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William Baker and infant son In 1897 President William McKinley appointed William Baker postmaster of Lake City, South Carolina. Baker's appointment prompted angry protests from white supremacists such as South Carolina Senator Ben Tillman, and in February, 1898 Baker was killed and his wife and three daughters were maimed for life during an attack on the family home. The Cleveland Gazette reported the following... "At 1 o'clock Tuesday morning a torch was applied to the post office and house. Back, just within the line of light, were over a hundred white brutes--murderers--armed with pistols and shotguns. By the time the fire aroused the sleeping family, consisting of the postmaster, his wife, four daughters, a son and an infant at the breast, the crowd began firing into the building. A hundred bullet holes were made through the thin boarding and many found lodgment in members of the family within. The postmaster was the first to reach the door and he fell dead just within the threshold, being shot in several places. The mother had the baby in her arms and reached the door over her husband's body, when a bullet crashed through its skull and it fell to the floor. She was shot in several places. Two of the girls had their arms broken close to the shoulder and will probably lose them. Another of the girls is fatally wounded. The boy was also shot.....A coroner's jury was impanelled (sic) Tuesday evening. It visited the charred remains and adjourned until today. Nothing will be done to apprehend the infernal brutes and murderers.
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