The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-02
MIIRDERERS SLAIN.
A Farmers Desperate Encounter
with Two Burglars.
WIPE AND INFANT CHILD SLAIN

Killed Them.
FRANKLIN PARK, N. j., March 2.-This
township of Franklin Park is slumber
GUS sort Of place, and has been for over
hundred years. It Is large, tterritoriallyI
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 al
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 smother child
within few days If she had been allowed
TO live. The BURGLAR victims are Mrs
Moore Baker and her daughter Gertie, al
months old, and the dead burglars are
Henry Baker, 90 years old, and Willard
Thompson, 10 years old
The Bakers have long been held as So
ciable and reputable members of this
ANAL community, Old John j. Baker
has held ground here for farming pur.
poses longer than the oldest inhabitantI
can tell about with accuracy. About twcI
years ago his second son, Moore Baker,
married pretty blonde named Lueretial
Evans, daughter of a neighboring well-to-
do farmer. The settlement that the old
Bakers made upon the young people in
cluded q tract Of many acres aud afforded
the son means to build a neat COTTAGE
upon the property. The young couple
started out in their matrimonial caree.
with everything bright ahead. They lived
together up to yesterday with every pros
pect Of happiness and success and joyful
old age.
The old Bakers had made protege of a.
colored boy named Henry Baker, whom
they had taken in and helped since the
time he was about 8 years old. This boy, !
now grown to manhood, had often beenl
employed by Moore Baker, with permits
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
1t was in the shape of twenty-five cents or
a dollar, that he did not get 1t. Nor was
he ever without a meal when he needed it.
Wednesday afternoon Henry Baker
asked Moore Baker to loan him g.. AsI
Mr.. Baker did not want to loan him thel
money he good naturally suggested that
he would let him have it provided he
Henry could change hundred dollar
bill.
"a hundred dollar bills" said the negro.
~ never saw one. Lets have n look at it. I"
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 a horse out of Moore
Bakers stables, and without Moore
Bakers permission. AT 1.30 Yesterday
morning, having secured an AK, the pair
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
rushed across the room and smote her in !
tho 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 the
back of her head as closely as though
air of scissors had been used to do the Job.
r. Baker had not yet awakened, but the
child, in a crib alongside the bed, was
aroused by the commotion, and she set up
a cry. The wretch Thompson thereupon
welded the AK with a swinging blow and
crushed the infants skull to atoms.
Now Mr.. Baker became aroused. By the
dim lamp he saw his two enemies, and
recognized them both. For an instant he
lost his self control, not being able to be-
liove that the negro Baker could possibly
be interested in an attack upon himself
and family. In the dilemma Of the mo-
ment he rolled out of bed into a narrow
space between the bed and the wall. Be
fore he struck the floor Hen Baker was
upon him. The negro grasped for his
throat, and n struggle ensued Mr.. Baker
who is splendidly built fellow, got to his
feet and dealt Hen blow gu the face TINT
knocked him ten feet away. Thompson,
seeing his par was in trouble, made rush
at Mr., Baker with the Az but Mr. Baker
threw his head back and the sharp edge Of
the blade merely cut his left forehead
enough to make it bleed
The farmer made n rush Mt Thomson,
only to receive another slight cash on his
right cheek. Coming close together 1homp-
son brought another blow down over his
head, which in the semi-darkness failed tol
curry straight. The handle of the AK came :
down with all its force OH Mr. Bakers
right arm, causing an ugly swelling.
Mr. Baker then grappled for the AK and
1t away. Thompson then re
treated toward the foot of the bed again.
On the head with the butt end of the ax.
It was not until they had again reached
the door that the negro fell When his
body was examined yesterday it was dis
covered that he had no less than seven
frightful gashes on the chest and skull.
Then Mr. Baker went in search of his
namesake, who had gone into
another room to look for weapon of de
tense Before leaving the room he seized |
ais shotgun, which had been standing
against the wall Hen meantime had
'rept stealthily toward the front of the
house, hoping to escape. He had Just
reached the door when Mr.. Baker came
within the sight of him, the small lamp
n the bedroom furnishing the light at
'orded. Without a word Moore Baker I,
shouldered his gun and fired, the charge .
entering the negroes left eye, and he fell
groRning to the floor. ,
Then Moore ran back to attend his wife !
md child. Feeling them through running +
treams OF blood, he found that then
,odies were still warm. While there was
life, he thought, there was hope With
Iothing on hut his night shirt he went to
he barn, mounted his horse and sped fc, =
)r. Hogan, half a mile away. Dr. Hogan
utckly responded. On reaching the houst ri
10 found that Mrs. Baker and her child u
lad been killed instantly and that Thomp
on, he with the seven wounds in his head, {
lad also yielded up to death. Hen Baker III
Fas still alive. but he died about daylight
The angry citizens were prevented from eel
remnting the dead bodies Of the murder ~
rs by the Intervention of Oyerseer of the is
'oor Vandyke. a.,
/