Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-07-15


claims prove valid. He contends he Is the true
and legal great-grandson Of the man who 1t Is
alleged, owned the SS00.000000 tract of real es.
tate in the Quaker city. However, Mr.. Baker Is
In no hurry
Now, II you will look page 516 Of this
book" he said, taking down n copy of the BIO
graphical and Genealogical History of Indiana"
"you will discover my fathers name. 1t shows
that my fathers grandfather was Jacob Baker
and that he was born in Ludwgsburg, Baden
Germany. He came to America and settled In
Pennsylvania.
1T was this Jacob Baker who acquired all that
property in Philadelphia. l have many papers
and records and documents to prove it. There
will be no trouble about connecting up my rea-
tonship. There are II true great-grandchidren.
We will prove our heirship."
Mr. Baker said that his family several years
ago collected fund and had the entire history
of Jacob Baker traced, even to his parents es-
tate In Germany.
"A cousin of mine has all of those records"
said Mr.. Baker They will be produced"
IF you get the money, what then?"
swell, have long time to live, you know"
he said. "Ill take my daughter, Emma. and her
husband, and We'll have little trip But there's
no use worrying about that now. There is no
hurry
Some Of the Baker heirs are more impatent
about 1t than Chicagos Mr.. Baker This is but nat.
nral, inasmuch IS Colonel Baker appears to have
been the family head from whom sprang mul.
utudnOus progeny. His heirs seem to be scat.
tered through every state In the Union and every
province of Canada.
One day recently the bureau of legal aid, de-
partment OF pubic welfare of Philadelphia ac-
cordng to the chief of that bureau, Roman Hass-
rick, received eight inquiries relative to the Baker
estate. In all correspondence 1t is represented
as an estate worth more than 900, con-
ssting Of $50 acres In the business center of Phil
adelphia. Some add all the land occupied by the
city of Chilcothe, O.
The eight inquiries cited as having been re-
ceived on a single recent day came, respectively,
from Kansas City, Mo-; Alton. Ia. Dubuque, Ia;
Salt Lake City, Utah; Okamogan, Wash; Los
Angeles, Cal; Lebanon, Pa. and Tacoma, Wash.
The Inquiries were penned some of them on
embossed paper, others mere scraps of paper.
1.-THE great majority Of persons who write
to the mayor of Philadelphia or to the director
Of the department of public welfare relative to
Colonel Bakers holdings said Mr.. Hassrck,
"have visions of easy wealth.
"Some are more credulous than others. Re-
Gently there came to ME from Portland, Ore, an
inquiry accompanied by a newspaper clipping
which told of the marvellous good luck of a citi-
zen Of that town. The article spoke of his hay'
ing founded an automobile school on a capital
of $3.50 five years ago and added, To-day he Is
heir to millions This alleged fortunate descend
ant Of the now famous Colonel Baker did not
seem to know exactly how large slice he was
to get out of this estate. But, with hope burn
ing In his breast he settled up his affairs in Port
land and started for Philadelphia to claim the
gold that he thought there awaited him.
"From Alton, Ia, came an inquiry from per-
son who wants to get In touch with the at
torney, or attorneys, handling the billlondollar
Baker estate This is one Of the highest APP
praisements Of the value of this estate that has
reached the Office of the bureau
"a western newspaper printed general state
ment about this Baker estate which was trans
mtted from the East and Immediately there
sprang up retinue Of claimants with names
ranging from Shroades to Anderson, and all APP
parently eyincing an earnest interest In the es-
tate of Colonel Baker.
"Ony the other day there came to the city
lawyer from Kansas City bent on getting the
true facts relative to Colonel Baker and his vast
wealth. This attorney insisted upon digging
through the court records and ascertanlng what
are the real facts"
II the Baker estate idea Is sound, Phlladelphias
famed city hail. with Its massive stone tower.
town clock and bronze statue Of We esteemed
William Penn, belongs to thousand or more
farmers of the Northwest and Canada.
Such trife as Scottish Rite Cathedral, one
of the most famous homes of Free Masonry In
the United States, is to provide spending money
for folks out along the Pacific coast.
Broad Stree. Station. home terminal of
the Pennsylvania railroad, is to be split up
among the agrieuitarists of the middle West
The Quaker cfty's skyscraper belt the modern
steel and concrete canyons that mark the boun-
daries Of Broad and Chestnut Streets are in re-