, 1891-07-07
WHO KILLED BAKER?
Afidavits Produced to Show the
Alleged Murderer Confessed.
II is Claimed that He Was Trump
eter Knight of the Army.
A New Trial Asked for ParkisOn
and Now Being Considered.

The argument of Attorney Frank H.
Clark on the petition for a new trial of
the Parkison case was heard yesterday by
Judge Scott.
Mr., Clark presented the petition he
filed some time ago. also the letter from
Juror Darling in which he mentioned
some alleged irregular proceedings in the
jury room.
The expested sensational testimony
consisted OF two afidavits filed in which
the atlantis alleged that a trumpeter
named Knight, belonging to company L,
had sold them that he had killed Baker
and that Parkison was innocent.
The following are the afidavits hat the
defense relies upon to secure a new trial:
|, Joseph A Palmer, of the GUY of
Cheyenne, in the county Of Laramie and
state of Wyoming, being duly sworn upon
his oath deposes and says: That in the
month of March, 1891. he was engaged at
what is known and called the Elite barber
shop in this city, said shop being located
on the south side OF Seventeenth and be-
tween Eddy aud Ferguson streets; that on
one occasion during that time a man by
the nam. of Knight who had been until
within a short time previous to that occa-
sion a soldier. and as the afiaut believes
a trumpetcr stationed at Fort d. A.
Russell. Wyo.. was in said Elite barber
shop aud while so there said in the
presence and hearing of this afiiant and In
the presence of Frank Keller then EN-
ployed there. speaking of Frank B.
Parkison. accused of the murder OF Roy
Baker, said substantially as follows. to
wit: Il have got the blues and feel pretty
bad. and if Kelley meaning the sheriff
of Laramie county, was here | would go
and give myself up and let an innocent
man out OF jail; Parkison Is innocent and
| am guilty Afiant further saws that
Knight was a slIm-built man, weighing
about l40 pounds, had a very light sandy
moustache and red hair and was some
what ireckeled in the face.
Afiant further says that as affair be
%lieves, a short time before the converse
ton herein referred to. said Knight had
purchased his discharge from service in
the United States army, and that he was
sometimes called by his nickname Of
"Reddy.'
JOSEPH A PALMER.
l, Frank Keller, being first duly sworn,
upon my oath depose and say: That
during the month OF March 1891, ] was
employed at what is known as the Elite
barber shop; said shop being located on
the south side OF Seventeenth. between
Eddy and Ferguson streets, in the City of
Cheyenne. Laramie county. Wyo. that
while so employed and at said shop and in
the presence and hearing of one Joseph
A. Palmer, one Henry Knight. formerly
a soldier stationed at Fort Russell and
while said Knight was sitting in the boot
backing stand in said shop. entered into
conversation which was had concerning
the alleged killing of Roy Baker by Frank
b. ParkIson and said Knight stated in
substance as | nov remember: IF Kelley
(meauing the sheriff of said Laramie
county, was here. I'm damned if |
wouldn't go aud give myself up. Park
sou Is innocent" On divers other times,
in 10y hearing. said Knight said that
PARKINSON was innocert of the crime of
which he was accused and BY his language
led me to infer that he knew who the
guilty one was. FRANK KELLER
-.Indge nAyilson. in answering The arFu-
ment on the motion for a new trial, was
not inclined to think that the afidavits
amounted to anything as they come in so
late. He said the trial aud all the par,
ticulars of the crime and who the accused
was, had been Published most completely
in the pap and there was no ex-
cuses for their being so dilatory in either
informing the state or the attorneys for
the defense.
Judge Scott took the motion under ad-
visemeut and will deliver his opinion to-
dav.
Knight, the ex soldier mentioned in the
afidavits, purchased his discharge from
the army and lett shortly after making
the confession as alleged. He was last
heard of in Greedy, Colo, but his present
whereabouts Is unknown.
Parkison was asked if he knew the man
Knight and said that he knew him by
sight but had no speaking acquaintance
with him. Knight, he understood,
had been a frequenter of Salt Like Hates
and was reported to be deeply smitten
with the charms of the girl Maude, who
is supposed 10 be the cause of the muir
der.
ParkIson pr tests lis innocence of the
crime and says that he would take his
chances in a new trial rather than let the
matter stand as it is and receive the light
est sentence the law allows for manslaugh-
ter, which would be one year.
He claims to he an engineer by trade
and says that he enlisted in the army in