Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-08
DOUBLE MURDER AVENGED
Ne Slayers Killed by the Pro-
Y tector of Their Victims.
|EM0THER AND BABE MURDERED
Iendish Crime of Negroes
in New Jersey.
they Killed Mrs. Baker With an Axe and
Then Murdered Year-old Child in Its
Crib--The Fiends Meet Their Death mt
.rhe Hands of the Husband and Father.


tefrible tragedy was enacted last night |
at the village of Franklin Park, about |
six miles from this city. Mrs. Moore |
| Baker and her 14-months-old baby were |
murdered by two colored villains in
search of money. The murderers were |
Willard Thompson and Henry Baker,
who had worked on Moore Bakers |
farm, and whose ages were respectively
is and 81 years. Both of them were
killed by Moore Baker, making quad
fnple murder. The two colored men,
Whompson and Baker, entered the house
hT breaking open o cellar door. En-
trance was then easy to the second-story
bed.room, in which slept Mr.. and Mrs.
Haker. Alongside OF them, in crib, at
Mrs. Bakers right hand, lay the ID
4Aonths.old girl, Gertrude Baker. The
child had been restless during the night,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Baker had not slept
Roundly. Mrs. Baker had called the at.
tontion of her husband to some noise
Clown stairs, between / and 9 o'clock,
which she thought was made by litter
pf pups in the dining.room.
Ihe colored men entered the bedroom
\ Nt6Eether. Thompson, rather short,
bit stockily-built negro, was armed
A with q large axe. Mrs. Baker got up in
E Pied and screamed as she saw the men
&enter the room, which was dimly lighted
| s;by d small lamp. Thompson at once
| Yuehed to the side of the bed and struck
.!fer terrific blow with the axe. Her
BAull was crushed and her brains were
*o2ttered over the bed. Then Thompson
8tfhck the child in the crib, killing it
3fstanty with the axe. Mr. Baker then
8truggled with Thompson, and, getting
he axe, beat out his brains. He then
eecured a shotgun and fired one barrel
INTO Henry Bakers head. Baker lived
&Hntil o'clock, this morning, when he
died of his terrible wounds. The negro
Maker during the time that Mr.. Baker
Vas struggling with Thompson became
fraid and ran into a bedroom, and
When Thompson had been killed BY
Aeyeral blows of the axe, Moore Baker
sailed to Baker to come out OF the
*oom. Baker hurried to do so and was
&hot as he stood in the door.
Moore Baker then rushed in to see il
his wife and child were still living
Mfrhey were apparently, dead. He then
Stushed to the barn, without waiting tc
dress, having nothing on but his night
Robe, and mounted his favorite horse
hastened as fast as he could compel the
horse to go to the home Of his fathei
Rnd for doctor.
WI Doubtless the object of the negroe!
WAS to secure the $100 or thereabouts
(which Mr.. Baker had showed thu
Fcolored man, Baker, in the afternoon
nv neither they intended to murder thu
whole household and then burn tn,
house in their efforts TO secure thl
paltry sum of money will never b.
#known, but this was the opinion OF al
bit the scene this morning.
e Mrs, Baker was remarkably good
Elooking woman with long blonde tresse
and pure white complexion. The hal
WAS cut from the head as with a sharl
razor by the blow from the axe.
III The inquest was held this morning
fhnd the killing of the two negroes wa
declared a justitiable homicide.
|f DETAILS OF THE BLOODY CRIME.
SoMERvILLE, N. j., March IA hol
rible tragedy occurred early this morn
ling at the home of Moore Baker, nea
Franklin Park, in this county M
Bakers wife and year-old baby Wei
murdered, and their murderers, Willar
Thompson and Henry Baker, bot
young negroes, were killed by tn
frenzied husband and father of IL
victims.
Baker is a powerfully built youn
E farmer, of about 80 years. He is qui
I we'll of. He married Louisa Evan
RI three years ago, and baby girl was Il
result of the union. Henry Baker, Il
Young negro, has worked for Moo
Bakers father for years, and has oftt
worked for the son also. Yesterdi
afternoon, when he quit work for ii
| n day, he asked Mr.. Baker for the loan
SO. Mr.. Baker asked him if he cou
change 500 bill, and, upon the neg
saying "no" he produced the bill al
showed it to him. This money W
~ what the negroes was after.
MRS. BAKER HEARD A NOISE.
Tx About o'clock this morning NJ
Baker awakened her husband, and to
him she heard noise in the hou
Baker calmed Lis wifc's fears, but, up
her earnest request, and because ba
Gertrude, who was in a crib beside i
father and mother, was crying, he 6
~ up and lighted a lamp. He then
& turned to bed, and had almost fall
asleep when he heard slight moi
and, quickly turning, he saw t
negroes standing at the foot of the b.
He recognized them as Henry Bal
Nl and Willard Thompson. Thomps
1 was armed with an axe, which he h
,N taken from the wood pile in the rear
4 the house, and both negroes were
MA their stocking feet, their shoes bel
found on the back stoop this morning
MRS. BAKER AND HER BABY KILL
The moment Mrs. Baker saw
negroes she screamed. Thomp:
leaned over the foot-board and stru
Mrs. Baker on the head with the a
cutting fearful cash and killing
instantly. He then went around to
crib and struck the baby twice with
axe, each time making q deep wou
The little one made a convulsive spr
a. toward its mother and expired. In
NJ meantime Mr.. Baker had jumped ou
" bed aud grappled with the negro Ba
H and had so terrified him that he
into g rear bedroom. Moore Ba
then turned to Thompson, who s
held the bloody axe, and frigh
struggle ensued for its possession.
BAKER KILLS THE NEGROES.
Back and forward they fought, Ba
says, for five minutes, but it &C
scarcely have been that long before
m wrested the axe from Thompson
struck him in the head. He follo'
up this blow with others aud Sc
times he sank the axe in the neg
head before the latter fell to the I
dead. Baker then dropped the axe