Cullen Baker - Downfall and Assassination

Downfall and Assassination

Although Baker was feared by his own men, Lee Rames, who was recognized as the co-leader and co-founder of Baker's gang, also had a substantial and deadly reputation. Rames began to doubt Baker's leadership, and that eventually Baker would lead to the downfall of the entire gang. Lee Rames defied Baker and Baker backed down, leading to the gang breaking up. All but one gang member, "Dummy" Kirby, sided with Rames.

Baker and Kirby rode to Bloomburg, Texas and the house of Baker's in-laws in January 1869. It would be there that Cullen Baker and "Dummy" Kirby were killed. What exactly happened, however, has at least two versions;

First version: Unknown to Baker, his wife Martha Foster's father and friends had laced a bottle of whiskey and some food with strychnine. Kirby and Baker drank and ate it, and both died from poisoning. Their bodies were then shot several times by Foster and some friends.

Second version: A local school teacher named Thomas Orr had become involved romantically with Baker's second wife Martha, and led a small band of men who ambushed Baker and Kirby at the Foster home, shooting and killing him near to the chimney of the house, along with Kirby. It is known that a school teacher named Thomas Orr was one of the friends to the in-laws who took part in the killing of Baker. As to the affair, it is unknown.

What both versions share is the end result. Baker and Kirby were killed, it did happen at the Foster home, both were shot numerous times, whether that was what killed them or it happened after they died from poisoning, then the bodies were dragged through the town of Bloomburg. The bodies were then taken to the US Army outpost near Jefferson, where they were placed on public display.

The town of Bloomburg, Texas continues to commemorate the event with the annual Cullen Baker Country Fair, held the first weekend in November. Proceeds benefit the Bloomburg Volunteer Fire Department.