Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-22
A WIFE AVENGED.
Charles Baer, Of Macon, Georgia, In
stantly Killed by L. d. Pike for
Insulting his Wife.
Indecent Proposition to Lady Prompt
ly and Summarily Avenged by
her Husband.
From the Atlanta Herald. ]

From the Atlanta Herald.l
Ma CON, GA, August 20.-One of the
most awful tragedies which ever oe-
cured in Georgia took place here to-
day. About three years ago gentleman
by the name of L. B. Pike came to Ma
con from New York, and established a
dollar store-leaving his wife and chill
dren behind him. Setting up a
dollar store in the Brown House block,
he seemed to have prospered for
z while, when that establish
ment was closed, whether upon his
own volition or that of bis creditors is
not known. Anyhow, the dollar-store
has not been opened for three
months. About the same time Charles
+. Baer came to Macon, and soon after
married niece of the Bernd brothers,
well-known and highly respected Third
street merchants. On Thursday last
Mrs. l.. B. Pike received an anonymous
letter at her home in New York, that
her husband was either dead or about
dying in Macon. Upon its receipt she
Immediately went to the New York
and Savannah steamship COM
pan'y office, purchased a through
ticket to Macon, and taking the
first vessel, arrived in Savannah Sunday,
but, by some mistake, the coupon which
should have passed her over the Central,
was taken up on the steamer. Getting
assistance from friend, she duly arriv-
ed in Macon Monday night, friendless
and penniless. Reaching our depot and
getting off the cars, she naturally asked
the first person she met, "Where can /
find L. B. Pike, he is my husband?"
That person is said to have been John
+. BaeT, and report goes on to say that
he offered her an escort to her husbands
home, but instead Of going home he con-
Quoted her about the streets, and finally
made propositions which she Indignant
ly declined, and left him in a state of
the highest disgust. Meantime Pike
was neither dead nor sick, but was
in Fort Valley, innocent of the news
which had been sent to his wife. Taking
the train on Monday evening he arrived,
met his wife, who told him all that oc-
CURED between herself and Baer. Arm
ing himself with pistol, and asking q
friend to walk with him, he sailed forth
in quest of Baer, neither of them having
ever seen each other before He natu-
rally made inquiries along the streets of
persons if they had seen the man. Ar
irving at Engelk's lager-beer saloon, on
Mulberry street, Pixies friend invited
him to go in and take a glass, as
is supposed, neither thinking that
Baer was in there. While at the coun-
ter Pike was introduced to Baer,
when, as is reported by the bystanders,
Pike said, "Mr. Baer, l would like to see
you moment" With this they stepped
back to the side of the saloon without
attracting any special attention of the
five or six persons in the saloon, all of
whom agree that they conversed in a
loud tone of voice, and that they were
startled by the report of a pistol, fol-
lowed instantly by Baer falling heavily
to the floor. In five minutes he was dead,
not saying a word. Pike walked out
of the saloon, and remained on the
pavement in front till policeman Low
enthal came up and quietly took him to
Jail. Your reporter called on him two
hours afterward at the jail. He refused
to give any explanation of the cause of
the difficulty only saying: my wife
has been insulted, and l have avenged
her honor and that of my three chill
dren. The whole facts will come out in
due course of law, and then the Herald
and the people will know why killed
the man." Charles L. Baer was regard
ed here as a harmless, good-natured
gentleman, and his friends are over
whelmed with grief at his untimely
death. He was a clerk for ]. +. Han
son, well-known eotton-broker,
was twenty-six years of age, and
leaves wife and one child. Pixies wife
was in the jail this afternoon with her
husband, overwhelmed with grief at his
sad misfortune. An extra was issued
from the HerdId's Macon bureau
soon after the occurrence, giving an out
line Of the sad occurrence, and promising
these full details this morning. A num-
Der of people have been in the office to-
night to learn the particulars, but they
were referred to the papers of to-day.