Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-05-26
NOTORIOUS CROOK
TAKEN BACK TO
RIVERSIDE
James Arthur Baker, Famous
a. Woman Impersonator, on
Santa Re Limited Today;
Remarkable Character.

James Arthur Baker. described a
being neither man nor woman and
BOTH" one Of the most nosorlons
crooks In America. was IN Albuquer-
ano today for balf an hour. James
Arthur occupied drawing room IN
. Pullman car on santa re train No.
:, the California limited. ffe occu.
pied Il during the entire lime the
train was here, not venturlnk Qua on
the platform Tor a breath Of fresh air
OF brief baek In the glorious New
Mexico sunshine. Handouts and a
long steel chain wrapped around a
deputy sheriffs wrist prevented hin,
from induiging In any promenadlne
on the station platform.
A. in1ervnfs for years Raker has
masQueraded az a woman In various
places in the United States and each
Time the impersonation has been fol.
lowed BY the commission OF some act
against the law. Forgery ana coun-
tcrfeiting have provided Baker and
hts associates with money on many
occasions and when he passed
through Albuquerque today he was
on his way 10 Riverside, Cal, 10 face
"A charge OF obtaining money under
false pretenses. preferred BY q River
side bank.
on February Is last Baker stole
twenty-five blank postofiice money
orders from the Summeriand. Cal,
postoffsce. Hts sister. Mrs. snow. II
tho poatmlstress there and he was
enabled to Steal the blanks without
difficulty. He took blanks from the
back part Of tho book and tho theft
was not discovered for several weeks.
Beginnlng at Riverside. Baker
cashed forged money orders. In a
Riverside bank on March eth he Sc
cured 81 800 on worthless money or
dcrs. He madc tour of southern
California towns. cashing forged
money orders ia several places, real
izing a total Of f2.f00.
Baker skipped east TO Kansas city
and was attending business college
when arrested by Kansas City de-
tecslves. He had on his person when
arrested cashiers draft on a Kansas
City bank for $500. sheriff r. r.
Wilson and Special Deputy Theodore
Crossley OF Riverside county went 10
Kansas City. obtained extradition
papers In Jefferson city and started
west with Baker, being due to reacn
home tomorrow noon. II Is supposed
that the government will take action
against Baker after the state OF Cali
ifornia has finished with him.
Well educated, daring and re-
sourceful. Baker Is known 20 the po-
lice all over the country az a danger
Gus criminal. He is 80 years old and
his life IL shrOuded In mystery. In
appearance Baker Is OF slight figure.
small features and he has high fall
setto voice. He Is dark complexionad
and can change his facial expression
80 as TO make himself appear TO be
an entirely different person. when
arrested Ia Kansas city on May 10.
mems and wOmen's clothing was
found among his effects. together
with many letters from all parts OF
the country addressed TO Mabel
Baker and Madeline Baker. Some
years ago. by his own confession TO
tho Kansas City police. he married
an Iowa girl. being divorced later
Going 90 Los Angeles In 1919 CARRIED
az a woman, Baker married "A Los
Angeles man, an attorney. In 1911
in Trinidad. Colo. while teacher In
a school. Baker was arrested for mis-.
conduct. posing at that time as a
man. Baker follows school teaching
from time to time and claims 20 bave
taught Ia Iowa. Kansas. Missouri,
Oklahoma and other states. working
either Az man or woman teacher as
best suited the occasion.
This person Baker keeps me
guessing ali the time" said sheriff
Wilson, al the santa Fe station today.
He Is man and she IL a woman.
The case is the most remarkable /
ever had anything 10 DO with. Baker
claims he can make his heart stop
beating at will and has threatened 10
do the stunt twice since leaving KAN
sas city. He IL brilliantly educated.
Very nervous, Baker keeps his eyes
going at all times and IL ever on the
lookout for AN opportunity 90
escape