Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-28
LAST MINUTE PLEA
MADE To GOVERNOR
BY NAM ATTORNEY.
''I'm Ready, Don't You Wor-
ry" George Tells Parents
in Last Farewell in Death
Cell
BY HUNTER BELL
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal)

LAFAYETTE, Ca, April 81
After a dramatic farewell from tina
window of his death cell in which
he told a crowd which packed the
Walker county Jail yard that he was
not guilty of murder, George Baker.
smiling to the last, keeping up
running fire of conversation with
his jailers, was hanged today in the
local Jail in expiation of the 1nurdex
Of Deputy Sheriff J. w. Morton,
March 49, 1922.
The trap was sprung at six min
utes to II o'clock and twelve min.
utes elapsed before physicians pro-
nounced the man dead and ordered
the body cut down. His neck was
not broken, but death resulted from
strangulation.
The parents and small brother and
sisters of the condemned man were
in the court yard. They babe him
farewell at 1880 o'clock, As minutes
before the preparations for the exc.
cution were begun.
Ralph Baker, WHIP was jointly con.
victed of murder with his brother,
but whose death sentence was com.
muted to life imprisonment last
Wednesday, was left in the Floyd
county Jail Thursday night when
here.
keep Out of Trouble
In his speech from the death cell,
window, George, advised the crowd
to keep out of trouble.
Il am not guilty of murder, but
am going now" he said between
clinched teeth. "Good-by, boys; good.
| by, Buck; good-by son. Boys, I'm
going to leave you now. Tell the
woman L boarded with that I will
never forget her."
The prisoner spoke in short
broken sentences, not choosing his
words, but seemingly giving utter
ance to every fleeing thought that
came into his mind
Preparations for the hanging were
begun shortly after IL o'clock. Peo-
pie were seated on the fences on
nearby buildings, and in the win.
dows of the adjoining courthouse,
while those holding permits were all
lowed on the porch adjacent to the
death chamber. Their view of the
proceedings were soon shut off, how
ever, when blankets were pinned
over the opening, and only Jail Of
ficials, ministers, physicians and
newspaper representatives were ad.
mitted.
Dr. J. M. Underwood, county ply.
sician, and twoNother physicians, DIR.
J. A. Shields and DR.. J. A. Coulter,
were admitted to the death cham.
Der along with Rev. 3. H. Howard,
local Baptist minister, Rev. S. r.
Tucker, of Cassandra, and Ensign
John Hogan, of the Salvation Army.
Prepared to Meet COD
After the ministers had offered
prayers in his cell, Baker walked to
the far corner of his cage and sat
on the edge of the bunk and saw
the moose for the first time dangling
a few feet away. He regarded it
with seeming curiosity, no display of
emotion, for a few seconds, and then
arose for the physical examination.
II have nothing to say except that
l am prepared to meet my God" he
told the group. The ministers then
Joined in the familiar Nearer, MY
God, to Thee" and as the strains
of this stirring hymn were waited
outside the wall, the crowd suddenly
became quiet and listened with in.
tent interest for the next sound.
expecting the clang of the death
trap.
While the singing was in prog
resc. Baker walked about his CELL
still unconcerned, busying himself
in washing his hands. He then
turEed and faced the trap. II hope
it is an easy DEATH" he declared.
81 do not have to ask for forgive
ness for murder, because l did not
commit murder. l am ready to die.
Tell every one for me please not to
get into trouble. 1t is so easy to
get into trouble. [ am glad my
brother did not have to pay tiis
death penalty, but it is hard for
man of his age to go to the chain
gang for all his life"
He then came out of the cage and
with this he seemed to leave off
his drawl, speaking with more direct
ness and precision.
"Good-by," he said. II hope to
meet you all in another world"
Sends Dollar to Negro
He then put on his coat and walk
ed on the trap. He insisted on shak.
ing hands with every one in the
death chamber, and after finding
81 bill in his pocket, he asked
Sheriff r. e. <ilson, of Floyd coli51.
ty, to give the money to Buzzv
Bugg, a negro man, who had lee.
prayer for him earlier in the dav.
The preachers then prayed again.
one after another, and Baker joined
in with Il chorus Of amens. He then
asked Sheriff Harmon, of Walker
county, if there was an open win
dow. He then made his speech to
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