The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1912-11-16
REASONS FOR lYNcHlNe
DETAILS OF Steele AFFAIR

OAS a. olcclc Ou NOVcIuUcE oIu was HOT
unexpected and so far as known no at
tempt has been made to arrest any of
the lynchers who came quietly in teams
and automobiles from the country to do
the job. 1t is likely that the masked
men came from around Dawson. People
had been heard to say that hanging had
gone out of fashion in North Dakota
and they were afraid Baker would not
be executed for his cold blooded double
murder. The setting free of such char.
acters as Joe Remington was also re-
cited. and the settlers Of Kidder county
decided that they would see to it that
Geo. W. Baker had speedy execution.
The details of the affair are described
in the Bismarck Tribune as follows
Baker had but little opportunity to
cl0the himself when taken from the Jail
by the mob. 1t is said that he was
asleep on his bunk and had on but lit
tie more than a sweater. and when
warned of the approaching mob he had
only time to pull on his pants and one
shoe.
The mob had been thoroughly and
systematically ordanized before reach
ing Steele. They had prepared the rope
and even tied the moose. They easily
opened the iron door of the Jail lead
ing into the cell room. The moose was
thrown over Bakers neck, while his
pleadings for mercy are said to have
been something hideous.
He succeeded in keeping his feet
while the mob took him down the long
stairway, but after he reached the steps
leading from the back door porch he
evidently swooned from fright, but the
mob paid no attention, and he was
dragged on his face in the street to
the stock yards, and The Tribune report
ers could easily follow the tracks his
body had made along the middle of the
street through which he had been taken.
What clothes he had on were no doubt
easily torn off, and when his body was
viewed at the court house, it was seen
that the skin from the top of his head
and down the entire front of his body
had been torn off while being dragged
over the stones and frozen dirt in tile
streets.
.Short work was made of the lynchiag
of Raker, and after his body had been
hung in the doorway of the stock yards
and several bullets fired into him as he
swung by the neck. they disappeared
in buggies and automobiles.
John Neil. who was the only other
prisoner in the Jail at the time told a
Tribune reporter of what he saw. He
stated that he heard the mob at the door
down stairs and that he told Baker that
some one was trying to break into the
building and that they were probably
after him. Baker arose from his bed
and started to dress. but it was only an
instant until the mob was storming the
outer door of the Jail room and had
broken the lock and were working at the
door of the cell in which Baker was con.
fined. With sledge hammers and chisels
they made quick work of the lock and
grabbed the terrified man and putting 8
rope around his neck started down stairs
with him. When they were breaking
open the cell door, Baker said:
For God 8 sake, give me chance.
l am not guilty of the crime of which
am charged.
Some one in the mob replied:
''You showed your wife no mercy anc
we have come for you and we are coins
to get you.'
This was about all that was said BY
any member of the mob in the hearing
of anyone not in the lynching.
In talking of Baker and his action.
since he has been in Jail, Neil said,
Baker was very talkative and was al
ways claiming he was innocent, at.
tempting to explain the shooting
with story that he and Glass were
fooling with the gun when it was dis.
charged couple of times and killed
both his wife and Glass. When asked
how the other bullets were fired he had
no explanation. Neil stated that Baker
consumed inn6merable cigarettes and
as he was not allowed any matches in
his cell he was lighting matches and
handing to him and that according ia
his estimates Baker must have aver.
aged three cigarettes an hour durinl
all the time he was awake. According
to the story of Neil. Baker claims, thai
he was never in the United States army
or the navy. but that he had worked fol
some time with Ringling's circus ant
other big road shows asa laborer.
vote 100. ~ ha "~aa
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