The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-05-15

er travels by train alone in England
at least, no parent who has his daught-
er's safety at heart would permit her to
do so-and that, was advanced as ez-
cuse enough for whatever happened,
~ But at length at the Croydon Assizes,
before Mr.. Justice Tush of the Queens
Bench, Colonel Baker was tried for
criminal assault, and Miss Dickinson re-
peated her tale under oath. Naturally,
in case of the kind, a woman, if she DO
a lady, and especially if she be pretty,
has itau. her own sYay.5 Ins England,
too, man can't testify in Ing
own behalf, 49, and. :, the stunning
beauty Of ca Miss Dickinson caps:
tured every heart. What were mans
past services to- his country, OF hltuEes
career, put in the balance with an ing
jured woman like that, even thoughsAer
story lacked a tenable corroboratiya
circumstance o bear out herunsupport-s
ed statements Colonel Baker was de-,
Tended by Mr., Hawkins, G! c., the,
leading criminal lawy er'at the time who
has since become judge of the High
Court of Justice, and I remember that
his %lefense was thought to have been
far from an able one. Among many
points missed by him was failing to lay
any stress on the fact Of Baker holding
Miss Dickinson from falling. Had he
been the scoundrel size described him,
or had he any reason to expect she
would accuse him of anything, he
would not have been SO anxious to save
from injury the only witness against
him. = I :
However, Colonel Baker was convict
cd, and sentenced to a years imprison-
ment in Maidstone jail, and fine OF
five hundred pounds. Until then public
opinion was, in q measure: suspended;
but upon his conviction there vast
any punishment severe enough for him;
no degradation sufficient to show the
public detestation of his conduct. He
was cashiered from the army, losing his
commission money--the same being the
modest sum of six thousand pounds he
was expelled from his clubs, and dis
graccd in every way. The Queen, to
show her special resentment, sent for
Miss Dickinson to come and see her at
Buckingham Palace, and commlscratcd
with her In fact, she tried to make a
heroine of her. But she corndnt make
that 60 If people were down upon
Baker, they had a lingering, admiration
for him that made them dislike the cause
of his DOWNFALL And besides, there
were people who knew Miss Dickinson
pretty we'll, and though = Colonel
Baker neither at tho trial nor
in any public manner, ever
said word to injure her, it somehow
got whispered about that she had given
more encouragement to his advances
than were in keeping with modesty, and
that the anklegrasping episode had been
rather natural result of Il request from
her to button her boot SO, altogether,
though she succeeded in running Nalcn-
tine Baker, she pretty ctfectually ruined
herself into the bargain. There is one
thing that I have heard, and [ give ii
for what it is worth: 1t has been said
that Colonel Baker got into rather
similar scrape in India once. The
prince of Wales stood his friend through
the hole trouble, but when it was over
T he could do no more. He went to
Bakers cell before his term OF contine-
ment began, and babe him goodbye,
and that was the last of him as a gentle
man.
Baker underwent his sentence like n
stole, and upon its termination left
England and offered his services to
Turkey. The war of 1876, with Russia,
was Just on, and the Sultan was only
too glad to get such q man. He was
made pasha and given the command Of
the cavalry, and from that day to the
present Valentine Baker has been IN the
Sulta1l's service, ! Ha introduced vari-:
GUS reforms, and improved the Turkish
army in way and with a. rpidity that
has excited the admiration of Eufope.s
When Suleiman Pasha was defeated he
covered his RETREAT in a mastery man
ner, and -with.twentv- five hundred men
kept thirty thousand Russians in check.
Since then hiseadvice upon Eastern sub
'jects has been eagerly sought by the
British government. His recent labors
in Egypt are too we'll known to require
comment. A man who can do" such
things in the face Of what would crush
most men must necessarily wan
the admiration Of his fellow
beings, and especially, OF
his countrymen. A reaction in popular
feeling long since set in, and now it has
eliminated in a pronounced movement
in favor of his being reinstated in. the
army. Naturally there is considerable
opposition. In the main it may be said
to come from officers inferior to him in
every way, who fear his superior ability.
The, Prince Of w ales is working hard;
but tho Queen, true tosher obstinate
prejudices, so far remaines obdurate.
Letters blythe hundred, pre- and con,
from people of every description many
from ladies GALL of whom are on Bakers
sidc), fill the columns Of tue daily and
weekly press and if nothing more comes
of it, it will at least have afforded people
something to talk about and quarrel
over. If the most sensible opinions
prevail, the man will be restored to- his
rank and position He has been pun
ished enough for, at the most, a half
hours folly, and England's army is to
weak in generals to spare such a one>as
he would make.
! J,ondon. Anril 2. 1884. COCKAIGNE.