The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-05-23
BAKER PlsHl.

BAKER PhSlil.
History Of the Affair that BLASTED His Life
Efforts for His Pardon.
Londen Letter to San Francisco Arsonant
The most ~engrossing topic Of CONVEX
sation in all circles at present seems I'M
q~uestionably to be the proposed rein
statement in the army of Colonel Val
entine Baker-or Baker Pasha, as he is
best ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the incidents
of the event which caused his social
downfall are called back to mind and
discussed with an interest as keen as
though they took place yesterday.
In order to- understand the matter
properly, it will be necessary to go back
to the year 1876, i~nthesummer of which
year Valentine Baker was~ the lieutene
ant-colonel Of the, Tenth Hussars, one
of the, if not the, SWEETEST l~ight-cavalry
regiments in the service, He. had been
in the service since before the Crimean
war, and had served throughout that
campaign as lieutenant in the Twelfth
Lancers. After that he saw service in
India end China, and became noted not
alone in those dasling qualities and
good looks which are. supposed by the
readers of "Ouida" to distinguish all
typical "plungers"--as l~ight-cayalry
Officers are called-but for thorough
knowledge of his profession, particularly
that branch which embraces light cavalry
handing officer of the famous Tenth,
he was looked upon as the finest light
cavalry officer in the service. and his
career as a successful general in the
next European war that should break
out and involve England was accepted
as o %foregone conclusion in the minds
of his admirers.
Although O married man, with nearly
grown children, and though streaks of
white We're growing painfully marked
in his dropping mustache, he retained
with the fair sex those fascinating
graces of speech and manner which had
ever made him the charming companion
he was. alike in drawing-room, boudoir,
club smoking-room. or at regimental
mess-tnble. Brilliant, handsome, gift
ed, clover, brave, and able, he was a ia
vorite among mon and a pet among wo-
men. He was n great friend of the
Prince of Wales-or rather, more prop
erly speaking, the Prince of Wales was
a great friend of his. The. prince was
the colonel of the Tenth Hussars IAN
honorary position which gives pay and
uniform without requiring any duty in
return), and his being so, of course,
gave an extra eclat to the, corps and its
officers.
In June, 1875, the Tenth were quar-
tered at Aldershot, and on the afternoon.
Of the seventeenth day of that month,
Colonel Baker left North Camp Station
by the southwestern train for London,
occupying % fiIst-class compartment all
to himself. At Woking station, just as
the bell was rung to start the train, on
again, a wagonette and pair dhshed into
the station yard. In it were Mr.. Click
enson 20 gentleman residing in the VII
entity, who wasdriving his wife, .daugh-
ter and groom. With barely time to
catch the train, the first compartment
Nj. Dickinson reached he opened. the
door of, and put his daughter into. It
happened to be Colonel Bakers. I
don't know if her father thought any
thing of it Mt the time; but as. it turned
out it was the most unfortunate selec-
| ton that could have been made for.both
its passengers. Had Miss Dickenson
been putinto any other compartment in
the whole train, her name and fame
would not be the public property it has
been for years, and the promising career
of one of the cleverest %oficsrs in the
army blighted.
Miss Dickinson was known as q great
beauty at this time. It was the period
when blondes were all the rag and she
was regarded as a sample to swear bv.
Her brother was an officer in the ROYAL
Engineers, and she herself was by no
means unknown at garrison balls and
placs 8 where officers do mostly resort;
and her golden hair and azure ewes were
set off by a form and figure that might
have been a model for a sculptor. Nor
was her dress the least of her attractions.
On the present occasion she was dressed
in a short travelling costume OF blue
serge, which fitted her like a glove, and
displayed beneath her scant draperies-
it being the zenith of the "pull- back
period-a pair of fairy like feet in pat
ent leather boots and golden-clocked
blue silk stockings. A jaunty blue vel
/ Sce IUuAu 1lde Will NLlUS BUllS 1eALn-
er in it crowned her head, while o nar-
row strip of black lace served as an ex-
cuse for q mask veil.
A friend of mine who happened to be
in the train, has given me this descrip-
ton, accompanying it with the remark:
eff the Judge had seen her then, per-
haps he wouldn't hive been SO hard on
Baker"
1t may perhapsbe only fair to remark
here, without wishing to say eught
against the young lady, that her repn-
tation among those who knew her was
one that would lead a person into calling
her free in her manner with men.
AT all events the train went putin e
OF again and seemed all right until It
stopped at Chaplain Junction. Then
the passengers were thrown into a great
state Of excitement by the intelligence
that when the train had come dashing
up to the platform, the door Of Colonel
Bakers compartment was wide open,
and the colonel holding fast with one
hand to Miss Dickinson, who stood hat
less upon the step outside. A great
commotion followed. With many tears
and sobs the golden-haired beauty told
| her story. the pal}aNt Rakar wac kaknn