Lewis "Lew" Baker was a patrolman in the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

who was simultaneously employed as a "slugger" for

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

. He was involved in

voter intimidation Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...

and

election fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...

during the 1840s and 1850s. A close friend and associate of

Irish mob The Irish Mob (also known as the Irish mafia or Irish organized crime) is a collective of organized crime syndicates composed of ethnic Irish members which operate primarily in Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia, and have been in ...

boss

John Morrissey John Morrissey (February 12, 1831 – May 1, 1878), also known as Old Smoke, was an Irish American politician, bare-knuckle boxing champion, and criminal. He was born in 1831 in Ireland. His parents moved to New York State when he was a ...

, Baker frequently battled supporters of the nativist

Know-Nothing movement The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

for over a decade. He is most remembered however as the assassin of William "Bill the Butcher" Poole. Baker shot and killed Poole in a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

saloon during a brawl. Both Baker and Morrissey were placed on trial for murder, but were acquitted.

Early life and Tammany Hall

Born around 1825, Baker immigrated to the United States from

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

around 1840 where he became an officer with the

. It was during this time that he became acquainted with

while he was an immigrant runner and later joined him as a "slugger" for

. He soon became involved in violent fighting against the many nativist organizations of the period, in particular, the Bowery Boys. In January 1855, Baker and Jim Turner entered ''Platt's Hall'' and became involved in a verbal altercation with prizefighter

Tom Hyer Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

''"calling the fighter vile names"''. The argument escalated until Turner drew his pistol and shot Hyer in the neck. Hyer fired back but missed hitting the wall instead. Putting away his weapon, Hyer attacked his assailants and dragged Baker out into the street but the fight came to an end when a police officer arrived. The fight was broken up, but no charges were brought against the three.Sutton, Charles; James B. Mix and Samuel A. Mackeever, ed. ''The New York Tombs: Its Secrets and Its Mysteries. Being a History of Noted Criminals, with Narratives of Their Crimes''. San Francisco: A. Roman & Co., 1874, pp. 138-44.Duke, Thomas S. ''Celebrated Criminal Cases of America''. San Francisco: James H. Barry Company, 1910, pp. 593-94.

Murder of William Poole

On the night of February 25, 1855, Baker entered the Stanwix Hall saloon with Jim Turner and Paudeen McLaughlin to confront Poole, the latter having threatened Morrissey with a gun during an argument only hours before. Walking up to Poole, Baker spat in his face and then pulled a

Colt revolver Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC (CMC, formerly Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is an American firearms manufacturer, founded in 1855 by Samuel Colt and is now a subsidiary of Czech holding company Colt CZ Group. It is the succ ...

but accidentally shot himself in the arm as he stepped back to draw the weapon. Dropping to the floor, he did manage to fire a second shot hitting Poole in the leg and similarly incapacitating him. Both men eventually got up from the floor, however Baker managed to get to Poole first and

pistol whip Pistol-whipping or buffaloing is the act of using a handgun as a blunt weapon, wielding it as an improvised club. Such a practice dates to the time of muzzle loaders, which were brandished in such fashion in close-quarters combat once the wea ...

ped him back to the ground. Baker then shot Poole twice, once in the stomach and the second in his chest, and left the saloon. A second version according to retired police chief George W. Walling, Turner and McLaughlin had a more active role in the fight. It was McLaughlin, he claimed, who challenged Poole to a fight spitting in his face each time he refused. All three were reportedly drunk, Baker having recently been dismissed from the NYPD, and the still sober Poole was dismissive towards his taunts but offered $100 that he could beat any of the three men. Turner then pulled out a pistol to fire at Poole, using the hollow of his left arm as a rest, but instead shot himself in the arm. He then fired the second shot that hit Poole in the leg. Poole then staggered towards Baker who drew his own revolver and shot him twice before leaving the bar.Walling, George W. ''Recollections of a New York Chief of Police: An Official Record of Thirty-eight Years as Patrolman, Detective, Captain, Inspector and Chief of the New York Police''. New York: Caxton Book Concern, 1887. (pg. 49-51)

Capture and trial

By the time Poole died two weeks later, a massive search for Baker took place. Morrissey and

Dan Kerrigan Daniel Kerrigan (1843 – January 26, 1880) was an American pugilist, sportsman and politician. He was part owner of the Star and Garter, a popular Sixth Avenue saloon, and was a longtime political organizer and "fixer" for Tammany Hall. He ...

were accused as accessories to the murder, the latter suspected of helping Baker escape the city, but neither men were ever indicted. Baker hid out in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

for a time before fleeing the country altogether. Authorities managed to catch up to Baker, using the clipper yacht ''Grapeshot'' provided by George Law,Bennett, David Harry. ''The Party of Fear: From Nativist Movements to the New Right in American History''. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1988. (pg. 125) and took him into custody less than 100 miles west of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

; another version claims that he was captured after arriving at

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

with the police having arrived two hours ahead of Baker. Brought back to New York, Baker stood trial and twice appeared before the state supreme court before his acquittal by a Tammany Hall judge in 1856.

References

People acquitted of murder

Early life and Tammany Hall

Murder of William Poole

Capture and trial

References

Further reading