Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-03-04
ApEspRRArR ourLAw.s
Terrible Deeds Of q Desperate In tho
Southwest.

From q gentleman conversant with the
facts in the case, says the Memphis Post,
we have obtained some particulars in
regard to the deeds of o desperate who
infests northeastern Texas, which seem
more like the creations of fiction, or the
record Of events in the dark ages, than
like occurrences of the present, and
which, but for the reliability of our in
formant, and his opportunity Of obtain
ing the facts, we would be inclined to
reject MS incredible. History hardly
affords a parallel to the atrocious con-
duct of this fiendish villain. Highway
men and brigands in other countries,
impelled BY tho thirst for gold, may
have committed as many deeds of blood,
but murder with them was not tho sole
object. With him it seems to be a sort
of diabolical pastime in which he takes
delight rs other men would do in the
killing of game. He is one of the class
of villains whose innate depravity and
iendishness was given development by
the opportunities afforded by tho war,
and who have taken advantage of the
unsettled state Of affairs since, to give
full scope to the wickedness of their
malignant hearts, which was before kept
under restraint by the force Of law.
The name of tho desperate is Baker.
He calls himself Colonel Baker, Of
the Confederate army" but tits said no
never held n commission in that army.
He was in tho Rebel service as u private
soldier or guerrilla, and, we believe,
was also at II time in the Union army.
He was in Texas before the war, and
married in the region of his present ex-
ploits. After the var he had no dispo-
sition to settle down to make an honest
and p~eaceable living, but ranged about,
committing d~epredations and outrages
of the most infamous character. His
conduct was so outrageous that General
Reynolds, commanding in Texas, issued
IN order declaring him m outlaw, and
directing that he should be killed wher-
cver found. He has latterly been roam
ing over the country in the northeastern
corner Of Texas, and occasionally in the
Indian Territory and Southwestern Ar
kansas, sometimes alone, and at other
times accompanied by other leaders and
desperate characters.
A detailed account of all the outrages
of this desperate villain would fill q
volume. He is said to have committed
upward Of forty murders. At first his
murderous acts were confined to United
| States soldiers and negroes ; but he has
oaosaI IN make distinctions and no
| class is exempt from his atrocities. At
one time he rode up and killed two SOL
diers who were unsuspicious Of danger,
and unprepared for I'm attack. At an-
other time he deliberately shot a colored
driver. A squad Of mon were sent out
by a military commander to capture him
on the road, well mounted and armed,
and held n conversation with him, but
| either from not knowing him, or from
some other cause, suffered him to es-
| cane unmolcsted. The commander Of
the post ut Boston, in Bowie county,
| Texas, issued a circular offering q re-
ward Of two hundred dollars for his
head. Baker, in return, wrote a procla-
nation, signing it "Colonel Baker, G..
S. A." offering four hundred dollars
for the commanders head. He pro-
posed to cnpitulate On certain condi-
lions, among which were the following /:
That all United States soldiers should
leave the South /; that all Rebels should
be repaid for their losses during the war,
and that the Southern C~outederacy
should be acknowledged.