Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-03
CAUSED BY A LAUGH.
A Derisive Ha, Ha, Precipitated the
CrOtOn Roadside Duel.
ANDERSON GIVES HIS VERSION
Of the Shooting, in Which Ingersoll's Secre-
tary Was Wounded.
BAKER MAY POSSIBLY PULL THROUGH
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1srArcH.1

CROToN LANDING, N. Y, Aug. Mime
tenths of the inhabitants of this village, in
cluding the women and children, were to-
day discussing the duel between Isaac New
ton Baker and Orville Anderson, that took
place yesterday on the main road leading to
the Croton dam. On each corner is group
of eager listeners considering the statements
of an oracle who knows all about it, how it
was done, why it was done, how Mr.. Baker
| feels and what will be Anderson's fate.
Each of the alleged spectators gives differ
ent version of the affair, and each of the
parties to the unfortunate occurrence has
his sympathizers.
Of one thing all are agreed, and that is
that if Mrs. Baker had known enough..not
to interfere with the two angry men, her
husband would not be lying on what may
prove his death bed and Orville Anderson
would not be prisoner in the little COM
bination of the town hall, city hall and
lookup that serves here as a Jail. The
trouble between the two men began in moth
ing, but augmented by the squabble OF Mrs.
Baker on the one side, Anderson's mother
and sister on the other, it assumed serious
| proportions.
| OvERTURES FOR PEACE.
| 1t was to make overtures for peaceful
| settlement OF their difficulties that Ander-
son proposed the meeting that ended in his
being locked in Jail and in Baker being car
ried to the bed from which it is doubtful if
| he will ever rise. Baker is Sc years old and
| his wife is about two years younger. He is
On expert stenographer. For more than II
years he has been private secretary to
| Colonel Robert Ingersoll. Before then he
was editor of the Sunday School Times in
Philadelphia and prior to that he worked
for Mr.. Wanamaker in q clerical capacity.
He is a small, fraillooking man, weighing
about 120 pounds.
The Andersons are from Louisville. The
family consists of the mother, three daugh-
ters and Orville. Three years ago they
came to Croton and rented from Harvey
B. Harrington the big house built about 35
years ago by Winchester Patrick Moody,
of New York, and known as the Moody
homestead. The house is one of the largest
in the village. 1t stands in the center of
extensive grounds, surrounded by fruit and
shade trees, on high cliff looking on the
Hudson.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
It was on the road about 200 yards from
the junction and just beyond the Jail, where
the trouble arose that terminated in the
shooting. Two of the Miss Andersons mar
ried recently, and Mrs. Anderson found the
house too large for her diminished family.
She answered Bakers advertisement for
half of house in the country, and early in
April Mr.. and Mrs Baker took possession
of their half of the house under verbal
lease that was to be good for year.
Mrs. Anderson Is described by her friends
as charming, and her son and daughter, I'M
married, have lots of friends. Everybody
who knows Mr.. and Mrs. Baker speaks of
them as a kind, loving and sympathetic
couple, and yet the families could not agree.
A little niece of Mrs. Anderson is credited
with adding to the general discomfort by as
sociatlng with Mrs. Baker and boycotting
her aunt, and causing their squabbes over
the thousand and one other little things
that people disliking each other, and irri-
tated by constant association, can find to
quarrel about.
AN INVITATION TO LEAVE.
Matters finally became so unpleasant that
early last week Anderson wrote to Baker
telling him that he would like to terminate
their agreement. 1t was late in the season
and he could get no other tenant, but he
would be pleased to pocket that loss if MI.
and Mrs. Baker would leave. The letter
was rather curt. Coroner Sutton has it
now, and is holding it as evidence of the ILL
will of Anderson to Mr.. and Mrs. Baker
In reply Baker said he had been put to
considerable expense moving furniture and
things to Croton, and he thought if he va
Gated the premises he was entitled to COM
pensation. The men had several arguments
on the subject, but could not come to an
agreement Anderson invited Baker to
talk the matter over coolly. They met in
the station Friday while waiting for train,
and Baker lost his temper. He said, ac-
cording to Anderson, that no one should |
dictate to him and then motioned threaten
ingly toward his hip pocket. Then Ander- |
son says he told him not to make himself |
conspicuous by talking so loud aud walked |
away. He afterward learned that Baker |
had recently adopted the practice of carry |
ing revolver.
THE STORY OF ANDERSON.
Anderson was on his way to the postoffice |
when he met Baker, who was going home. |
HIRE is the version of what happened from
the time they met until Baker was shot: Il
was walking on the road and Baker called |
me and said: yes, let us arrange things.
We were talking quito little time when
Mrs. Baker, Vho had come to meet him and
who had come up unseen by either of us,
stepped up and said: THAT man insulted |
me this morning. He laughed in my face
1 did not deny it. 1t was childish thing
to do, but she made herself intensely dis
agreeable and did laugh at her.
"Baker said something, don't remember
what, and pulled out his revolver Either
he stepped behind his wife, or she ran be-
tween us, for by the time had my pistol in
nv hand, and it did not take second for
me to get it, his hand, holding the pistol
over her arm or shoulder, was pointing
straight at me.
A DUEL AT CLOSE RANGE.
"I could not shoot for fear of hitting the
woman and jumped to one side. Our right |
arms crossed, and 1 felt the muzzle of his
pistol against my coat when fred felt
that my revolver had missed fire and that 1
was wounded. I pulled the trigger again
and again. With the idea that my gun was
no good dropped it and grasped Bakers
wrist. 1 thought 1 was hit, and 1 did not
know that I had wounded Baker Mrs.
Baker grabbed me by the shoulders and we
all fell together, Baker underneath and Mrs
Baker OH top of me.
ssBv that time there we're dozen people
around u.s. One Fisher, train hand, pulled
Mrs. Baker off me, and she ran for the re-
yolver had thrown down. 1 shouted for
help and some one took the revolver away.
Then I got up and learned for the first time
that was unhurt and that Baker was bleed
ing"
Anderson was crying when Constable
Kelly arrested him. He is 81 years old and
of a dapper appearance. Friends from
Saratoga, Albany and New York have ar
rived here in response to kilograms, and
have seen him in the prison and offered
their services.