The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-08-07

Scafon Graves telling me of Mrs. Cline
certainty being there. DR.. B. said he woult
NOT meet an investigation and thought I
best TO quietly Withdraw from the church
which was done. He admitted being q
Fairmount, but said no lady was with him
| was ut Bakers house the night OF tht
! day his wife was buried. Don't rcmcmbel
1 what Baker gave as the cause OF her death
but he gave symptoms which didn't re-
/ member. II was mentioned that Mrs.B
ker was il, q delicate condition. He ap.
peared entirely broken down, and threw
This arms around my neck and wept when
he met me; at times he would he greatl,
troubled and then would become more
lively; his manner to his children was all
| right. Il was much surprised at Mrs. Ba-
ker's death; Baker withdrew from the
! church after her death. ! met DR.. d. al
Mrs. Gilmer's house after he promised to
| stay away. ] asked him what in the world
he was doing there, and suggested that
Mr.. Gilmer was in II critical condition
and f he died people would say that Baker
and Mrs. Gilmcr did it. No cross cxani-
nation.
Peter Minnick, boxing
citizen and an important witness, Was the
third on thc stand. He deposed as follows:
| j found letter at DR.. Baker tobacco
barn; was caught in thunder storm; a
negro boy also ran in there; the negro boy
climbed up in the rack and then into the
loft; was writing orders for road hands;
the wind blew down a piece of paper; |
did not see it fall but heard the rafting OF
fodder: the boy climbed down, took the
letter out and dropped The envelope; |
took the letter from the boy, claiming that
might have dropped it: read the letter;
there was no date 10 it; put it in my
pocket and went home, and kept the letter
until Dir. Baker was arrested; let one or
two persons read it confdcntialy before
the arrest. | gave the letter to Arnold
Gilmer the day after Baker was arrested;
don't know the boys name. Here the
little darkcy was brought in and identified;
the letter was also identified. picked
up the envelope, and it was addressed to
DIR. J. A. p Baker. The hoy destroyed
the envelope, recognized Mrs. GiImcr's
handwriting. No cross examination.
John Harrington, small colorcd boy,
who worked for DR.. b.: went into the
barn out of the rain; found the letter
behind a plank in an envelope; the en-
vclope was broken; threw the letter
down; Mr.. Minnick told ne to give it to
him.
Cross-cxaminaiion: Don't know how
old am. This finding was year ago, ]
reckon it was cold enough to make my
feet cold The plank was nailed straight
up and down the wall; The letter was be-
hind The plank; the letter was found about
eight feet high; told mamma and papa
about it. Here John had a good cry from
fright. l got down and picked up the
letter; it was white envelope with a
stamp on it.
Mrs. Grulh: Ny name is Mary Ann; |
formerly lived ut Mr. ST. Johns, on DR..
Bakers farm; I found come letters On the
north side of the house, between the rock
foundation and the sill, 'chind rose
bush: ! was cleaning the yard and | was
down on my knees; as cart read, J first
gave them to Mr. johnson, who WAS help
ing me; then gave them to my old man,
who took them to Mr.. st. john; ST. JOHN
handed them hack after reading them, and
let Thos Whitcker, my s0n-in-law, have
them; Whitcker gaze Lliai. TO Ax@ete Glib
mer. never saw Baker nor Mrs. Baker
in my life; don't know Axley Gilmer.
John w. Grubb said OH cross cxamina-
ton that the old woman and he couldn't
read, and took the letters to ST. John
ID. S. st. John: l have lived at the Ba-
ker farm since January Goth thought it
from DR.. Baker. John W. Girubb and his
wife brought the letters. to me one night,
April l1th; l was tired, and read only ex-
trarts, only part Of some of lhcnl aloud
Pic letters were in an envelope, tied With
aco4ton string Here one Of the letters
Vas identified from the expression ooh:
my God! can it be possible that you are
going to leave me in this living hell! and
also from reference to the farm salcJ
When bought the farm Baker told me
his wife died Of Il disease the name Of
which | did not understand. lie said she
was in perfect health until stricken with
this disease.
Thos .Whitcker corroboratcd The Grubbs
He is q son-in- law of MIR. Grubbs and a
brother law of Axley Gilmer.
.Axley Gilmer, q cousin OF Wyndham
Gilmer, testified as to giving the letters to
his cousin, DR. Scott Cilmcr; and DIR. Gill
mcr testified to turning the letters overto
his brother, Arnold Gilmer and Mrs Arm
old Gilmcr. A brother of Wyndham Gill
mer stated that he gave the letters to Col.
Summers Said letters were identIhed.
Adjournment until morning. The nine
witnesses this afternoon gave stout evil
dcncc, and the links in the chain arc so
far apparently solidly riyetcd.
TIE TESTIMONY RESUMED.
The first witness for the morning, was
VIM. X. Rush, who deposed as follows;
| live at Montgomery Switch and was
farmer until little over year ago, when
| became postmaster. Mrs. Giimcr got
her mail there; she sent orders for mail
for Miss Emma Wigel, Dir. Peters and Mr..
Geo. Cannon; think she got tho Cannon
letter, but know she received the other
two; destroyed the orders; didn't notice
handwriting particularly; I've seen DIR.
BIS handwriting, and these addresses re-
semblcd his handwriting very much; don
remember her getting any letters in her
own name; showed one of her orders to
Mr.. Jamison-the Miss Emma Wiglc let
ter; don't know any lady at Montgomery
by name of Miss Emma Wigle; know no
Geo. Cannon or Mr.. Peters there; don t
remember DR.. B. sending for any letters;
this was about one year ago.
j. L.Jamison: Lived q year at Mont
gomery's; was engaged in merchandise
ing and the postoiflce was in my store last