The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-03-02
MURDERERS SLAIN.
A Farmers Desperate Encounter
with Two Burglars,
WIFE AND INFANT CHILD SLAIN.

His Family WelterlnR IN IheiT tore'
Makes ouiok Work of the Brutes who
Killed Them.
FRANKLIN PARK, N. j., March 2.-This
township of Franklin Park is slumber-
GUS sort of place, and has been for over
a hundred years. 1t is large, Iterritorially
speaking, but in its number OF inhabi
tants It is very little. There are only about
400 people in all the square miles that are
given to the township. In this quiet com
munity two negroes attempted to rob a
prosperous farmer. In their attempt they
killed his young wife and infant child and
were killed themselves The woman would
have been the mother of another child
within few days If she had been allowed
to live The burglars victims are Mrs.
Moore Baker and her daughter Gertie, IA
| months old and the dead burglars are
| Henry Baker, % years old, and Willard
Thompson, l6 years old.
| The Bakers have long been held as so
ciable and reputable members of this
tsmall community. Old John j. Baker
/ has held ground here for farming pur-
poses longer than the oldest inhabitant |
can tell about with accuracy About two |
years ago his second son, Moore Baker, |
married pretty blonde named Lucretia |
Evans, daughter Of n neighboring well-to- |
do farmer The settlement that the old |
Bakers made upon the young people in
/ cluded a tract of many acres and afforded
the son means TO build neat cottage
upon the property The young couple
started out in their matrimonial career
with everything bright ahead. They lived
together up TO yesterday with every pros
peot of happiness and success and joyful
old age
The old Bakers had made protege OF
colored boy named Henry Baker whom
they had taken in and helped since the
time he was about 6 years old. This boy,
now grown to manhood, had often been
emploved by Moore Baker, with permis
sion of his father. to do chores around his
house His work had not always been
steady, but he never asked any of his
friends among the Bakers for help,whether
Il was in the shape of twenty five cents or
a dollar, that he did not get 1t. Nor was
ne ever without meal when he neededl 1t.
Wednesday afternoon Henry Baker
asked Moore Baker to loan him s2. As
Mr.. Baker did not want 60 loan him the
money he good naturedly suggested that
he would let him have it provided he
Henry could change a hundred dollar
bill
"a hundred dollar billYn said the negro.
81 never saw one Let's have look at 1t. J"
With that Moore Baker displayed note
of the denomination of hundred dollars
and, inadvertently, some small bills The
negro said nothing, but went away With
out getting his desired loan.
Later Wednesday night Hen Baker and
Willard Thompson went to Dayton in a
wagon drawn by horse out of Moore
Bakers stables, and without Moore
Bakers permission. At 1880 yesterday
morning, having secured an AK, the paiI
broke open the rear door of Mr.. Bakers
house and made their way to the bedroom
| occupied by Mr.. Baker and his family
Mrs Baker, who had been reused, uttered
n low cry of alarm, when Thompson
y rushed across the room and smote her il
the forehead with the AK Not satisfied
that he had killed her he struck her again
- This time the head of the AK, besides caus
ing deep wound on the side of the head
. glanced and cut away the switch at thu
Y back of her head as closely as though I
d pair of scissors had been used to do the job
Mr.. Baker had not yet awakened but th
child. in a crib alongside the bed, wa
aroused by the commotion, and she set VI
a cry. The wretch Thompson thereupoI
welded the ak with a swinging blow ant
crushed the infants skull TO atoms.
Now Mr.. Baker became aroused. By tn
a dim lamp he saw his two enemies, AM
ri recognized them both. For an instant h
IN lost his self control, not being able to be
. l lieve that the negro Baker could possibl
4 be interested in on attack upon himsel
y and family. In the dilemma of the me
! ment he rolled out of bed into narroN
~ space between the bed and the wall BE
fore he struck the floor Hen Baker wa
upon him. The negro grasped for hi
throat, and a struggle ensued. MIR. Baker
o. who is a splendidly built fellow, got to hi
feet and dealt Hen blow on the face tina
knocked him ten feet away. Thompson
ers seeing his pal was in trouble, maAc a rus
. at Mr.. Baker with the AK, but n. Bake
VI threw his head back and the sharp edge
the blade merely cut his left forehea
n enough to make it bleed.
H The farmer made rush at Thompson
II only to receive another slight cash on h
~ right cheek Coming close together Thorn
d son brought another blow down over h
~ head, which in the semi-dArkness failed
81 carry straight. The handle of the ak can
81 down with all its force on Mr.. Baker
n right arm, causing an ugly swelling.
81 Mr.. Baker then grappled for the ak al
ID wrenched it away. Thompson then 7
81 treated toward the foot of the bed agai
81 Baker followed him and dealt him a bio
III | on the mead Win lne DuUu emu VI the II
A 1t was not until they had again reach'
" the door that the negro fell When b
. body was examined yesterday it was di
- covered that he had no less than sew
III friahtful gashes on the chest and skull,
III Then Mr.. Baker went in search of
W murderous namesake, who had gone in
another room to look for weapon of q
fense. Before leaving the room he seiz
a. his shotgun, which had been standil
against the wall. Hen meantime h
crept stealthily toward the front Of t
s, house, hoping to escape. He had j.
reached the door when Mr.. Baker car
,ru within the sight of him, the small lar
ate in the bedroom furnishing the light
s s. Q forded Without a word Moore Bal
9Th shouldered his gun and fired, the chan
'ont entering the negros left eye, and he
ody groaning to the floor
/ L. g..