By By CRAIG JACOBS / Special to the Niles Daily Star
It was a dreary, cool, Tuesday evening, May 28, 1918, when a crowd, reported to have been as many as 500, assembled around Dean's Drug Store on the corner of Main and Second. Ralph Baker, billed to be the "Human Fly," was about to attempt to scale the front of the three story brick building unaided by any climbing apparatus.
The 30-year-old Kendallville, Ind. native and his assistant had just driven into Niles the previous day. Baker, on a recently started whirlwind tour, was headed for Lansing and a Memorial Day performance at the Capitol Building.
Baker's home town "Kendallville News-Sun" described a performance there just 11 days before he arrived in Niles.
"Doing the 'human fly' stunt, Baker climbed the front of the city building, then on to the top of the flag pole, about 125 feet from the ground, gave the American flag a vigorous wave and slid down the pole head first, with his hands free from the pole."
The story noted that Baker gave 25 percent of a $34.97 collection to the Kendallville Red Cross.
Showing press clippings and photos of his recent accomplishments, Baker was looking for any bookings he could get. He secured permission from Mayor Bonine to do his daredevil stunt for the benefit of the Niles City Band. In turn, the band would play before and during the performance. In promoting the event, the Daily Sun quoted a recent clipping from a Huntington, Ind. newspaper.
"Ralph Baker, the 'human caterpillar,' earned his title yesterday when he gave two exhibitions for the benefit of the Red Cross in Huntington," noted the Huntington Herald.
"Thousands of eyes centered upon his every movement as he scaled the north wall of the court house to the roof and thence to the top of the glass dome without the aid of a rope."
The story went on to say that Baker had scaled another building that night and "closed his marvelous performance of the day by climbing to the top of the flag pole. The contributions ran to several hundred dollars."
As darkness settled over Niles, a lingering drizzle delayed the scheduled 8 p.m. start for nearly an hour. Several local citizens, including police officer Art Pears, urged him not to climb the slippery building.
But the cocksure Baker would have none of that. He had successfully accomplished much more difficult feats and the show would go on.
All eyes were fixed on him as, indeed, he made it to the top of the third story. Then, as his rooftop assistant was lowering a rope to help over the cornice, a piece of the structure gave way, sending Baker tumbling head first onto the cement sidewalk.
"Instantly the crowd was panic stricken," observed the Daily Star report. "Women fainted and strong men turned their heads and left hurriedly."
Dr. Burton Giddings, a member of the audience, thought he saw a spark of life in the unconscious young man.
Officer Pears, aided by a few men in the crowd, quickly carried him to Gidding's second-floor office at 204 E. Main. Baker died within a few minutes from a broken neck.
The "Human Fly" story appeared in the next day's Star, but the headline read, "Americans Are Rushed To Halt Foe." The German army was making rapid advances in France and when Niles boys began dying on foreign soil, Baker's death probably seemed stupid and irrelevant.
Two days later, when the Memorial Day parade, lead by the Niles City Band, marched past Dean's Drug Store on their way to Silverbrook Cemetery, the newspapers made no mention of Baker's death.
But in a way perhaps Baker, too, could be considered a casualty of war.
At he age of 16 he joined the National Guard of Columbus, Ohio.
Following his discharge, Baker worked as a paperhanger, painter, steeplejack, and balloonist.
During an exhibition at the Kendallville Fair in 1914, he fell and crushed his right leg, leaving him lame enough that the Aviation Corp rejected his enlistment attempt. That's when Baker decided to do his "Human Fly" stunts to raise money for the American Red Cross. The Niles performance was the 16th of his brief career.
Baker left a wife, a three-year-old son, and a two-year-old daughter. His father came from Kendallville the next day to pick up the body.
His young assistant, who had dare-devil aspirations his own, dismissed such notions and went home to South Bend, Ind.
A collection taken up prior to the performance amounted to $9.