The Lost Head of Ernest Gouker
On the morning of Monday, December 9, 1929, a fire devoured a one and a half story log home four miles south of Gettysburg, just off Taneytown Road near Barlow. The inferno raged with such ferocity that by the time neighbors noticed the smoke, all they could do was watch in helpless horror. Their thoughts turned to the family inside-- Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Gouker and two of the six Gouker children who were still living at home. Some were saddened, some were shocked, but others merely sighed. The Goukers were an interesting family, and some said it was only a matter of time before tragedy paid a visit to their country farm. For generations, the Gouker clan had provided sheriffs, constables and police officers of York, Adams and Cumberland Counties with no shortage of work. Though their crimes were not particularly sensational or egregious, they were frequent enough to earn the family a less-than-sterling reputation-- drunk driving, petty theft, disorderly conduct and the occasional domest...
