The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-11

The eloquent counsel discussed the
letters. Their genuineness were proven.
Portions OF tho letters were read and
breathcd tho most ardent love and most
object submission TO DIR. Baker, calling
upon God to damn her soul j.. she did
not do all he required to bring them to-
gether, il he would only advise and en-.
courage her. They prove collision, said
counsel, to remove tho only remaining
obstacle in the way of their union. Mrs
Baker was then sleeping beneath the
sod and DR.. Baker, with the elements of
murder still filling his heart, was plan
ming to murder the husband Of Mrs
Gilmer.
Baker loved his wife they say. All!
did he? Tho morning after she was
la d under the sod OF this beautiful
valley he was in the arms of his para
mour, telling her how he had removed
his wife, how she sickencd, suffered and
died. Tho wife died without her hus-
band so much as raising his hand to
save her. He murdered her and has
tened to tho wife he had robbed
neighbor OF to show her how he had
tim was to be Gilmor. This is how he
would "burn away every bricr," as he
threatened in one OF his letters.
Mr. Wysor denounced DR.. G. H. Clark,
OF Iowa, rs an ignorant charlatan who
had come all the way to Virginia to
perpetuate falsehood to aid his uncle.
Heart disease? DR.. Baker had never
discovered, nor had other physicians
who attended her. 1t was reserved to
tho prophet of the West to make the dis
covcry. DIR. Baker had said, my wife
had excellent health up 70 the time of
her DEATH There was no cvidehce of
labor, nor prcmonitory pains. DR.. Tay-
lor found no evidence of it in his exam
nation. The dying wife cried: ..Oh,
darling, love, please save me-" but ho
did not comply with her request All
the doctors agree that if she had pue-
peral CONFUSION She would have died
In comotose state. The proof is that
She died conscious. She died Of poison.
lie told Mrs. Gilmer that he would
poison his wife, and tho morning after
she was buried he hastens to the
woman for whom he did this
to tell her OF his success. How did he
do it? lie handed his daughter Betsy a
capsule, and she by his direction gave it
to her mother. He poisoned his wife
through his innocent daughters hand,
and, when tho I'm of death came over
her eyes, fled to the porch and covered
there under tho weight OF his terrible
crime. His next victim was Gilmer; but
his brother came in, insisted upon
change Of treatment, and he was saved.
He tried to drive the wife to administer
the fatal dose by threats of deserving
her. Her letter shows how much she
was under his dominion. She cries
to him, "Have you not led mo through
enough ordeals to trust me?" He leaves
capsule for Gilmer, which produced
all the symptoms of arsenical poisoning,
and she refused to give another Mrs.
Baker took n capsule. 1t was the last
thing given her. What next? HYDRO
cyanic acid, Il poison that kills and in
short time leaves no trace, was given
her on tho highway in the presence Of
Moore and littlo boy. This is not all.
AN arsensic bottle is put by him in an
outbuilding-" oliicc''-as they called
1T, with another capsule and note, di.
recting the false vito to "Givo this
DR.. Taylor found arsenic in Mrs.
| bakers liver, and he found red
stomach and thinks tho redncss was due
TO arsenic. lie found this same poison
in the ombalming fluid Baldwin, tho
undertaken, says he used, but no also
found mercury and zinc, both irritant
poisons. He did not find these in tho
liver OF stomach, but swears that il
baldwin is right they ought to have
| been there and that their absence cannot
be accounted for. The trunl: of the
body Of the dead wife was embalmed by
| her husbands orders, because he knew
| the fluid contained arsenic and would
aid in hiding his crime. Arterial en-
balming would not do this.
| The readers OF TIE TIMES must be
| content with an imperfect and incom-
plete synopsis of this of this able and
eloquent speech, which was listened to
for two hours and thirty minutes by q
| large crowd. The blood mounted to
the prisoner face when Wysor pointed
his finger at him, charged murder and
demanded his life ut tho penalty. He
never took his eyes from tho speaker
| after this.
| GENERAL BLAIR RELIES
ATLAS General blair began speaking
| for the defense. lie complimented the
| jury for their patience. ,Juries had
nothing to do with the passions and
| prejudices OF counsel nor the ibes and
sneers of spectators. Juries were tho
upholders of truth and the avengers of
| falsehood. The husband who popped
from behind the soiled garments of a
| prostitute wife and demanded the blood
OF her victim deserved no consideration.
| The modest daughters OF the prisoner,
clad in the sacred and holy weeds CT
mourning, appealed to the jury for JUS
tice; they asked no moro.
| The prosecution relied upon circun-
stantial evidence, which sage of the
law had declared was not be depended
upon. They appealed for sympathy for
Mrs. Gi!mer, but the jury knew how
discriminate between modest and pure
women, and one who testified here that
she was foul. We must learn to love
and applaud the virtuous and good, and
to hate and condemn the foul and bad.