The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-01

Mob Violence at Lake City, Williams.
burg Couniy-Hhe Negro and His
Baby Killed aud Cremated-His
Wife and Daughters Seriously
Wounded

"ile ana Daughters SeriouSl
Wounded.
Inc negro postmaster, Frazier b
? Baker, OF Lake City, s. c., about whom
SO much has been written and printe d
was brutaIly murdered on the nigh
, OF Feb. 2lst, his home set on fire, hi
wl1o and children shot, and utter de
struction visited upon his household d
The ktngstree correspondent OF the
News and Courier gives the followinl
; account Of the affair:
The news of the killing of Baker
spread rapidly, but no one dreamed OF
the awiulness Of the crime until later
In the<day, when we got full particulars
revealing the fact that Lake City was
the scene OF one of tho most awful
crimes ever committed in tue State.
Frazier Baker was u coal black negro
about 40 years old, and was appointed
and took charge Of the Lake CITY pest.
Oilce about six months ago. He was o
native OF Florence County and had
dever lived at Lake City until he went
there to take charge Of the postoifice.
me people OF Lake City were justly
Indignant at the appointment OF this
negro as their postmaster.
The authorities at Washington had
been notified OF their mistake and error
| 10 appointing this man, they knew of
MS lncompetency. And the people of
the whole United States ought to be
made acquainted with the fact that the
postotfice authorities in Washington
are largely responsible for the dcatn OF
Frazer b Baker.
About II or o'clock last night Il mob
OIL 5u0 or 4OO people gathered around
the Lake CITY postOtfice, which was
also the dwelling OF Bakers family.
Bakers house had been fired into be.
| ioro and even the post tlice had been
burnt not more than Il month ago, but
| the mob WAS determined to do their
work eiectually this time, and they
| surrounded the little shauty, and at
once set fire to it. Bakers whole
| family was in the house. 1t consisted
OF Frazier Baker, his wife. " son, two
daughters and babe of II months.
Baker was killed outright and his body
left in the burning building AS the
mother attempted TO leave the build
Ing with her children, surrounding
her, wild with fear and excitement,
and her innocent babe in her arms,
they were all fired upon and the babe
was killed In the mothers arms, and it
dropped by the side Of the dying father
In the burning house. Each of the
others was shot, and while they are all
still alive yet it is said that they are ali
seriously wounded. The woman was
shot down by the side Of the burning
building, and would have been burned
to death had she not been taken up
and carried away by other negroes liv-
ing nearby. The two daughters are
about grown and it is said they are both
seriously wounded, and even il they
recover each will lose u limb. The boy
Is about II years Did, and is shot
through the abdomen and cannot live.
The father and youngest child we're
burnt to crisp and some parts of their
bodies were found among the charred
remains OF the cabin. 1T is hard to
conceive OF more horrible ending to
the Lake City postoilice muddle, and
al right thinking people are bound TO
condemn it. Coroner Burrows cmpan-
elled jury of inquest, who after view
Ing the scene adjourned to meet again
on Saturday. There is no excite
ment whatever in Lake City. Every
thing seems to be going on in the even
tenor of its way. Stores all open, and
business going on just as if nothing
had happened, except that all are now
perplexed, as to how they will get
their mail. The general impression is
that the Lake City mail will go to
Scranton, three miles distant, until a
new post-ofli ;e can be established at
Lake City. Lake City is on the North
eastern Railroad, about twenty miles
below Florence. The people are noted
for their sobriety, and it is considered
one OF the most moral towns in Eastern
South Carolina. Very few people seem
to think that any of the citizens OF
Lake City had anything to do with
this unfortunate affair or that they
were in the mob at all. Lake City has
IA .,
town, not over dozen negroes living
In the place, and not one owning a
loot OF land in the corporate limits OF
the town, and this makes 1T all the
more strange that a negro should have
been appointed postmaster at Lake
City.
1t Is said that one Edmund Deas, of
Darlington, wrote Baker letter a lew
days before his death, and commended
him for his bravery, advising him to
| hold on to the office, and telling him
that his name would go down the cor
riders OF time as one of the bravest
and most patriotic men OF his race. 1t
| ls but just to add the the wounded me-
groes are receiving every attention in
the way OF eatables, as well as medical
attention, from the white people OF the
town, most OF whom seem to be shock ed
| that so horrible 81 deed could have Oc-
CURED In their usually quiet little
| town.
THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
Some time ago while the Lake City
postofice trouble was supposed to be
at it's height The News and Courier
interviewed Mr.. Marion Clark, editor
OF the Lake City Times, as to the cause
OF the trouble, and obtained from him
the following information
The people Of Lake City are long
suffering, but they have at last made
d strong appeal to the Government for
relief from their present postmaster.
In September last MIR. G. M. Kelley,
q gentleman who had held the office
OF postmaster for seven years and CON
Quoted it's affairs to the entire satifac-
tion OF all, was removed, and in his
stead negro was appointed. This
negro had never been resident even
OF the county, haying come from Flor
ence, after making application for the
Lake City postotlice. He had actually
oeen resident OF Lake City about one
week when appointed postmaster
THE situation now is." said Mr.
Clark, that we have little courtesy
shown us and the service Ia as poor a.
can be. The negro is uncivil, ignorant
and lazy. We have four mail trains q
day that stop at the depot, and before
this negro was appointed we had three
IL IN INY EN.tl 10 n L