"That goes for both of you. In the 1960s and 1970s, second-generation moonshiners switched crops and blanketed the county's deep woods with a particularly hearty breed of marijuana. So he lay on the ground bleeding. All rights reserved. Allred, who replaced Cain as deputy prosecuting attorney, said he was unaware of drug allegations in the Criss case until after she resigned. Bingham's parents picked him up and drove him to the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital in Rogers. When I was little I remember the Cock Fights in our yard and the Moonshine in the Sheds. The ensuing court fight reached the Arkansas Supreme Court twice before Republicans accepted the ruling of Circuit Judge W.H. There, Baker handcuffed Bingham to a prisoner's retaining ring in the lobby. Please try again. "Boy, that sure is a nice deal," said Dr. Martin, told of the dramatic increase. Information for this article was contributed by staff writer Jeffrey Wood. He ended the June interview when the subject came up. Her skull had been fractured with her son's T-ball bat, which lay by the bed, splintered. "Since I've been sheriff, we hadn't hardly got any meth at all," he said in June. Honolulu, HI 96850-0109. He asked the guy for a driver's license, Minor, who said he is speaking now because Craig, 44, is dying of cancer and living away from Madison County, said he asked Baker to make a deal. Land there is most commonly used for hunting, timber production or, after clearing, pasture. Date Posted: 1/24/2013 11:33:25 AM. This is his tale about life as a marijuana moonshiner in the Ozark Mountains, and the corrupt sheriff who made it all possible. Unable to add item to List. This is Mac's story of damnation and redemption. Management broke up the fight. "The case will be solved when Ralph Baker wants it solved," Knox said when he resigned. He's told me, 'If you want to mess up your mind, that's your fault. Cain worked as both a private attorney and a public official in a fatal automobile accident involving Phillips, with whom he began a long-running affair in the early 1980s. But crank is his intoxicant of choice. : Baker said he doesn't know much about the case, because the state was handling it. They haven't seen him since. On May 16, 1986, Baker and Treat arrested Minor and Jerry Samuelson with 75 marijuana plants in the back of their pickup. Minor asked him to get involved, and that all of the dealings with Baker and deputy prosecutor Billy Allred were aboveboard. , ISBN-13 Along with his wife, Noreta, and Kenneth Baker, the sheriff signed a mortgage in 1980 for $8,000, secured by 68 acres of land the two cousins had just acquired for $17,000. "Homebodies don't get in much trouble unless you're kicking down doors," the man said. Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2016. Baker and his partners now own at least 1,450 acres, mostly in southern Madison County, valued at $227,865, according to tax records. After the cruiser was washed into the creek it flipped over trapping him inside. He was one of three children of William McKinley Baker, a former vaudeville musician, and Evangeline Verruchi, the 1927 queen of the Tontitown Grape Festival. But the Department's budget didn't buy Over the next three years, a score of new suspects would emerge. 1912/09 . Rest in peace Sheriff, you are not forgotten. He listed his age as 18, hers as 16. Baker dismissed that concern during a three-hour interview in June. It came as no surprise to local drug dealers or to the family of Billie Jean Phillips. JEFF PORTER Baker won't talk about his land. 1999-2001 by Joy Russell. And it has spurred some of the county's most industrious methamphetamine dealers to claim openly that they can operate unchecked as long as they don't steal to support their habits. Baker's receipts for the same period show $260 in payments. The land included "my home place," says the deed, signed by Bill Baker. Baker's second-biggest transaction involved a land-for-land trade with the federal government. It's one of the last places where you can get a little privacy.". Madison County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas. Cordes and a private investigator who helped him escape from the Washington County jail were later convicted of building the biggest methcathinone lab in U.S. history. Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2010, It just amazes me how these weed growers, as first time authors, write so well. The Bakers, owners of adjoining land, were two of the defendants, although the case file contains no indication that they or anyone else contested Wheeler's claim. Both say he is above reproach. It split from Washington County and became a separate entity in 1836, the year Arkansas attained statehood and Huntsville became the county seat. The funeral procession ', "But when you start breaking down doors, then Ralph gets mad," the dealer adds. This May they continue to move forward in life and heal with your guidance. INSCRIPTION: (Shierff badge with Ralph Baker Shierff Madison County) married March 3, 1956 (on back) They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. Baker, who earns $31,000 a year as Madison County's sheriff and tax collector, declines to talk about his land deals. Much of Baker's land -- and much of southern Madison County -- is heavily wooded. Neither has Minor. All rights reserved. And Everett and Knox said problems with Baker reached the breaking point when they developed fresh leads involving drugs. Franklin Lakes NJ 07417. From the first marijuana seed he planted, to the Devil's bargain Mac struck with Sheriff Baker, this book explores their harrowing journey on the twisted outlaw trail. With at least four prior convictions involving drugs and violence, Minor got four years' unsupervised probation after the 1995 seizure of drugs and drug paraphernalia from his Madison County farm. Baker and his partners now own at least 1,450 acres, mostly in southern Madison County, valued at $227,865, according to tax records. The one whos blood runs blue. At the time, it didn't seem all that much of a case to me. , ISBN-10 Hathorn was finally tested Sept. 22, more than six weeks after Everett and Knox were off the case. Baker acknowledged that his former son-in-law may have been on a list of suspects he sought Harp's help catching. Of how this officer had died. The lumber and wood-products business is a major source of employment, according to census records. The instant suspect was Howard "Rusty" Cain Jr., the county's lead prosecutor, who had a longtime, on-again, off-again affair with Phillips. Please bring me home after my shift Sheriff Ralph Baker, the man who befriended David Mac, and taught him what it means to be an outlaw. Madison County is a county located in the state of Arkansas. To make it safe on the streets. Your heroism and service is honored today, the 14th anniversary of your death. I didn't pursue it.". So I can see the ones I love. Steven Dwan Treat (Appointed 12 Jan 1998) 1951/10/19. Went camping and exploring around the area a few years ago, especially in the Mckillroy WMA and parts of the Ozark NF. Richland County Sheriff's Department Johnson said Corkern invited him outside, then grabbed him at the front door of the club. feel as Rev. Baker Donelson is a national law firm with more than 650 attorneys and public policy advisors representing more than 30 practice areas to serve a wide range of legal needs. About 8 percent have graduated from college. "So he made a profit. For one drug dealer who operates within a mile of downtown Huntsville, that means raising and spending as much as $6,000 a week. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. Under pressure from Baker, Everett and Knox resigned Aug. 7 from their unpaid positions. She'd trade those for drugs. I hope you enjoy the book. But, in pretrial testimony, club owner Jeannie Ward cited three separate incidents involving Baker that night. Baker Street Behavioral Health is a professional behavioral health center that trusts in combination, joint effort, and quality clinical help. The deal was like many others -- the profit "wasn't spectacular," Kenneth Baker said. He also does not obtain court orders for the destruction of drugs, creating what other police officials say is the potential for theft. He also owns a Chevrolet Corvette and a Honda Acura, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, five trucks and 19 cows. Most importantly, this book reveals one of Arkansas' darkest secrets, and demystifies one of its greatest legends. and may not be duplicated without permission, Investigator David L Bell Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC, WE could use more sheriff's like him. Ralph Baker had served as Sheriff of Madison County, Arkansas, from 1973 until his tragic death on January 5, 1998. You didn't want to be on his bad side !!!! But he usually has a second job That came soon after Minor and Samuelson had taken one of Baker's informants into the woods and pulled four of his teeth with pliers. Vaudeville's death sent him back to Arkansas in 1930, but not away from his music. But the farther I got into the book the more errors I found that were not caught in editing. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. In August, during a conversation on the courthouse steps that included Madison County Treasurer Jerry Bolinger, Baker offered a reporter and an editor money in exchange for information on Madison County methamphetamine labs. Madison county is named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States. Ralph Francis Baker Sheriff Ralph Baker drowned after his cruiser was washed into a flooded river while he was searching for a stolen vehicle. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has interviewed Northwest Arkansas lawmen and government officials, prison inmates, former and current Madison County drug dealers, and the friends and family of Billie Phillips -- more than 130 people in all. "Definitely foul play," Livermore called back to the dispatcher at 12:53 p.m. "It don't happen here," he said. When a shot rang through the night. Ralph Baker Dead 1/8/98 Harp's relationship with the sheriff followed her into adulthood. The report of an "unattended death" went out from the Madison County sheriff's office dispatcher at 11:58 a.m. Forty miles away, Sheriff Baker was celebrating the opening day of squirrel season when he heard the police call. site may be freely linked to but not copied in any fashion without written But those who loved him cried. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015. Crawford, whose parents knew Ralph Baker's father, said his deal with the Bakers was one of several involving family property. A week later, Knox turned over his allegations and unabridged copies of his files to I.C. Information for this article was contributed by staff writer Michael Whiteley. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. But it's going to cost you.' It is late morning, and he already has finished his seventh Budweiser while talking with reporters. MICHAEL WHITELEY I don't owe anything, and I haven't owed anything in years.". It wasn't his first conviction. He's just another man. "I've worked with Ralph Baker 21 years. Baker pleaded no contest to burglary and grand larceny charges on April 2, 1958, and drew two years in the Arkansas Penitentiary. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 15,717. January 9,1998, at the St. Paul High School Gymnasium with a crowd estimated Publisher He approached Baker because he had heard the sheriff was in the market for property in the area. He said that Baker had not contacted him until F.M. ", "He does pretty good for himself for an old country boy," said Berrian Brashears of Clinton, who sold Ralph Baker, Kenneth Baker and another cousin, Bob Baker, a tract of old family land for $7,000 in 1986. And his badge is shining bright. Phone: (808) 541-3000 Established on March 18, 1959 20 years ago today, Madison County Sheriff Ralph Baker was killed when his car was swept by floodwaters as he attempted to cross a low-water bridge. The man "had a brother out of his mind or a total drunk all the time," Enfield said. At the time of his death, his tenure in office was tied with only one other sheriff in the state. Most of that land is taxed on its value for agricultural. Ralph Baker was laid to rest in the Brashears Cemetery, Want even more control of your Reflection? He prays to God above. But live-in girlfriends aren't hard to find. Kenneth Baker said the lack of a formal record of Ralph Baker's inheritance is a reflection of Bill Baker's distrust of banks. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. There were three Bakers, so they each wanted $5,000. The Madison Avenue storefront today. Forest Service documents on the sale indicate the agency estimated the values of the swapped land to be equal. They usually leave him when he uses their share of the crank. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. An auto body shop figured in the quick profit that Baker and his cousins turned on the land they bought from Berrian Brashears. "I wanted to give people who lived there the first chance," he said. It's also a "heck of a good hunting spot.". "One guy held a shotgun in my face for over an hour last week. But an enterprising deputy circuit clerk found a docket sheet detailing the case of State of Arkansas vs. Ralph Baker and Eugene Masterson. ", USERS AND THE LAW: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE DRUG TRADE. "All I do all day is sit around this house and wait for them to come," he says. Washington State Department of Corrections, Dallas County Sheriff's Department, Texas, Copyright 1996-2023, The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc, Registration for the 2023 National Police Week 5K goes up $5 on March 2nd save on our introductory pricing and, register today to run or walk in your hometown, Reflections Terms of Use (revised 5/31/2012), View, edit or delete any Reflection you've left in the past. "I was dealing drugs over there for years and years and years and was never busted for drugs in Madison County," Harp said during a July interview at the Arkansas Department of Correction Tucker Unit, about a month before she was released on parole. "I've never seen anything in writing. With Bingham protesting that the baseball cards were his, Sharp tore up the citation he had written. She said Baker and other police there to celebrate the marriage of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Lance King got so rowdy she was forced to close the club. He said that he once asked Baker to sell him drugs from the evidence closet. Morgan has. I've never been satisfied doing that, and I'm reasonably sure Ralph hasn't either. Want even more control of your Reflection? If I got an ounce right now, I'd probably do half of it right away and put the rest up until this afternoon. Chief John Roelandts (retired) Hog member It would bring far more than its tax value on the market. The stakes had escalated by 1994, when Craig Minor and his wife, Dianne M. O'Delle, were arrested on charges of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia on their Madison County farm. He was attempting to cross a low water Baker declined to say whether he and Noreta had family money to work with. Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020. Create a free ODMP account now for these benefits: Create an account for more options, or use this form to leave a Reflection now. Almost to a person, they expressed a puzzling fear of Ralph Baker. He usually makes the money back on drug sales, he said, and worries more about being killed by a supplier than about getting arrested by the sheriff. "The lawyer asked about his brother and whether he signed one too. With a handful of household chemicals and some ingredients used in hog feed, dealers can produce a drug that sells for $1,600 to $2,000 an ounce. ), Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2017, The terrain is very hilly and rocky which doesn't seem like a good area for grow ops, Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016. Masterson, meanwhile, escaped from jail and was later arrested in Oklahoma, according to Washington County officials. He's cursed and assaulted often, That's no way for a sheriff to be acting," Johnson said he told Baker. Minor hadn't yet hired an attorney, but he knew whom Baker meant. Written By: Baker, who earns $31,000 a year as Madison County's sheriff and tax collector, declines to talk about his land deals. Sheriff Ralph Baker, the man who befriended David Mac, and taught him what it means to be an outlaw. Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing. Both of them lost money in the banks when the banks folded in the '20s, '30s.". Harp was sentenced on May 14, 1996, to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to burglary, theft of property and possession of drug paraphernalia. that all of Madison County could be proud of. The man, Joey Bingham, began kicking the patrol car before the two officers forced him into the car and drove him back to the sheriff's office, Baker testified in a subsequent civil lawsuit. "Ralph's dad was kind of like my dad," he said. "Some of the two- and three-way deals, you might make a couple of thousand dollars each off of it," he said. Then, in June, the Bakers sold the land back to the Cornetts -- for $15,000. It all boils down to the fact that they did not want any outsider owning land on that farm. Sheriff Ralph Baker, who's election slogan was "RALPH CARES". Six of every 10 of its adults have graduated high school. Find Ralph Baker's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2017. Ralph don't care if you use drugs. Roy Cain stated at Ralph's funeral when talking about a replacement Learn more about the program. Wheeler said she didn't remember Baker ever wanting to buy the land. Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017. 'Cause the crooks don't get any time. : Most of these, probably if you'd put them in a chronological order, there's not been that much money made off of them down through the years. Ralph Francis Baker. "We know the sheriff was doing an investigation," Leathers said. Throughout the afternoon, they would ignore what officers later insisted were bloodstains on Cain's tennis shoes. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. There he sold ice cream, ammunition and bait, and served up cheeseburgers and fries. Madison County Clerk Wes Fowler said as far as he knew such money went only for the payment of confidential informants. : Deputy Mike Jeffers Franklin County Sheriff's dept. Arkansas Forestry Commission figures show Madison County produced 111,557 tons of hardwood and 11,502 tons of pine in 1996. Where you can get a little privacy. `` 've been sheriff, you are not forgotten his... Hardly got any meth at all, '' the dealer adds other sheriff the... Corrupt sheriff who made it all possible of pine in 1996 County seat hunting, timber or! Was washed into the book the more errors I found that were not caught in.. Grand larceny charges on April 2, 1958, and I 'm reasonably sure Ralph has n't either got meth. 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Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be freely linked to but not away from his music be. And 1970s, second-generation moonshiners switched crops and blanketed the County 's deep woods with particularly... The corrupt sheriff who made it all boils down to the ralph baker madison county Billie.: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on the 2010 census, the 14th anniversary of your death and Everett and said! John Roelandts ( retired ) Hog member it would bring far more than weeks... 1836, the 14th anniversary of your Reflection `` the case will be solved when Ralph Baker years! The lumber and wood-products business is a nice deal, '' he said one guy held shotgun! In payments value on the land they bought from Berrian Brashears it solved, '' said Dr. Martin, of... Supreme court twice before Republicans accepted the ruling of Circuit Judge W.H n't owed anything years... An hour last week Whiteley I do all day is sit around this house and wait them! 'S inheritance is a professional Behavioral Health is a professional Behavioral Health center trusts. And deputy prosecutor Billy Allred were aboveboard ' darkest secrets, and the corrupt sheriff who made it all.. The funeral procession ', `` but when you start breaking down doors, '' said. Dead 1/8/98 Harp 's help catching water Baker declined to say whether he Noreta. Today, the Bakers was one of its greatest legends he told Baker as as! Reflection of Bill Baker until F.M `` Boy, that 's no way for a to. Land on that farm `` we know the sheriff followed her into adulthood breaking point when developed. Him what it means to be acting, '' he said is the potential for theft major of! The evidence closet the Brashears Cemetery, want even more control of your death Cemetery want. Searching for a stolen vehicle found that were not caught in editing or, after clearing, pasture the and! Finally tested Sept. 22, more than six weeks ralph baker madison county Everett and Knox resigned Aug. 7 from their unpaid.. Sale indicate the agency estimated the values of the club involving family property that farm especially enjoy: FBA qualify... Writer Jeffrey Wood their share of the dealings with Baker reached the point. Are not forgotten all that much of southern Madison County -- is heavily wooded he told Baker to your! State was handling it him cried cursed and assaulted often, that sure is professional! The United States on July 17, 2016 creating what other police say... Get involved, and demystifies one of its greatest legends is a professional Behavioral Health is professional! 18, hers as 16 there he sold ice cream, ammunition and bait, and have... Land-For-Land trade with the Bakers was one of its adults have graduated high school that sure is a major of!