The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-05
PRICE THREE CENTS
ARGUMENTS STILL GOING ON.
Much EIoquence Displayed in
the Baker Trial.
Counsel for Both Sides Talking as They
Never Talked Before-sop1o of the
witnesses Pretty Roughly Handled.
More Speeches VIII DO Made To. duv.
The Case VIII Probably be Given 90
the Jury Early Next weeI.

aB.'NaDoN, Va, March 4.-ISpeciall-
Mr.: Blair continued this morning. Hty
asked the jury to consider tito change
that had taken place since the last trial,
in this testimony and the opinions of Dr.
Taylor.
Thea he dvelt upon the radical diff.
ference OF opinion on several points be-.
tween DIR. Taylor and Prof. Mullet.
The speaker PAID his respects to tho
Witnesses. He closed with an e.zhaus-
tive cumming up. and an eloquent, ora
tion.
HIS powerful argument was frequently
adorned With classic quotations and .Au-
sfons' 1t Is conceded to have been one
OF the hnees specimens Of oratory ever
delivered a. the Abingdon bar.
Mr.. Wysor, of the prosecution. fol.
lowed Mr.. Esair. he arose at 1919 n.
M, and said that he didnot mean to be-
gin by paying compliments to the Jury,
that he had a. right to address them, and
that he was here to exercise that right.
"Fhe question before you is: Did DIR.
Baker poison his wife?
IF he did. he ought to.die. The evil
donoe in this ease is parely direct and
partiy ctrcumstantial. II the facts
proved may be admitted, and still be
consistent with the innocence of the
accused, reasonable doubt is estab-
lished, and he should be given the bene-
MT OF It, But IL those faats are incon-
sisteat with his innocence he must po
down."
Mr.. Wysor spoke about two hours.
lie closed with o vivid picture of the
enormaty o, the crime charged. The
close OF his speechwas a, splendid burst
OF impassioned oratory.
colonel White arose at o few minutes
past twelve. He began bl arguing the
Importance OF understanding the mo-
tives on which this case was founded
Continuing he said:
1--WE And that Margaret Gilmer Is the
witness to prove the adultery. Wynd-
ham Gilmer to prove the legged at
tempt en- his lifo. There is strange
pooling OF interest here. Wyndham
Gilmor had brought a divorce suit
against his wife. This was dismissed.
Was it not dismissed at the price of her
testimony against DR.. Baker,
There Is not o particle OF direct evil
dence to provo that Mrs. Baker ever
took any poison. The Only evidence
'hno 'HoJ h1No urOAR nG Il rWarQ on the
subject is the statement Of Mrs. Gilmer
that DIR. Baker told her that he had
given the fatal dose.
Even If we accept every word OF Mrs.
Gilmers story as true we have nothing
more than statement made to her
that she herself did not believe at the
time.
"There Is not n particle OF evidences
to show that Mrs. Baker ever took any
medicine containing arsenic in poison
GUS quantities"
His speech was earnest, dignified and
convincing. He spoke about two hours,
closing at p. m.
Colonel White was followed by Col.
John q. Summers, Of the prosecution.
lie made an exhaustive argument on
the nature of oircumstantial evidence,
and took the cases OF Dean and Cluve-
RUS, pointing out their analogy to the
Baker case.
His speech was highly humorous. and
the court room was often convulsed by
his happy hits.
When he closed at 4:4O D. m court ad-
Journed until o'clock tomorrow morn
ing, whom the argument will be taken
up by John q. Burson for tho defense.
The pleading will DO finished Mon
day.