The herald., 1895-11-04
SHADOW OF THE GALLONS
A Man Who Was Hanged and Lived
to Tell About II
Another Man Who Witnessed the Prepare
tions for His Execution, but Escaped
Death by a Scratch

have experienced the sensation OF seeing
the scaffod erected and the rope prepared
for their hanging; less have experienced
the actual sensations of hanging, ana
lived to tell their experience. Los Ange-
les is the home of one of the former, and
has been the home OF one of the latter.
The man who Was hanged. and who
lived to tell the story. was Ed. Baker,
who formerly kept the Congress hall in
the basement under the old Tribune Office
at the corner of Requena and Main
streets, in the bJom days. Congress hall
was tough place, and Baker was tough
man, but he had many good qualities,
and was quite popular with many of the
old-timers. Baker will bear the mark of
the rope around his neck to his dying
day. Just as to the real facts of the hang
ing. Baker never told the particulars.
The occurrence, it is said, took placs in
Idaho many years ago, and was the work
of vigilantes. Baker was swung up and
the rope tied, when the lvnching party
rode off, leaving him suspended. Just
how long he hung. ne never knew, bat
woman, the wife of one of the men in
the party. cut him down before life was
CAtlHCt3 anu Ao was ISSucilSutcu,
furnished a horse, and assisted in get
ting out OF the country. After travelling
about for several years, Baker settled in
Los Angeles. going into the saloon pusi-
ness. He was q man of more than ordi-
nary intelligence, and made some money
specializing. Several years ago he got
mixed up in fraudulent mortgage swim
die. with three or four real estate men,
was convicted and sent to San Quentin,
where he now Is. The others implicated
with him got clear, Baker preferring to
take the punishment rather than turn
against his confederates.
The man who saw the scaffold erected
and the rope escaped" for his execution,
still lives in Los Angeles, and is IN bust
ness on South Spring street. In the early
'7Os he killed a man named Myers, at
Helena, Ark. Myers had been brought
from North Carolina to regulate large
plantation near Helena. He was man
of powerful physique, and soon institut-
ed regular reign of terror among the
smaller farmers in the vicinity, frequent
ly horse whipping men who had incurred
his displeasure. Among others he sent
word to the man now living in Los A n
seles that he intended to chastise him on
sight, when the reply was sent back that
il he attempted anything Of that kind he
would do so at his peril. Shortly after
the two men met on the public road.
Myers was on horseback when he first
saw his man, and dlsmounting, APP
preached him with neavy piece OF nick
ory timber IN mis- hand. When within
striking distance he aimed a blow at the
other mans head, when he threw up his
arm, saving his skull, but receiving a
him and bore him to the ground. The
man underneah. with an arm disabled,
drew his revolver from his POCKET, and,
placing it against Myers abdomen. fired :,
intlicting a wound from which he died in
short time. The man who did the
killing was, of course, arrested and tried
for murder. Myers relatives were very
wealthy, and he had influential political
connections in and around Helena. After
one of the most sensational trials in the
history Of Arkansas, the man was con.
victed of murder and sentenced to be
hanged. Two negroes had been hanged
only a short time before and for political
reasons it was desired to make an exam
ole by hanging a white man. The man
doomed to death also had many friends
and they were not idle. A stay had been
secured from the supreme court, bat 1t as
alleged that this was irregular, and friends
of Meyrs notified the sheriff that if the
man was not hanged they would make
trouble tor him. When the morning OF
che day set for the execution arrived the
officers began putting up the scaffold,
while couple of negroes were put to
work "soaping" the rope. the gov
ernor was telegraphed but the wires were
down AMI nothing could be heard FROM
the capital. The execution was to take
place between the hours of 10 and 9 O'Clock
and 1t was known that no time would bt
lost. ct this luncture Colonel VIM. X.
Burke, now in the insurance business in
tins city but at that time com manning
the militia company at Helena, ordered
out his troops to protect the prisoner in
case of violence from those outside, but
of course could not do anything against
the sheriff, and the doomed man sat down
to wait for the end. His attorneys had
bid him goodbye, and it looked as il
there was no escape, when at $40 O'Clock
communication was opened with Little
Rock and message was received from
the governor granting reprieve tor ter
days. AS result the gallows was re-
moved and the lawyers went to work
again. A new trial was had, when the
jury disgreed, eleven being for acquittal
had then been IN jail INVENTIVE igh BIT
months. and rather than be kept Longer
in suspense he pleaded guilty. throwing
himself on the mercy OF the court. He
was given the lightest sentence that could
be imposed, two years in the penitenti.
airy. Colonel Zeb Ward was then il
charge of the penitentIary and he CAV.
the man who was almost hanged a place
in the Office, and as soon as George Mill Ell
went into office he was pardoned, wher
he was appointed to a position in thu
penitentlary and renamed some months.
The man afterwards came to Los An
geles and was for several years on thu
police furce, ana as has been stated. is
now engaged in business on South
Spring street.