Omaha daily bee., 1888-07-29
Room TO-, Barker Block

his last breath upon the gallows. He him
self acknowledged to Father Egau, in q writ
ten confession, dated January 2S, 1865, nearly
two years after the murder, that he had
stolen q number of articles, had fired one
building to prevent IA man from moving in,
and was the incendiary who burned the block
on Farnam from Thirteenth street to Samuel
Burns building.
The object of the murder was robbery,
Higgins having deposited about 81 800 in the
safe that night after banking hours. Baker
knew of this and laid his plans accordingly.
Retiring early he feigned slumber until Hig-
gins was fast asleep. Then steaithily
arising he took up an axe and
dealt his victim terrible blows upon the head,
until satisfied that life was extinct. Then
taking the keys from Higgins pocket he
opened the safe and Withdrew the money
which he secreted under Il sidewalk near
by. He then scattered matches over the bed,
saturated several rags and boards with kero-
sene, and set the building on fire, thinking to
oblitcrate all traces of the crime. In order
TO throw suspicion on unknown parties, he
shot himself III the arm and ran down the
street shrieking "Fire! Thievesl Murderl"
The old volunteer fire department promptly
responded to the alarm, and the flames were
~extinguished. Higgins's body was found un-
scorched, his lifc-blood having soaked the
bed clothes and matches, so that they had
failed to ignite. This might have been CON
elusive evidence of Bakers guilt had he not
been an expert liar, telling "a very plausible
story of tho matches having fallen from the
mantel. DIR. Peabody, who dressed the
wound in his arm, testified that the shot
which caused it could have been fired only
by the party himself. Baker was arrested IA
few days afterward and came up for trial be-
fore Judge Lake. Hon. G.. M. Doane was
then district attorney, and Hon. John J..
Redick appeared for the state, while judge,
Hopkins ana Ben Sheiks represented
the defendant. Owing to a disagreement in
the jury. the case was not decided for nearly
two years, at the expiration OF which time
Baker wrote the confession above referred
to. In this he disclosed the hiding-place of
the money. Father Egau, Judge Savage and
John Delaney proceeded to the spot and
found there the 81 800 entire, just as it had
been placed on the night of the murder.
The scaffolding was erected for Bakers
execution in the raviDe mt about the place
which is now the inter s 1ction of Twenty
seventh and Dodge, IA spot which the papers
of that day describe rs a quarter OF "a mile
west of Capitol square," 1t was a place ad-
mirabiy adapted for n public execution, as
the hills sloped gradually down from all dl-
r%ections, forming a natural ampitheatcr. A
vast crowd assembled on those hills TO wit
ness the hanging, the number of women
present being particularly noticeable. A gem
tleman who was AN eye witness of the scene
states that hundreds of them were there.
Baker made no speech upon the scatfold.
Sheriff Hoel and Deputy Sheriff Seymour
were the executioners and Father Egan adj
ministered religious consolation. And thus on
February IA, 1S6S-St. Valentines day
nearly two years after the commission of his
crime, Ottawa H. Baker, the second and
last person to be legally hung in Omaha, re
ceived his just deserts.
A peculiarly touching incident connected
with the murder of Higgins was the fate of
his fiance, Miss Lizzie Heard, a beautiful
and accomplished young lady. The shock of
his violent death and her great grief resulted
in her decease six months after he was killed
Consequently Baker was virtually guilty OF
a double murder.