Stirling Sotheby's International Realty, almost makes them sound like part of the attraction of the place.

"It's like walking into a time capsule in 1935. The fact that it has this extra history is a really interesting cachet," Mr Arnold said.

He was referring to how Kate "Ma" Barker, who was branded Public Enemy No 1 by the federal government for a rash of murders, kidnappings and robberies committed in the early 1930s, was killed in the house along with one of her sons in a fusillade from federal agents.

He said potential buyers have expressed interest in a variety of uses for the property including a bed-and-breakfast hotel.

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