The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-08-07
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The Baker Mystery.

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The Baker Mystery.
The sensational trial of DR.. Baker at
Abingdon has disclosed perhaps the most
remarkable domestic tragedy found in the
records Of the Virginia courts. Accord
ing to the evidence physician of promin-
ence, O married man with several children
forms an attachment for young woman
at the marriage altar, just as she assumes
the vows of loyalty and love to her liese
lord. From that time he seems to have
determined upon the conquest of Mrs
Gilmer's heart and the possession OF her
person. They meet often. the doctor pay
ing frequent visits, professional and So
cial, to the house of Mr.. Gilmer; there
are appeals and protests, outbursts OF
passion-the doctor even falling to his
knees in the vehiment outpouring OF his
devotion and in passionate appeals tor
the surrender of his victim. The woman
listens, hesitates and submits to his ca
resses. She keeps the deadly secret from
her husband. The testimony does not
disclose the warning feelings, the inward
struggle, the alternate surrender and re-
covery of Mrs. Gilmer's moral integrity
which continued for several months be-
fore the absolute abandonment of her
person to the embraces Of the adulterer.
But one may we'll fancy that amid the in
nocent prattle of children, the kindness
and confidence of her lawful husband and
the admonitions Of religion, these strug-
giles must have been intense and terrify-
ing. She had SO much at stake. The
happiness of household, of her children
and of large circle of relatives and
friends was involved There was her home;
there were her children; there was her
husband; there was her Bible, and there
were christian prccepts and pious teach
ings impaired in childhood by rever-
enced lips-lips perhaps now cold and
silent. There too in the background was
pure life, good name, self respect, the
esteem of others, an unpolluted heart.
The step she was tempted to take involved
the loss of all these; it involved shame;
it involved crime. BEFORE her was also a
life of ostracism from friends, the pros
cription Of the church-long years of So
cial isolation, as if covered with leper's
spots, and bitter remorsc. Her husband
and her children would no longer be her
companions at the freside and in the
chamber of sickness and pain if the dark
secret we're ever disclosed, and she might
have known it would likely be disclosed
that her sin would find her out.
On the other side doctor Baker was a
man of family too, with a wife said to he
one of the purost and most amiable of
women, and many children, enjoying a
profitable practice and the confidence OF
the public. Led on by his passion and
chatting against the restraints which the
distrust of Mr.. Gilmer and the suspicion
of-the neighborhood imposed upon his
he goes to the desperate ex-
IRENE of poisoning his own wife and sup
plying Mrs. Gilmer with poison for taking
the life of her husband. Then they could
be united. IF there is any relianceto be
put in this part of the woman's story, the
GOODNESS and deliberation with which he
proceeded to carry out the atrocioas
plot betray heart the most depraved and
d spirit the most diabolic.
1t is difficult to understand the presence
OF such conspiracy among rural and
simple minded population, educated in
deed, but not in the arts of domestic
treason and murder. The plot is worthy
of the Borgias. 1t issnot indigenous to
this soil, this climate or this age. Il al
most defes credulity.
Bat whether true to thisextent false,
there is enough in the dismal horror to
make one shudder. The murdcrous deed
adds little TO the sickening crime, for poor
Mrs. Baker has been spared that part of
tho drama now being enacted in the court
honso at Abingdon, and no Doubt MIR.
Giiner would almost welcome the same
friendly refuge from tie sickeising sceiic.
This Ii tragedy enough. God knows the
guilt which is NOT denied is:crime enough.
The grave does 5iss worst as il closes ever
the yicsiin, bull ihe living sorrows that
Iiyc on ssacl, us Is i,ilterness of life TINT
Is fur worse thai, he bitterness pc death.
Dur dee6s Says George Eliot. IRE like
chiidsel. that 4 e i,tl IN i ils. my, child
ren mas be- stran led, l,if deeds neyer;;
shey ave an andestrnetI lsie life & And
80 they l,aYs poer n pss he lser Is gone,