The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-27


The investigation of the letters Of Mrs.
Gilmer to DIR. Baker was continued this
morning with view to proving their
authenticity. There were no new de-
velopments during this line of testi-
mony, which substantially agreed with
that of the former trial.
ID. S. st. John was the first witness
introduced. IIs is the present owner
of the Baker place, and was living there
at the time the letters were found He
described infinitely the place they were
concealed. The defense was evidently
trying to prove that the letters were
placed there by some malicious person,
while the prosecution was aiming to Off
set this by showing that the letters
might have remained there for months
without being affected by the weather.
The witness was asked If he had ever
had any conversation with DR.. Baker
regarding Mrs. Bakers death. He re-
piled that whom he was looking at DR..
Bakers farm with view to buying, DR..
Baker said: 81 nave in my practice seen
mothers when their hearts would almost
melt in sympathy with their children.
nevor realized the force of this until /
had 1T brought homo to my hearthstone.
NV wife was in perfect health, but she
suddenly sickened and died"
lie said that DR.. Baker told him that
his wife was in labor when she died.
The next witness called was Geo. w.
Grubb, the husband of tho woman who
found the letters. He stated that he
took the letters to MI. st. John, who
read them, and that he then returned
them TO his wife. The letters were
then traced through various hands un-
til they were secured by the Gilmers,
and by them given to tho common
wealth's attorney,
Axley Gilmer was then placed on the
stand, and he stated that no read the
letters and took them to DR.. Scott Gil
mer, of Russell county, brother of
Wyndham Gilmer. The letters were
shown to tho witness, and he identified
them. The "Minnick letter. was
inadvertently left by the common
wealth's attorney in the package when
1T was handed to the witness. This let.
ter was not found with others, but tho
witness identified it-even specific pas
sages contained in it.
The defense tried to mako capital
out OF this. They are trying to prove
that tho letters were at least tam pered
with-if not wholly forged. A long
and heated argument followed the
Identification of the Minnick letters by
tho witness.
Tho witness explained that he had
read the letter known as the Minnick
letter in the papers; that he had never
seen 1T in the original package. He
admitted that he was mistaken about
this letter.
Col. Summers stated that on the day
OF Mrs Gilmer's arrest he was looking
for some letters at her house from DR..
Baker; that all Le found was q small
slip of paper that seemed to have been
letters IS. H" in DR.. Bakers hand.
There was also one word on tho slip
above the signature. Witness did not
remem Der what tho word was.
IL. Aiken, who was clerk at Hotel
Paramount when DR.. Baker and Mrs.
Gilmer spent the night there, was the
next witness. He said that she regis
tered as Mrs. Emma Gordon, Roanoke,
Va" That DIR. Baker came in soon
after her arrival and inquired for her;
that he had room near hers, and that
they left together. Witness showed
their names on the hotel register.
DR.. w. FL. Washington, the Abingdon
druggist from whom DIR. Baker bought
the hydrocyanic acid, testified that he
sold DR.. Baker two drains of the acid in
the spring of 1890; that he had only
sold tho medicine twice during the time
that he had been in tho drug business.
that he had been in the business several
years; hydrocyanic acid is one of the
most deadly poisons.
The witness identified the bottle that
was left for Wyndham Gilmer as the
same that he sold to DR.. Baker. He
said that he very often sold prepara-
lions containing hydrocyanic acid as
one of their Ingredients; that chlory-
dine was the preparation in which it
was most frequently used; that the
substance sold to DR.. Baker was pure
hydrocyanic acid; that any good physi-
clan could compound chlory dine, bur
that he had never sold any pure hydro
cyaDic acid to any one except DR..
Baker.
Rev. d. II. Carr was the next witness.
He was at DR.. Bakers house soon after
Mrs. Bakers death. He was asked
whether he had any conversation at the
time with DIR. Baker in regard to en-
balming the body. He replied:
''Dr. Baker said to me that he had
done all he could for his wife, and that
he had sent for the undertaken to en-
balm her body. This is about all of the
conversation that can remember.
"He told me how he had always tried
to live towards her. did not detect
anything unusual in his manner that
evening; did think the next morning
that he was, under the circumstances,
little boisterOus."
Columbus Stockton, the last witness
this evening. stated that he was at
Wyndham Gilmer's house when Gilmer
was sick; that capsule was given him
about 10 o'clock; that he became very
sink and ohtainp relief nv vomiting