The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-03-07
THE DEED OF DEVILS.
Methes and BABY slau:h 'ere1-Fhe Hus-
bands Verge arc>,

SoMERy1LLG n. j., March IA
horrible tragedy occurred early this
morning at the b ONE of Moore Baker,
near Frankland Park, in this county,
Mr.. Bakers wife and year old baby
were murdered and their murderers
Willard Thompson and Henry Baker,
botn young negroes, were killed by the
frenzied husband and father of the
victims.
Baker is a powerfully built young
farmer, of about thirty years. He is
quite well off. He married Louisa
Evans three years ago, and baby girl
was the result of the union.
Henry Baker, the young negro, work
ed for Moore B Baker's father for years,
and has often worked for the son also.
Y Yesterday afternoon when he quit
work for the day he asked Mr. Baker
for loan of two dollars. Mr.. Baker
asked him if he could change a 500
bill, upon the negro saying NO." he
produced the bill and showed it to him.
This money was what the negroes were
after.
Atabout l o'clock this morning Mrs.
Baker awakened her husband and told
him she heard a noise in the house.
Baker calmed his wife's fears, but up
on her earnest request, and because
Baby Gertrude, who was in crib be.
side her father and mother, was crying
he got up and lighted lamp. He then
returned to bed, and had almost fallen
asleep when he heard slight noise,and
quickly turning, be saw the two ne
groes standing at the foot of the bed.
Re recognized them as Henry Baker
and Willard Thompson. Thompson
was armed with an axe, which he had
taken from the wood pile in the rear
of the house, and both negroes were
in their stocking feet, their shoes being
found on the back sleeps this morning.
The moment Mrs. Baker saw the ne
groes she screamed. Thompson leaned
over the footboard and struck Mrs.
Baker on the head with the axe, cut
ting fearful cash and killing her in
stantly. He then went around to the
crib and struck the baby twice with
the axe, each time making deep
wound. The little one made a convul-
siVe spring toward its mother and ex-
pired.
In the meantime, Mr.. Baker had
jumped out of bed and grappled with
the negro, Baker, and had so terrified
him that be ran into rear bedroom.
Moore Baker then turned to Thompson
who still held the bloody axe. aud a
fearful struggle ensued for its posses
sion. Baker wrested the axe from
Thompson and struck him in the head.
He followed up this blow with others
and seven times be sank the axe in the
pegro's head before the latter fell to the
floor dead. Baker then dropped the
axe and ran for his doubie-bsrreled
gun, which, loaded with No. 3 buck
shot, stood in corner of the room.
Seizing the weapon, lie walked to door
leading out into small back hall,
shouting: Henry, you black come
out of that" With d bound the negro
sprang into the hall aud darted down
the back stairs, only to receive the full
charge of one barrel in the right side
of his face, near one eye. He fell With
groan and lay where he fell until he
died, at o'clock this morning, without
once recovering consciousness. Moore
Baker called II the neighbors and soon
all the people from miles around, were
on the spot. A coroner's inquest ustl-
fed Baker. The people wished to burn
the negroes bodies, but this the coroner
would not permit. They Will be buried
in ordinary pine boxes in the same
grave at the country'S expense, as their
friends refuse to have anything to do
with the bodies.