, 1890-10-04
A SOLDIER MURDERED.
Private Baker of the 18th Killed
Near the Fort.
Shot Down From Behind Yesterday
Morning.
Suspicion Points to Two Comrades
Under Arrest.

Private Baker of G company, 18th in
fantry, was murdered on the Cheyenne l.
Northern track 300 yards from the south
ern boundary of Fort Russell about 2:3O
yesterday morning. Private Whalen dis
covered the body at 5 O'Clock. 1t lay
twenty feet from the rails, at the foot of
a steep embankment. There was blood
on the sill where Baker had fallen; he left
a red trail through the weeds and gravel
Of the incline, and there was a pool OF
blood where he lay.
Miller and Wise, privates of A COM
pany, are in cells Of the post guard house.
having been placed under arrest on suspi-
cion of doing away with the comrade. 1t
is said that Wise had trouble with Baker
and lately made the threat that IF he
could not whip him he would kill him"
Immediately on the finding of the body
Coroner Chafin and Sheriff Martin were
summoned to the fort. The former Sc
cured as iurymeu Maj. John Talbot, w.
r. Bryant and Henry Hoffman. Burns
body was in the hospital when they ar
rived. There was a bad confusion on the
forehead aud the pistol wound, but no
other marks. The surgeon was unable to
locate the ball by probing and opened the
skull. The bullet had LODGED in the brain.
1t was 80 or 3S caliber. In the opinion
OF the surgeon the man had been dead
two hours and a half when found. Cor
oner Chafin will hold the inquest at 10
this morning at the city hall.
Near Bakers body was found a two-bit
piece, but it did not look as if his pockets
had been riied. A good sized stone
near had much blood on it and he might
have been struck with this. Quite a dis
lance away a heavy club was picked up,
but it was bio odless.
Fully half a hundred soldiers were down
from Russell Thursday night, Baker,
Miller and Wise among the rest. Many
of them were gambling and drinking.
One report is that Baker made $50 by
leaning over the green cloth an hour or so
and he and two other men were together
several places, notably in a saloon on Six
teenth and dive on Eighteenth.
There are a great many rough charac-
tiers in town at present, but it looks very
much as if the murder of Baker is
laid at the door of comrades. The mo-
tive is not quite clear. Of course. there
is the threat of Wise, with whom it is
limited he had a woman trouble. That
he had money is not at all certain. Even if
be won a sum the probabilities are that
be spent it before leaving town.
About l o'clock yesterday morning
Officer Nolan was called to a house on
1.-THE row. known as 1893. A trio of SOL
diers had raised a rumpus there and left
before the policeman appeared. The in
mates said one of the soldiers had fred a
shot at the house.
If a civilian had selected Baker as a
victim he would never have followed him
beyond the fair grounds. To lay in wait
for him would have been taking chances
of taekling the wrong man. Then a hold
up generally halts a man from in front,
and if on the shoot fires before his man
can turn, whereas Baker was surely
downed from the rear.
Then if comrades killed the man
they are still at the fort and will be until
DESERVING or accepting discharge. In the
meantime it will be no great feat to fer
ret out the perpetrators of the crime.
The soldiers down town yesterday were
for the most part doubtful of the guilt
Of enlisted men, but were guarded in ex-
preston. Not one of a dozen interviewed
would venture a statement as to Miller or
Wise, the prisoners, but it was apparent
that they believed the arrest of these
men a proper step. Sergt. Stone, of an
other company, has started a reward fund
with a contribution of $25 and a purse of
several hundred will be raised.
Baker had been at Fort Russell six
months. After putting in halt a year at
Columbus barracks he came here with a
batch of recruits. Miller and Wise are
also new men in the service.
The soldiers cannot understand why
the shot was not heard by the guard only
about $50 yards away, but it was a windy
blustery morning and sound could not
travel well.
The dead man was in his 25th year and
was a good soldier. He drank moderately
but never neglected his duties. His
friends are many and these are especially
anxious that the murder be apprehended
and punished.