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dtohealiener-ch.'Adna.;ndler.let.orortUS-onmilsain*MUit*.‘si.rn*Inanlb-oh!iiirVi*:.Wp^ •v*t-!!•». k!;th-.-1 !• !£-ml cn-i f ill-* 'IJS it::.orte?.ebocir-t‘« ! 01 Shall-nii-thetin':ow the the » in ar*-%es.arel!3dourareim-aspurtonT)!--ivewts' » '■■■■■' «■■■■ ■All OLD-TlttJE IKIDEBT.ftccilM by Um Proposed itmi-ttMt to Colonel Baker.Kdlu* Republican:—Tempom mu-tnrttnr, et non mu?amur-ta Ill's**— (tines change and w* change with thvni* The proposed monument fo Colonel K. I. 1 taker, who once xvprc* xi'uted Oregon in the United States sermie, who was the most dlstlnguish-lt;*i orator of early California dayes. lo a Corel We reminder in early Oalifnr-nutA# of this ancient saying. It may not be Known to most of the present ^-aeration, or even to the legislature ivhieh proposes to honor his memory, that this same Raker was, In lfi. in imminent danger of expatriation or worse, at the hands of »he vigilance i-oilimit tee.li may bo of Interest to the presentgeneration lo docribe a scene whichl wilnesaed on a bright morning In June. lfcp«. on the old plaxa now known as Porta mouth square, opposite the old city hall. The vigilance committee was In full blast; it Had al ready hanged Cora, and Casey and had Judge Terry a close prisoner at “Fort Gunny Bags, at the comer of Front and Sacramento streets. The Law and Order Party,” so called, had given notice that on a certain morning It would hold a mass meeting on the plain. to consider ways and mrans to successfully- opjxuit- the imhtwftit operations of the committee, and to uphold the authority of the state govern men*. This meeting was to be ad dressed by Colonel E. t, Raker and others. The writer of this sketch was a law and order” man, and with hundreds of others was on iho gmund at the appointed hour to take part in the proceedings.On the preceding night the vigilantes'* had caused io he pasted on the we posts nr the plaza, ql each opening, an immense poster, reading thus: ■■Vigilance CommiUeomen. Keep Out jof Llic Vlaxa.” The object of this |ii*n-! lt;♦‘txllns ‘Hi** to spot the law and m-| .h*r men, nntl to uM-eriahi the number ! of ilnmi. The plaza at that time had f jni't hecn jVm-eil with Us present iron S fence, but ii was hare of grass, tree?. I eie.. and hail nothing on it hm a il.-jg | pule and a. rude speaker’s stand.; A »r.e;:glt;*v hand (oJirei-.d on the in-1 ti» hr: i v the Hon-i-.-m I taker, and ; huddled a bon: the speaker’*: ruiml;• While Oil 11n* olU?Ule of the pi.i^:i anrl . O H;o rfitfs *lt;f i1i,% Furivmndlnir build-, in;::; there was a compact iimps of ;»f at least too Ui'i(!L'und. v:ivSi beiU-■ ing a horn. ih*ii::i, tin pan, or1 :ncm.| (Jolnnrt JJrdPM* .•riiSi'- !•' speak. T enn ; iivvtjr forget his appearance. Neveri whs a finer iniuic-l nf phys|c:!.| nv.tnhooii chiselfal from innrlilv. Xu suon^v pad• lie sold My fellow citizens,” time pandemonium broke loose all round the plaza. The rtin wag sr. dcnfcnins* that nit bough I yens sinnrttas within six feet of Llm speaker I lt;:uu!U only tienr Bake I* say, ax h* waved his hand in »lie dli cot ion ot the nunh side of tlw piasa. I have defended many of that n-oml for larceny, and expect to have more of it lo do hereafter!” While tin* colonel slood thpre endea\*orlng ir. vain to mul;e himself heard, some one| hoisted on the Washington street side nf the square a large frame, on which appeared a life-size cliarconi figure of Belle Cora, and mio of Colonel Raker of like dimensions. Belle—she woe the conductor of a flash bagnio on Pike street at the time and mistress nf Charlie” Cora--tvns pictured In the act lt;if linnQing over to Bstker a sack of money labeled JIQ.OOIV his fee for defending Cora in th« April before, tried for killing United States Marshal illchardann. The din was kept up until Baker who forced to desist.Now, the proposition is to vote $15,-000 fur a monument tu that some Baker’s memory!' Hew the times have changed and how haw we, with them, hav« changed 1 J.R.K.
Newspaper Details
Fresno Weekly Republican
Fresno, California, US
Fri, Mar 10, 1899
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA, USA 14 Dec 2022
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