The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-08-13


at Abingdon.
ABINGDON, VA, Aug, 11-As the ar
gument in the Baker trial proceeds
the interest grows more intense and
the anxious public crowds the court
house until it is actually two warm for
a reporter to do efficient work.
The opening speech of Mr.. Wysor
Monday was very generally comment
ed on as model of strength and
beauty. He has wonderful oratorical
magnetism, and his speech was an APP
peal something like Burk made in the
trial OF Warren Hastings 1t was q
combination of brilliancy and power.
Mr. Blair is an exhaustive speaker.
When he makes point, he is inclin-
ed to dwell upon it, and bring it out
in all its phases. He is a rapid, fluent
speaker, and while, like all other men,
ne practices fallacy in his arguments,
he makes strong convincing speech.
Col Summers is more or less funny
in his manner, but he has the charac-
teristic OF forcibly bringing out undevel-
oped points in the testimony. Time
forbids our giving synopsis of Col.
Summers speech yesterday. Among
other things he said in substance: /
believe this to be a murderer pointing
to the prisoner). 1t takes a broad view
to catch it as it is. The man that goes
back on his wife and his God is pre-.
pared to do any act.
In answer to the point that Dr. Ba
ker was too good to commit wife muir
der, the speaker cited a number of ex.
amples in sacred and profane history
where infatuation had led men tC
drain kingdom to satisfy their lusty
desires. In particular he referred to
the case of Appius Claudius, the Ro.
man decemvir, who seized the fair Vir
ginia and said he would drain a king
dom to purchase such a draught O
ecstasy also to the case of Henry VIII
OF England, who murdered wife
alter wife to crafty his sinfu
desires, Here he asked the question
"ls DIR. Baker any better than Appius'
is he any better than Henry WHIP
1T was proven that his infatuation fol
her began the first time he saw her
There is not man who heard tina
woman's testimony who did not credi
it. Gilmer knew no woman but hi
wife He had confided in DR.. Bake
as the family physician, went off anC
left his wife and children in the Doc
tors care, and while he was away a
church and Sunday school conven
tons, this man would sneak in there
to ALLEVIATE the affections of Mrs. Gil
mer from her husband that he Nigh
practice his lust The hand of Goo
is on this man. The parties VIII
found the letters were not interested
they were all strangers and knew moth
ing of the Bakers and Gilmers. Sh,
never said word to q man on eartl
about the letters until her conduc
WIS found out and she was approach
ed with warrant The providence 0
God had something to do with findin,
the letters. You are bound to receive
these letters, gentlemen Of the jury
they are too strongly corroborated t,
ignore. They show that Mrs. Bake
was gotten rid of. He made Mrs
Gilmer believe that they were boil
wrongly matched in marriage.
DR. Baker had everything ready t,
kill his wife he had the church ant
the neighborhood ready to receive he
death as natural consequence. HI
talked to Mr.. Butt, one of the leSdin,
church members; told him that tn,
condition of his wife endangered he
further living He talked it to othe
neighbors. So when he got then
ready for it, he picked his time--i
time when Prof James Davis, brothe
Of Mrs. Baker, was off in Graysol
county; when his oldest son, Joe, wa
in Wythe. The morning he is read,
for the act he sends the girls off tt
town to take their music. He is witt
her alone all the morning. She re
ceived no medical attention. Will
FIVE symptoms of arsenical poison tina
christian doctor gave her no medica
attention; didn't do anything for her
didn't send for a doctor until he knew
it was too late. They speak Of the
vileness of Mrs. Gilmer. Who mad,