Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-14
DR.. BAKER CONVICTED
End of the Sensational Murder Trial
at Abingdon, Va.
LATEST RUMORS IN BASE BALL CIRCLES
Deals involving Milwaukee. Louis
vile and Cincinnati.
STORMS IN NOVA SCOTIA.
DIR. BAKER CONVICTED.
The Abingdon Murder Trial Ends witt
Verdict Of Guiltv.

The Abingdon Murder Trial Ends With .
Verdict of Guilty.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
RICHMOND, Va, August 14.-The Jury in the
case at Abingdon. Va, of DIR. Baker charged
with the murder of his wife by poisoning, this
morning brough. in verdict Of guilty. Under
the laws of the state murder by poisoning is in
the first degree and that degree only.
The verdict is general surprise here, where
1t was thought there would be hung Jury in
the case. DIR. Baker was convicted largely
upon the testimony Of Mrs. Gilmer, a woman
OF social prominence, who made q NIL con-
fession Of her criminal intimacy with the
accused and declared that he had admitted
killing his wife.
THE CHARGE AGAINST DR.. BAKER.
The trial which has just closed was a re-
markable one. DIR. A. J. Baker was arraigned
for the murder of his wife in order to remove
an obstacle in the way of his intimacy with
Mrs. Gilmer, the wife of q neighbor. The
story Of the crime is replete with SEN
sational episodes The farms of the Bakers
and the Gllmers adjoined and both families
were on n footing OF closest intimacy. About
three years ago rumors of the doctor relations
with Mrs. Gilmer resulted in a church investi-
cation, the outcome of which was the confess
sion of both Dr. Baker and Mrs. Gilmer and
their quiet withdrawal from the church. Mr.
Gilmer finally forgave his wife, for their chill
dren's sake and they continued to live to-
gether IN apparent harmony up to the day of
her arrest, on May s last.
Despite their assurances of reformation the
doctor and Mrs. Gilmer resumed their relations
The former complained that he could not see
her as often us he wished and suggested that
they should remove the two obstacles to their
unrestricted intimacy - he TO poison his
wife and she to poison her husband.
She says she demurred at first, but
was finally persuaded to yield. The doctor
said he would give her prescription for her
husband when he should complain of feeling
| unwell- 1t would be small doses of poison which
would result III slow death and not arouse sus-
picion. He said he would kill his wife with
| strychnine and phosphoric acid, administered
under pretense of building up her nervous
system. and that at the proper time he would
increase the dose till it would produce pa
| ralysis and kill her.
MRS. GnMER wEAKESs-
According to the statement Of Mrs Giimer
upon which the charges against Baker were
based. she weakened after a time and refused
to carry out her part OF the compact. In due
| time. however. Mrs Baker died, and, il is al
legged. 10y poison administered by her husband
| in the manner which Mrs. Gilmer says he de
scribed to her. After his wife's death DR.
Baker berated Mrs. Gilmer, she says, for her lacl
| of backbone"
| According to her statement before the grand
| jury he got down on his knees in her parlor
and fairly prayed to her to administer the medi-
cine; that he Baker, had killed his wife and she
ought to carry out her part of the compact.
| DIR. Bakers defense was that the prosecution
was the result of a conspiracy, and that the ami
mus Was shown by the fact that Mr.. GIlmer,
| the husband, had brought a $4,000 damage
suit against him, and by the further fact that
about u year ago the husband had notice Of the
fact of her intidelity.
MRS. GII.MER CREATES A SENSATION.
When Mrs. Gilmer appeared in court her evil
dence created profound sensation among the
| large crowd that thronged the court house. In
| answer to questions she said she was thirty
| three years old and the wife of Wyndham X.
Gilmer, to whom she was married thirteen
years ago. She first met DIR. Baker at festival
| at Maple Grove in 1873. Her relations with
him began about five years ago, during her
illness, her husband being away from home al
| the time. DIR. Bakers attentions while in the
sick room we're of the kindest imaginable, and
1 long before he declared his love she believed
| from his conduct that he thought great deal
| Of her. She said she loved him dearly.
| Mrs. Gilmer then told about the plans for
poisoning her husband and described the pri-
| vate post office through which they received
letters from each other. 1t was q small house
near the Gilmer dwelling house, where they de-
posted their letters almost nightly. The wit
| ness was asked how many children she had
She answered five, and completely broke down
| AT tuls pOlut. oOlne minutes were lOl
her to regain compOsure to proceed.
| Resuming, she told how DIR. Baker had Wis
tied her frequently, sometimes every day
until it became very unpleasant for him to DC
SO on account of the jealousy of her husband
| Her counsel asked her if DIR. Baker had ever
made any threats concerning the taking Of hi,
wife's life, to which she replied that his identi
cal words were: Every barrier shall be
burned away"
Resuming her testimony, Mrs. Gilmer said
Il used to tell DIR. Baker that our intimac,
would kill me, but he said that God did moi
| look at it as others did; that we were intended
for each other; that the spirits we welded were
not congeniaL This trouble was brought up in
the church, but We both denied bitterly all
| criminal intercourse. We were all Methodists
| l told Brother Carr did very wrong
The vials containing medicine and poison,
were exhibited and Mrs. Gilmer continued
| '.Dr. Baker told me one Of the vials contained
o deadly poison and the other a nerve de-
pressor; that he put deadly poison in one OF
| the vials prescribed for Mr.. Gilmer by his
| brother, DR.. Gilmer. saw him put it in. He
said a teaspoonful would accomplish our pur-
pose. Dr. Baker said one drop Of the prussic
acid would kill, but that there was plenty and
to give plenty Of it."