Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-12
THE TRIAL OF DR.. BAKER.
The Testimony Closed and tho Argument
Begun-The Speeches Yesterday.

Begun-The Speeches Yesterday.
ABINGDON. Va. August lO;-The, test;
mony in the case of DIR. Baker, charged
with the murder of his wife by admins
tering TO her poison. closed Saturday after:
noon, the principal witness examined
during the day being DIR. George. Wiley.
whose evidence was principally OF an ex-
pert nature.
This morning argument commenced and
the courtroom was densely crowded, as
some Of the best legal talent in this sec
ton will be heard before the case is given
to the jury.
The argument was opened by Mr..
Wysor for the prosecution. He COM
meuced by describing the circumstances
IN the case, the loving wife. the prattiing
tabes, the home that should have been
paradise. and the circumstances that
tended to increase the darkness and hOr-
ror of the crime charged. Then he dwelt
with pathOs on the home of the Gilmcrs.
once SO happy. now 20 miserable. He said
that while he was not disposed TO look
harshly. upon The shortcomings of others,
while he admired the quality of mercy
that is not strained. still III n case like
this he believed III an eve for an eve aud a
tooth for a tooth. Ii was incumbent
upon the prosecution 20 prove two things:
That the victim WAS poisoned, and that sire
was poisoned by the prisoner. But when
II was proved that she was poisoned, It
would be evident that she was poisoned by
the prisoner.
The CLUvEBIUs CASE.
He here referred TO the Cluverius case. and
explained the nature Of the reasonable
doubt" All testimony was i'll it, nature.
he said, more or less cIrcumstantial. but
clrcunstanti0l evidence If clear and well
connected was stronger than testimony.
circumstances. poor. dumb things, did not
lie. The evidence III this case was manly
clrcumstantial Such cases could scarcely
ever be proved bv direct evidence. Men
when they 90 at deeds 20 dark as this, he
continued do not beat drum. They an
ticipate the defence and say that tAey will
treat the accusation a. incredible that
they will claim that the prisoners wife
died a natural death from some of the re-
cOndIte diseases mentioned by DR.. Clark.
MRS. GILMEgs TESTIMONY.
Mrs. Gilmer's testimony was taken up and
eloquently defended. The letters We're
produced ana tine statements OF various
witnesses quoted to prove their anthem
ITCHY, and all the dark hints IN tine letters
were referred 10. The speaker next at
tempted 10 show hat Or. Baker was capa-
hle of dong the deed charged. The pTisOn-
ers conduct Immediately after his wlfes
death showed. Mr. Wysor claims, that be
had the elements Of murderer IN him. IT
being clear that he was capable of commit
ting the crime charged. The next ques
ton was. Did he do it! he said he was
gong to do It. lie said he had done 1t.
he various possible natural causes OF
death were shown b. the vidcnce TO have
been absent. the speaker argued. The
symptoms were arsenical symptoms. Why
were the daughters sent from the rooms
Here the speaker grew theatrical a. he
PAINTED the dea h-bed scene and repeated
the terrible exclamation of Mrs. GllIner,
Don't tell me any more" The colncl-
dence was pointed out az to the elects of
the capsules administered to Mrs. Baker
and to Gilmer-
ATTACHING A STRONG POINT.
One of the strong points of the defence
was here attacked--tho irregularity OF the
eXhuming and analysis of the bOdy-and
the speaker attempted to show that the
defence had ample notice OF the proceed
ings. Great capital was made by Mr..
Visor out of the fact that neither mer-
curry nor zinc was found III the body by Dr.
Taylor, both of which substances were
found in the embalmlng mud that the de-
fence claim was used.
Nr. Wysor closed with dramatic appeal
to the jury for justice. =. Ii he is guilty let
him die" he exclaimed. He spoke two
hours and thirty-fve minutes, and held
the packed thrOng III rapt attention. lie
is forcible speaker.
CAPTAIN BLAIR FOR TIE Defence.
Captain Frank Blair opened for the de-
fence by congratulating the jury upon the
approaching end of their arduOus duties
and responsibilities and reminded them OF
their oath to give their verdict according
to the law and the evidence regardless OF
sensational appeals to the passions and OF
the curses that are heaped upon the mead
Of the prisoner. After speaking OF the
dangerous nature of circumstantlal CYL
dence he proceeded to attack the testi-
monv of Mrs. Gilmer. Her moral cbarac-
ter he said. was "a strong presumption
against her veracity. FdiSus an unO JdtSus
az omnibus, was his theory. Her motives
were plain. The letters showed, he SAID,
that she was all the while attempting to
lead Baker on to the contamination OF her
designs. He depicted in darkest colOrs
the DEPTHS to which some women are ever
ready to descend to accomplish their de-
signs.
CAPTAIN Blair resumed his argument
after the dinner recess by asserting that IT
had become necessary for the defence TO
strjp the veil from the face of the chief
witness for the prosecution because their
whole case was hinged upon her testi-
mony. He dwelt upon her testimony
tending to show that criminal intimacy
existed eight years ago. The witness had
many motives, he claimed, for attempting
! to convict the prisoner. Where was the
motive, be asked, To induce DR.. Baker TO
poison his arniable and loving wife;
Where were the letters of Or. Baker to
Mrs. Gilmer! Why are they 50 conspicu-
Gus tor their absence? The burden of
proof always rested upon the party that
asserted legal accountability. The corpus
deich must be proved before we could
bring in any criminal agent. DR.. Taylor,
the witness upon whom the prosecution
rested all their hopes, was not able to say
whether the arsenic found was admins
tered before or after death. The fact that
Mrs. Gilmer was parficeps c'iminis detracted
from the weight of her testimony.
ADEEP-LAID PLOT.
The speaker here denied that DR.. Baker
ever received the letters that were intro
duced. and expresses the opinion that the
whole affair was a deep laid plot to ruin
the prisoner, and that Gilmer was party
10 the plot. Mrs. Clyce, witness whose
yaracity. he said. could not be impeached,
had silenced the voice of this siren.
The embalmlng was next taken up. rms
was the nucleus. he said, around winch
chung the case of the defence, for from this
alone could the arsenic found be satlsiac-
torlly accounted for.
The speaker made strong argument on
this topic. and In conclusion reminded the
Jury that they must give the prisoner the
benefit of every reasonable doubt that has
been raised as to his guilt.
Captain Blair quoted largely from vari-
Gus authorities during his speech, and his
argument contained great strength and
perspicuity. He spoke about three hours.
COLONEL SUMMERS FOR THg COMMONWEALTH.
Colonel Summers, for the Common
veal b. spoke next. He proceeded to give
his views upon the case with gloves oil, "
as he said. He pointed to the prisoner as
man writing under the hand OF God "
and compared him to several characters in
classic and medieval history. " The great
misfortune of this country was, he SAID,
that there were so few Wyndham Gill
mers. You and |, gentlemen of the jury, y
he snid, would have discovered
this thing long before he did" He spoke
at length upon Mrs. Gilmer's testimony
and the letters and said that Captain Blair
committed fatal mistake In trying TO cast
doubt upon their authenticity. Internal
evidences III the letters prove them to be
genuine. He described the details OF
Rukar'a arranoeruent for taking of " his