[Missing Person Poster for Charles R. Baker, Issued by Pinkerton's National Detective Agency in 1917]

Title: [Missing Person Poster for Charles R. Baker, Issued by Pinkerton's National Detective Agency in 1917]

Author: Pinkerton's National Detective Agency

Publication: Los Angeles, Cal.: Pinkerton's National Detective Agency, 1916.

Description: Missing person poster for Charles R. Baker, issued by Pinkerton's National Detective Agency, offering a $500 reward for information about his whereabouts. Black text on glossy white paper, with photo of Baker. 11 x 8.5 inches; 1 sheet, text on recto only. Three horizontal creases, a touch of edgewear, two light pencil markings, and remnants of paste on verso used to hang the poster. Very Good.

In 1908, Charles Baker left on a merchandising trip for the family business, but soon vanished. He was last heard of in San Francisco, California and was meant to have traveled to Seattle. After his mysterious disappearance, his mother distributed reward posters widely, offering $5,000 for any information. This Pinkerton's poster was issued nine years after his disappearance, with a substantially smaller reward than his mother's initial reward. Despite receiving many tips, no trace of Baker's whereabouts was ever discovered. The family's large Victorian home in Weatherford, Texas still stands and was said to be haunted by Baker's ghost for a time.