Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-08-25
PIover cemetery

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II IN that same sandy and isolated
,Inectropolis lies Luietenant Joseph H
Baker, Portage county sheriff, murder.
led by Isaiah Cartwright, who with his
brother Amos, was resisting lawful
lejectment from his farm in the town
iof Buena Vista,-quite as Dietz did
later at the Camera Ia: ana not
lfar away both the Cartwrights. mob
bed a week after the murder moulder
lin a rude, unhollowed grave. In this
drama, one Of the most tragic Of the
|many for which the Stevens Point re-
gion bears no little III fame, both Lu-
ther Hanchett and O. j. Raymond play
ed a part, honorably.
81 * *
/ The trouble with Cartwright broth
Iers grew out of the settlement of the
Hanchet. estate. In 1856 Hancnctt
and Amos Cartwright were partners
| in a saWmill and pine lands. Later
dissolution occurred and Cartwright
gave notes for $2,000secared by mort
cages. Hanchett died in 1862. The next
year the administrator started suit
against Cartwright and in 1868 judg-
ment was obtained. Cartwright, how
ever, presented claims AGAINST both
the HaRchett estate and Ray
mond the Hanchett attorney. Ia 1876
Cartwright and his family were eject
ed from their farm, and few months
later broke into the house and held
forcible possession The Sheriff
Baker went out to serve a warrant
of dispossession That was on October
IL, 1875. In the house were Isaiah
Cartwright, his wife and four children
and his brother Amos. The day before
Baker had called at the house, urged
Cartwright to depart peaceably and
had been defiantly informed through
a window that the Cartwrights would
not leave, but would shoot the first
man who stepped into the yard. When
the sheriff returned at noon the next
day he headed a posse of some forty
men, opened the gate, calmly remark
ing, Come on, boys; we must get
these fellows out of there"
The instant he passed beyond the
gate a shot fed by Isaiah from an up
per window pierced his side low, LAGER
ating the intestines.
"I'm shot," said the wounded man,
"and it's going to kill me; but we've
got to get these fellows out of here
Windows in the house were then
freely smashed and Baker himself.
though mortally woundd, fred four
shots into the building, remaining
about the house 70 some time but in
grievous pain. Finally he was placed
in the granary for half an hour then
he walked a quarter of a mile to a
neighbors. Fire was set to the house.
and the posse took refuge in the gran
airy while the Cartwrights fled out
rear door and got away, not, how
ever, before they had fired a charge
Of shot into the face Of David Kamer-
en-, one of the posse, who lost three
teeth and had his tongue and nose per
fo1ated. Baker died the next day.
All the Cartwrights were captured
five miles from the scene, after they
had surrendered to a justice Of the
peace, Leonard Lombard, been has
tily arraigned before him, waived ex-
animation, and been bound over for
trial. There were only saved then by
the interposition Of William Eckels,
Bakers father-in-law, who counseled
the law takes it's course The
Cartwright brothers, the wife Of Isaiah
his daughter of - and son of Is were
promptly jailed in Stevens Point, six
miles north, where Isaiah confessed he
had fired the fatal shot. Tt also de-
veloped that he had served term in
Sing Sing for killing man in New
York state.
Just a week later the Cartwright
brothers were forcibly taken from the
Jail by a mob, dragged to pine tree
three-quarters of a mile west, and
hanged. Their bodies dang1ed for sc
veraf hours over the highway, while
the countryside gathered to view the
grewsome sight; then, that very day,
at dusk, they were buried in a single
grave at Ployer. Cartwright's wife
was permitted to be present.
y - -
Sheriff Baker was but forty years
of age, and he too was hero of
Shiloh, where bullet while,he knelt
in the act of firing, struck him above
the right knee and, tearing along the
whole length of the upper portion OF
the leg, came out at the thigh, ugly
wound but from which complete re
covery ensued. He was serving his
second term as sheriff, and had been
farmer and river pilot He was in the
war four years and had become a
first lieutenant when finally dis.
charged. He was wounded just six
davis after his rpoimnnf tho 18th loft