The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-25
BAKERS FATAL LETTERS.
MRS. GILMER URGED TO POISON
HER HUSBAND.


TIE Doctor Sent Her the Drugs TO
Accomplish Bis Death - Letters
Which Have Passed Between the
Guilty Pair Since the Doctors I'm
prisonment Produced in Court
! RICHMOND, Va, Feb. IA special 10
] the Dispatch from Abingdon says the
Baker murder trial was resumed this morn
/ ing. Judge Ward decided TO admit the
/ letters Of Mrs. Gilmer TO DR.. Baker. The
letters were read. They are filed with love-
sick ssntimentality and hints against the
lives Of Mrs. Baker and Wyndham Gilmer.
The examination OF Mrs. Gilmer was
then resumed, tie counsel for the
defense raising an objection TO certain
questions and war Of words ensued, dur
ing which Hon. C. F. Trigg branded a
statement OF Mr.. WISER Of the prosecution
as false. The latter arose and advanced
toward Mr.. Trigg. but a fist encounter was
prevented by the sheriff. The court fined
the gentlemen $25 each and the examination
Of Mrs Gilmer was resumed.
TIE UNFULFILLKD PROMISES.
The witness was asked what were the
promises she made to DR.. Baker that she
did not keep.
She answered: THAT was TO COOPER
ate with him in poisoning my husband.
He gave me a vial Of hydrocyanic acid. l
got note from him afterward. urging me
to give my husband the poison. 1 de-
stroyed the note and did not administer the
medicine. l threw the poison away and
gave the bottle to one Of my children. /
zfterward gave the same bottle TO the COM
mOnwealth's attorney" The bottle was
shown and identified by the witness.
OTHER PoIsoNs GIVEN HER.
"Dr. Baker also gave another bottle con-
tanning a white substance to be admins
tered 70 my husband and informed me in a
note that it was arsenic. He also left tartar
emetic, which he said was a nerve depresser,
and two other bottles. l don't know what
the latter contained. The arsenic was given
me two or three weeks before | was arrested.
The acid WAS given me in the fall of 1899"
A recess was then taken for dinner. When
court reassembled Messrs. WISER and Trigg
Informed his honor that their difficulty had
been amioahly adjusted. Each disclaimed
any inten ton OF being discourteous to the
court. Judge Ward informed them that if
they would behave themselves for the re-
mainder of the term their fines would be re-
mltted.
THE DOCTOR OFFENDED.
The witness continued: "Dr. Baker WIS
Ol0uucu DoCdub6 ldllcd ~ OuL my
promises to give my husband poison. He
begged me to administer it. He threatened
that il did not fulfil my promise within
two weeks he would desert me. He said he
would kill me il l did not administer the
medicine. But it did not impress me that he
meant it. He talked to me very little
about his wife's death after it
occurred. He said that he had given her
medicine and that she took IL with the same
confidence that one of my children would
take dose Of medicine from me. He told
this when he was trying 70 get me to give
the medicine to my husband.
DosED HER WITH EMBALMING FLUID.
He spoke Of an embalmiug fluid that he
used on his wife saying that 1t contained
some OF the most deadly poison known. He
said that God would not look upon our
action as a sin, that we were made for each
other and that he had made up his mind
that he could not stand the life he
was leading any longer. There are
many statements in the letters which are
not true. told him that the medicine had
made my husband Indifferent to me. 1t
had not done so. l was trying to keep him
from DESERVING me. j never gave Mr.. Gill
mer any Of the medicine except several
doses of the tartar emetic."
THE WITNESS BECOMES THEATRICAL.
The witness here became theatrical, and
called on God to witness that she never
meant to betray DR.. Baker; that it was his
own negligence that did it, The witness CON-
tinued: II believed then that DIR. Baker
had poisoned his wife. and | wished to take
care OF bis little children because the crime
had been committed for my sake. He never
told me that he bad deserted his own flesh
and blood for me. When l used that
expression in nv letters had reference to
his wife. The medicine that was left for
i ~
ter and the nurses. l did not give it. A
capsule was given him one night. DIR.
Baker said IL was intended to make him
sleep. Mr.. Gilmer was taken violently i'll
the next morning and obtained relief by
vomiting"
A GUILTY LTRYST.
She was then asked how long It was after
Mrs. Bakers death until she was again in
innate with DR.. Baker.
She replied: Il could not say definitely
and truthfully how long. 1t was at the
first favorable opportunity"
A consultation was then held by the ooun-
| sci for the prosecution. A sensation was
created when the questions were asked Mrs.
| Gilmer IL she had had any correspondence
with DIR. Baker since the former trial, and
| whether she and Mr.. Gilmer had been liv-
| ing together in the meantime as husband and
wife, Both questions were answered in the
| affirmative.
| Two letters which had been secured by
the prosecution were read, one from Mrs
| Gilmer TO DR.. Baker and his reply. Her
letter was written about two weeks ago. It
| is filed with contrition over the fact that
her testimony should have brought the
| prisoner to his present condition. She dis
claims any intention of betrsying him, say
ing she would have died before she
| would have uttered one word
if the formers letter had not
been discovered. DIR. Bakers letter ex-
presses surprise that she should address him,
proclaims his innocence and expresses a
hope that whatever his own fate may be she
may be relieved from her present state of
sorrow. He says he cherishes n . i'll Will to-
ward her. The witness was turned over TO
the defense and the court adjourned.