The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-10-11

Robinson, charged with the mur-
der of John l. Baker alias Cluster
Baker, was ended Saturday night.
The jury. after celebrating an
hour and half, came into court
with a verdict cf guilty as to John
A Fai'e, and not guilty as to the
others
The trial was very interesting,
and We expected to be abe to
give to our readers Full synopsis
of The testimony not only in this
case but in all the cases for homi-
eide, as has been our custom here,
tofore, but StenoSrapher McCaw
has been kept so busy during the
term that he could not find time
to write them out The following
brief synopsis is taken from the
report of the case IN The 8 ate
III II Newtoa Of Beunettsvule,
and w 5 Blskeney Of Chesterfield,
managed the case for the State,
while Hough & Hough represented
the defendants. Mr. Newton dis
PLAYED great skill and ability IN the
development of the case against
the defendants and his clvsing
argument to the Jury was, in all
probability, one of the finest efforts
Of his lite
The murder of Baker happened
on Sunday night, IN October, of
last year. AL! three OF the defen,
dants are married men, Baker was
a single man. A worthless woman
was the "hone of contention. :"
The State offered evidence tend
inzsto show a conspiracy between
the defendants to kill the deceased.
There was no conspiracy (Which
the jury seem to have concluded )
then the four parties met acciden-
tally on Sunday after dark near
Lyn cheI RIVER, on the Chesterfield
road Robinson and the deceased
a2re' d to fight fair fight, and
went at 1t During the fight ber
tween Robinson and the dec. ased :,
John A Faile fired two shots into
the lett side of Baker. Baker
lived about tweoty.four hours, and
made dying statement to the
effect that while lighting a fair
fight with Robinson, John A Fai,e
shot him, and that he (Baker)
made no attempt to draw a weapon.
Alter the shooting, Baker took o
pistol from his pocket loaded all
around. and gave it to his brother
The three defendants claimed that
while the fight was in progress be-
tween Robinson aud Baker, Baker
stepped back and put bis hand in
his pocket, and that as he did so,
John A Faile. who was standing
to the left Of Baker, said to him.
"its fair fight, don't do that"
and that Baker pulled his pistol
and presented it at Faile on his
left, and that Faile shot him as he
did 30. The deceased's clothing
exhibited to the Jury, showed con,
c'usivelv that the shots came from
a direction little to Bakers rear.
4 piece of RobInson's forefinger
was shot of. indicating that he
must have had hold of the deceas,
ed when Faile shot him. During
the fight VIM 9 Faile, brother Of
this man who did the shooting,
was standing on the opposite side
OF the belligerents from his BROTH
er. The prosecuting 2 attorneys had
brother Of the deceased to put
on the clothing worn by the dead
man when he was shot, ar d in this
way exhibited the bullets holes in
the clothing to the jury.
John A Faile, who was found
gully by the jury. 10 a young man,
barely twenty years of age. He is
small in stature. perhaps FIVE feet
nine inches tall. and will weigh
about 140 pounds. He has light
bair, a saiiow complexion. pretty
white teeth and a mustache, just
beginning to grow. He did not
seem to realize his condition
when the verdict was read by the
clerk and appeared as indifferent
about the matter as any disloter>
ested spectator. This IL the first
conviction, for murder. of a white
man in this county for fifty year..
n n hon oh aeoaral boua hear No.,