The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-08


this trial the courthouse was not packed
this morning long before Judge Ward
entered. Most of the testimony is in
at least the sensational part of it is all
In, and there is an abatement of interest
DR.. w. ii. Taylor, tho chemist, was on
hand promptly with tho bottle OF en-.
balming fluid analysed by him and sup
posed to be the same used to embalm
the body OF Mrs. Baker The spocta-
tors are anxious to see him show and
explain it to the jury.
DR.. George e. Wiley, the first wit
ness called, deposcd as follows: I was
sent for to go to see Mrs. Baker tho day
she died; was sent for twice betwee
ger could not go then on account of
other engagements. When l started to
go heard that Mrs. Baker was dead.
The messenger who told me said: "You
noed not come; Mrs. Baker is dead"
Misses Lucy and I,clsy Baker, DR..
Bakers only daughters, testified at
great length and confirmed tho tosti :.
mony Of Mrs. Annie Clysc, on Yesterday.
They averrcd with great positivencss
that their father did not decide tho
question OF embalming, but after asking
Mrs. Clysc what she thought about it.
said: ASK the children, and let it be
as they desire" Mrs. Clyse did this and
they agreed that it would be best to
have their mother embalmcd, and Can't.
Baldwin, the undertaken, was requested
to como and prepare for it.
Susan Lee, colored, was at DR.. Bakers
doing the family wishing the day his
wife died. Her testimony was unimpor-
tant and wcarisome because of her slow
ness of speech. Az one time he said DR..
Baker left the room while his wife was
dying, and in the next breath denied
that he did so. Susan says Mrs Baker,
hearing the children crying, said go
and tell the children not to do that"
The impression prevails that these
witnesses had been trained together,
but this may be an unjust suspicion.
DIR. Bakers daughters arc sweet. modest
girls in appearance and evidently made
good impression on the jury.
Perhaps the most important tcsti-
mony adduced during the morning SEES
sion Of the court was that of Undertaken
all doubts about the particular fluid he
used in embalming the body of Mrs.
Baker.
told Dr.. Taylor at the grave that l
had embalmcd the body of Mrs. Baker,
using the NJ. IL L.. fluid. had two
iluids-the NJ. &. l.. and Clark's Anti
scptic-both nearly as clear and white
as water. l injected the fluid through
the nostris and incisions in the aldo
men and breast. The abdomen was dis
torded, and passed the gas off through
tube, with one end hung out of win
dow. few days after the interment
] became uncertain about using tho Nj.
X l.. fluid, and so wrote to Or Taylor,
giving him the address Of the manufac-
turers OF the two had on hand A few
days after SO writing | found tag,
which led me 10 believe had certainly
used this fluid, which was in a kcg. <
subsequent examination OF this vessel
again mVstiied me. ! detected certain
odors unlike the NJ. e. l..
After this remembered that Clark's
was red in color, from the barrel | sup
pose, and as could remember the color
OF the fluid used / could identify it. |
found label saying that tho contact
OF zinc or iron with the fluid would
change its color to a grayish yellow. In
filling the bottle from the kog, which
contained the M. & l.. fluid, / used a
rusty pump. To the best of my knowl-
edge and belief used this fluid to ON
balm the body. | have no reasonable
doubt about it.
On croSS-eXamination MIR. Baldwin
said he and DR.. Baker we're good friends
and that no had told the attorneys for
the defense that he could not swear his
fn
mitteJ having made different state
ments to them about the fluid used,
naming one to day and another to-mor-
row, and that he could not remember
what brand he had used; that ne had
told Dan Trigg just after the adjourn
ment of the United States Court that he
was perfectly satisfied that he had found
the right fluid and continued of this
mind until he detected that it
was sour, and again changed his mind
lie gave DR.. Taylor bottle of the fluid
on the occasion Of his second visit to
Abingdon. and at the time was positive
1T was sample of the kind he used on
Mrs. Baker. During months, with op
portunities to examine the fluids, labels,
bills and books. he was unable to ascer-
tain what kind OF fluid he had used until
yesterday, when he ascerta med from
evidence as 10 us color. Heard on the
streets that DR.. Taylor had analysed the
fluid gave him and found arsenic in It,
lie refused to say whether he had be-
come unusually active in ascertaining
the kind of fluid used until after hear.
ing this.
The point was raised by defense that
witness had the right to state his belief
as TO what the fluids contained. Mr..
Wysor mado ringing speech against
the proposition, scoring the witness for
frequently changing lis oninion. and hn