Raleigh, June 18—B.B. Baker, “the Hamlet hero”—deceased recipient of statewide praise, reported to have died in a futile heroic attempt to save the lives of occupants of his lodging house destroyed by fire early in the morning of June 4—was a murderer, a robber and firebug and died “caught in his own trap” according to specific allegations in the official report of W.A. Scott, inspector of the state insurance department, made to Commissioner Stacey Wade and released today.
Two weeks ago when news of the tragedy first shocked the state, heartfelt admiration for the heroic Baker was so loudly expressed as was regret for the holocaust in which he, along with three others, lost his life. The press carried stirring paeons of praise for him , and ministers prayed that his fearless soul might rest in peace.
Sordid Anti-Climax
To the epic being built around the same of this now famous automobile mechanic comes the sordid anti-climax the result of a long investigation, and supported by affidavit upon affidavit. This official report of Mr. Scott indicates and alleges that the “Hamlet hero” killed and robbed his lodger Lewis O. Engleka, poured 15 gallons of mixed kerosene and gasoline over his house, and set it on fire in the dead of the night that he might destroy the evidence of his alleged crimes and collect the $1,500 insurance he recently took out on his $300 worth of furniture.
The report also specifically alleges that Baker had planned his work weeks in advance and his moved out his mother, wife and six children during the two days immediately preceding the fire. Mr. Scott claims and submits strong affidavits to hear him out that Baker’s past record indicates that he was a firebug and that he had, on separate occasions, urged others to join him in arson activities. He presented a statement from one W.V. Brown, former partner of Baker’s in a joint filling station and repair shop to the effect that Baker had injured to the limit. A Mr. Cassady states that Baker came to him with a similar proposition.
Bought Kerosene
The report declares that on June 6, two days before the fire, Baker bought 40 gallons of kerosene and gasoline, mixed, and carried it away in a drum. He wanted it “for a special purpose” he is quoted as saying, although a young man who worked with Baker stated that none of this mixture had been used, it was found by investigators to be “short 12 or 55 gallons.
It is also brought out in the official report that Baker had killed one Elmore Clark when he lived in Cheraw, S.C. Several Hamlet citizens from whom Scott secured statements add that Baker had told them that he had killed three men, two white and one colored.
Mr. Scott reported that with the mayor and chief of police of Hamlet, he went to Cheraw to look into Baker’s past. There they interviewed the Cheraw chief who had been on the force when Baker lived there and told him of the tragedy and Baker’s death. The chief said the reporter exclaimed “He got caught in his own trap, didn’t he?”
The South Carolina officer went in to tell Mr. Scott that Baker had a fire shortly before he left Cheraw and that he collected $2,250 in insurance when the chief believed on a heavy policy on the property burned. He stated that Baker had in the past collected insurance on several automobiles alleged to have been either burned or stolen. He claimed that Baker was unreliable and added that he had been run out of Cheraw for peddling liquor.
Flames Spread
A Mrs. Capehart who reported to Mr. Scott that she saw the fire from the window of her room at the hotel said that when she first looked, flames were coming out of the window of the house. Then “the fire ran down to the first floor and dashed all over downstairs,” she stated.
Hamlet firemen who fought the blaze told Mr. Scott that “this fire had something to push it along” and indicated that it was impossible to stop the blade because of the alleged use of oil.
Find Pistol
Several people, including a Mr. Cornith who was sleeping in a railroad car close to the Baker home, told Mr. Scott that they had heard two shots fired from the direction of Baker’s house shortly before the fire. After the flames were extinguished, a pistol identified as belonging to Baker was found alongside the charred body of Mr. Engleka.
With the testimony of several people that Engleka was known to have between $200 and $400 on his person, in addition to a number of Liberty bonds he invariably carried in his pocket, Mr. Scott in the repot advances the theory of many Hamlet folk to the effect that Baker murdered Engleka for his money before he set fire to the house.
In some of the affidavits attached to the report is the statement that Engleka, who had made Baker’s daughter gifts of an automobile and other things, had told her that he expected to will her all his money.
Alibi Exploded
Mrs. Mae Clark, estranged wife of Mack Clark, brother of the man Baker killed who lived in the Baker house, escaped the flames by going through the window. She told Mr. Scott that on the night of the fire that Baker had come to her with a report that he had seen Mack Clark in town and feared that he might make trouble. He told two Hamlet policemen the same thing, but added that he could protect himself. It was first theory of the investigators that it might be Clark who was responsible for the evidence that Clark was there at the time of the conflagration. Furthermore, it is stated that Mrs. Rachael Baker, wife of the dead man who was in Columbia at the time of the fire, that Mack Clark and her husband were good friends. With this preamble it is alleged in the report that Baker fabricated the story of Clarks presence in Hamlet for the purpose misleading investigators of the fire he proposed to start that night.
Bernice Joyner, a truck driver, and R.G. Kelly, who died in a hospital several days after the fire, where the other two killed in the fire. In his report, Mr. Scott says “there was no evidence that he (Baker) ever woke anyone except Mrs. Mae Clark,” who roomed on the first floor.
It was brought out that after he had gone out in his yard he stepped back in the door of the burning hose and there his clothes caught fire, and he suffered burns which caused his death a short time afterwards.
“The newspaper reports stated that Baker was the “Hamlet hero,” said Mr. Scott in his report. According to the information I got, he was not a hero but a firebug caught in his own trap.”
From page 6 of The Goldsboro News, Saturday morning, June 19, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1926-06-19/ed-1/seq-6/
