The sun., 1878-09-29
THE MAN WHO KILLED POOLE.
4 RENTNIs CENCE or LEW BIKER THAT
NAY aSTONISH ms FRIENDS.
Discussing Theology aud the Classics with u
f"miiinrity'Ccrtniniy not Gained In New
York Hnrrooms Gambling Houses

Discussing Theology aud the Classic, with u
Fnmiiinrity Certainly not Gained In New
York harrooms or Gambling Houses
To THE EDITOR OF THE SrN-Sir Since
tho death Of Lewis Baker you have published
several communications regarding him. either
relating TO the murder Of Bill Poole or recalling
incidents In the life Of Baker. Tho last Of these
Is from person who knew Baker as n sailor
thirty years ago. anG whose only recollection OF
him IL that he was n rough fighter Of whom
even the captain Of his ship stool In fear. Most
OF these "reminiscences show Baker only as n
brutal rufllan. and certainly in the history OF
the Poole homicide he appears In that charac-
ter. We can. however. know worry little Of
mans real character by Observing one incident
or ono phase OF It.
havo II "Reminiscences OF Baker. interesting
TO relate. and which. think. will surprise
many OF his oldtimc Ncw-York acquaintnncos
as much us it did mo. Early I'm June, 1874 |
was on n steamboat iourncyng down the Rhino
In company with an " "old-time" resident of
New York. On the boat we mot Lewis Baker.
who was then we'll dressed gcnilemanly- look
ing man, largo and powerfully built but with
mild and detcrcntial mir about him. and "A GER
tain sort Of repose that | have observed fire.
guently accompanies great physical strength.
He was gentle OF voice and ~urteous OF man
ner. and during the twenty-fOur hours we trny-
ellcd together his language WIS that Of an cdu-
gated gentleman. did not hear him utter an
hath nor use coarse word. All this surprised
me. for knew Baker only by reputation had
seen MN once. while he was on trial for the
murder OF Poole md ! was Conscious Of .
known him personally for many years and
ucy were soon taking about things nj home.
bakor had then been absent for some time.
Arrived at Cologne We went to tho same ho-
tel whero I noticed that Baker was, well re-
cetved by the landlord. who k.ew him. On
leaving Cologne the next day. ut the railway sta
ton an incident occurred that showed he was
still dangerous man. If reused. Baker. on
registering his baggage. gave the customary
Tee TO a porter but another porter a fellow OF
hercucan proportions. supposing the fee not to
have been paid. insisted Oh payment. and, soz-
ing hold Of satchcl Baker carried in his hand.
refused t.. release IT, Baker explained pleas-
gigantic porter repeated his demand in Ger
man. and. with Il threatening gesture. throw
himself IN Bakers path. suddenly there was
lrm forward and across the breast OF the porter,
and. with an irresistible motion. literally swept
had happened 1t was the work of nn instant,
but the porter understOod 1t evidently. for. al
though much larger man than Baker he skunk
away with detected expression on his face.
But what surprised me beyond measure oc-
CURED in the railway carriage. Besides Baker.
my friend. and myself. there were in the COM
pHrtment two others. one an English gentle
man. evidently well Informed. who soon en-
gagged with us in u general conversation Baker
had recently returned from Egypt and spoke u
his visit there. displaying "a thorough knowl-
edge Of its history both ancient and mndern.
from Egypt the conversation naturally driftcd
townrd Greece and Rome. Here Baker was
equally at home: he had their histories at his
tongues end. from plutarch to Gibbon. Some
chance remark led the English gentleman to
sneak OF the, struggles OF the early
hlk. Of the evidences OF Christianity. and
onally OF the proofs Of the existence OF
Christ To- be found elsewhere than in the Scrip
lures. Here. also. Baker led the conversation,
always modestly and deterentially. but still with
the air OF \ man who knew his ground thor
onghly. While familiar with the history OF the
Church. he hal also read Paine. Strauss and
Neran. He cited authorities TO prove that the
passage referring To- Christ In Joscphus was IN
terpolated. And when the English gentleman
Eeferrcd 10 statement made by Pliny the elder.
Baker instantly interrupted him with the re-
mark that the passage was not in pliny the
where TO find II.
For several hours the conversation continued
drhrough IL all Baker ii played familiarity
wnVnistory and literature. unusual. to say the
least. even among men whose educational ndvan-
tages have been much superior to his What
eyVr his life may have been. he had certainly
road and learned much. My friend who had
known him well for years. was more surprised
than |.
AS Baker has boon known to the public only
as rough and n fighter. | have thought this
account OF him. in another light, might prove
Of interest. It certainly will interest many who
knew him intimately After Baker left us, at n
station on the road. my friend said: This il
simply astonishing. have known Lew Baker
as rounder' about New York. for nearly
thirty years, I've seen h IN drunk and sober
fighting and gambling; have met him ut all
hours OF the day and night under all sorts oi
conditions. not always rough but frequently
courteous and eentlemany but / never knew
before that he had ever read book"
New York, Sept. 2s. W. S. ANDREWS.