The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-02
A NIGHT RID WITH BLOOD
A Farmer Kills Two Negroes Who
Killed His Wife and Child.

The Blacks Entered the House to Steal
S1OO-The Farmers Wife Awaken
ing One of the Negroes Kills Her and
Her Child-The Farmer Springs From
Bod and Kills One With an AK and
the Other With a Shotgun.
Somerville, N. J., March IA horri-
bic tragedy occurred early this morning
at the home of Moore Baker, near Frank
lin Park, in this county. MIR Bakers
and their murderers, Willard Thomp-
son and Henry Baker, both young
negroes, were killed by the freu-
zied husband and father of the
victims. Baker is powerfully built young
farmer, of about 80 years He is quite
well off. He married Louisa Evans three
years ago, and baby girl was the result
of the union
Henry Baker, a young negro, has
worked for Mr. Bakers father for years,
and has often worked for the
son also. Yesterday afternoon when
he quit work for the day he asked Mr..
Baker for a loan of 50. Mr.. Baker asked
him if he could change a Sl0O-bill, and upon
the negro saying NO he produced the
bill and showed it to him. This money
was what the negroes were after.
ENTERED THE HOUSE TO ROB.
At about ! o'clock this morning Mrs
Baker awakened her husband and told
him she heard a noise in the house. Ba-
ker calmed his wife's fears, but upon her
earnest request, and because baby Ger
trude, who was in a crib beside her
father and mother, was crying, he
got up and lighted a lamp. He then
returned to bed, aad had almost
fallen asleep when he heard a slight
noise, and quickly turning, he saw the
two negroes standing at the foot of the
bed. He recognized them as Henry Baker
and Willard Thompson Thompson was
armed with an AK, which he had taken
from the woodpile in the rear of the
house, and both negroes were in their
stocking feet, their shoes being found on
the back stoop this morning.
THE DOUBLE MURDER.
The moment Mrs Baker saw the ne
g1Oes she screamed. Thompson leaned
over the footboard and struck Mrs Baker
on the head with the ak, cutting a fear
LII Eoo44 anu hllilllE nGT INSTANTLY, he
then went around TO the crib and struck
the baby twice with the ak
each time making a deep wound
The little one made convulsive spring
toward its mother, and expired. In the
meantime Mr.. Baker had jumped out Of
bed and grappled with the negro. Baker,
and had so terrified him that he ran into
rear bed room. Moore Baker then
turned to Thompson who still held the
bloody axe, and a frightful struggle en-
sued for its possession.
THE TWO NEGROES KILLED.
Baker wrestled the ak from Thompson
and struck him in the head. He followed
this blow with others and seven times he
sank the ak in the negros head before the
latter fell TO the floor dead. Baker then
dropped the ak and ran for his double
barreled gun, which, loaded with No 3
buckshot, stood in the corner Of the room.
Seizing the weapon, he walked
to door leading into
small back hall, shouting, Henry,
you black -- , come out of that
With a bound the negro sprang into the
hall and darted toward the back stairs,
only to receive the full charge of one bar.
rel in the right side of his lace, near one
eye. He fell with groan, and lay where
he fell until he died at 6 o'clock this
morning without once recovering con-
sciousnsss.
BAKER EXONERATED.
Mr.. Baker called in the neighbors, and
soon all the people for miles around were
on the spot. A coroner's inquest justified
Baker
The people wanted to burn the bodies of
the negroes, but this the coroner would
no. permit They will be buried in ordi-
nary pine boxes in the same grave at the
county's expense, as their friends refuse
TO have ANYTHING TO 90 with the bodies