The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-28
SWIFT JUSTICE METED.
No Mercy Shown the CoWardly
Assassin of Judge
Baker.
CAPTURED IN THE MOUNTAINS.
He Was Taken Back to the Scene OF
His Crime and There Quickly
Executed.

MADEIRA, CAL, July 27.-CitiZens OF
MADEIRA County have decided that justice,
as meted out in the courts, is too slow for
such murderers as Victor Adams so when
he was captured yesterday morning they
took the law into their own hands and sus-
pended him by means of rope to the
limb of liveoak tree.
Five days ago Adams shot and killed his
father-in-law, Judge Baker. in the doorway
of the victims house, and since that time
two posses have been looking for him. One
was composed of officers and the other of
citizens. The posse under the leadership
of Sheriff Westfall had seen no trace of
Adams, and Westfall and becoming dis
couraged, returned last night from the
hills with no news from the scene of the
tragedy.
But posse of citizens, headed by Tom
Baker, brother of the murdered man,
had rightly conjectured that Adams
course would lead toward the summit of
the mountains. They worked in that di-
rection, but the murderer eluded them un-
til yesterday morning, when he ran almost
into the arms of his pursuers.
Tom Baker and companion were sleep
ing together in barn in the vicinity of
North Fork and in the morning, about the
break of day, when they were making
preparations to leave the barn and resume
the hunt, they espied Adams sneaking
cautiously into the barn. The murderer
was not alert enough to save himself, for
Baker Immediately had his gun leveled at
him and commanded him to throw up his
hands. Adams dropped his shotgun and
complied.
Bakers companion then disarmed
| Adams, taking from him his shotgun
and bowie-knife.
| Adams hands were bound behind him
with leather cords; then ne was placed
upon one OF the sadGle-horses and the two
proceeded with him to within about three
miles of O'Neals, and almost in sight of
| the house where Adams had committed
the crime that he was now about to expi-
| ate.
The news of his capture had spread and
large number of determined men were
soon on the spot. All formalities were dis
pensed with. A moose was carefully ad-
justed about Adams neck. His eyes were
not blindfolded, but gaZed beseechingly
upon his executioners as score Of willing
hands pulled him into eternity.
The body was left hanging there, await
| ing the official action of the Coroner.
The news of the lynchlng spread rapidly
and a great number of people are con-
stantly visiting the place to see the body
OF the murderer.
Coroner Payne started Immediately for
the scene, but as the distance is about thirty
miles from nere the inquest will not be
held till tomorrow afternoon.
Victor Adap,si crime was recJ1Iia ar1v
cold -blooded and brutal one. he had
married stepdaughter of Judge Baker
against the latter's wishes, and bad blood
had always existed between the two. Last
Tuesday they met near the Judges house
and quarreled. Adams attempted to shoot
Judge Baker, but was stopped by by
stander.
Baker started for home with his stepson-
in-law following short distance behind
him. AS the old man crossed the threshold
of his house he turned to glance toward
the road, and saw Adams taking aim at
him. He shouted, Don't shoot, and the
words were his last. There was report,
and Baker fell into the arms of his wife,
who had come from an inner room to greet
him. Then with fiendish brutality Adams
ran up and fired the remaining charge in
his shotgun into the dying mans body.
Defying pursuit he turned and dashed into
the brush.
Other crimes charged against Adams
proved him to have been thorough villain.
A few months ago he turned his little girl
out of his house because she could not find
some sheep that had strayed away. The
child spent the night in the mountains,
and was found late the following afternoon
faint from hunger and exposure.
Adams later attempted to Kill his step
daughter. The girl was bound hand and
foot, gagged, and thrown into creek. The
stream was shallow enough to enable her
to keep her nose above water, and after en-
during three hours of torture she was dis
covered and rescued. For weeks afterward
the girl hovered between life and death.