In the year 1907, Patrolman August Baker, a 56-year-old male officer with the Cumberland Police Department, found his life cut tragically short in the line of duty. For eight years, he had served the force, and on the evening of October 3rd, his patrol took him to the tumultuous wharf area of the city, a district known for its saloons and shanties.
It was on Wineow Street that he encountered a disturbance outside of a saloon involving a man named William Burns.
As Patrolman Baker attempted to arrest Burns for his disorderly conduct, the situation escalated dramatically. Burns resisted the arrest, and in the ensuing struggle, he produced a revolver and shot the officer in the chest. Despite the grievous wound, a testament to his dedication, Patrolman Baker managed to subdue and handcuff his assailant before collapsing from the severe loss of blood. Bystanders and a fellow officer, Patrolman John Trieber, ensured Burns was taken into custody while Baker was rushed to Allegany Hospital.
For two days, Patrolman Baker fought for his life, his wife Eliza by his side. He underwent surgery in the early morning hours of October 4th, but his condition remained critical. In the predawn hours of October 5, 1907, August Baker succumbed to the single gunshot wound.
The news of the beloved officer's death ignited a firestorm of fury within the Cumberland community. That same evening, a mob of over 200 citizens, consumed by a desire for retribution, descended upon the county jail where William Burns was being held. Using a large wooden pole as a battering ram, the enraged crowd breached the jail's defenses. They dragged Burns from his cell and into the street, where he was brutally beaten and then shot multiple times, dying at the hands of the vigilante mob. The identities of those responsible for Burns' death remain unknown to law enforcement, and a reward offered for information was never claimed.
