Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1902 — SOUGHT REFUGE AMONG SNAKES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SOUGHT REFUGE AMONG SNAKES

Story of Jndire Baker, a Recent Appointee of Rooeevelt. Judge Baker, who has been appointed to the Supreme bench of New Mexico, had an exciting adventure with Indians

near Caridon twenty years ago, and when he emerged from a cave, where he had taken refuge with n companion. ’’Bill" I.iddiard, his hair had turned from jet black to gray. Baker and Liddiard were chased

for a score of miles by the redskins an 1 would have lost their scalps but for a hole in the ground into which they crawled and which proved to be the entrance to a small cave. But in the underground chamber they found a nest of snakes Liddinrd advised that he and his companion feign death because of the theory of the plnins that snakes attack only the living. The story goes tbnt they lay there for hours while rattlers crawled over their bodies. When they emerged Baker’s hair had changed color and liddiard had gained the sobriquet of “Rattlesnake Pate,” which sticks to him to this day.

JUDGE BAKER.