New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-02
HAvB BEEN THE MOTIVE.

VICTIMs-ROBBERY SUPPOSED TO
HAvB BEEN THE MOTIVE.
tragedy occurred in the peaceful little village
of Franklin Park, ~ j.. in the early hours Of
| yesterday morning in which two fendish colored
/ burglars killed a helpless woman and child. and
/ in turn met their fate at the hands OF the agon-
/ ized husband and father who fought them to the
death with heroic courage
The house in which the bloody struggle took
place was that Of Moore Baker a young well-tO-
do farmer. who occupied it with his wife and
child sixteen months old The Bakers have
lived I'm Franklin Park for several generations
The assailants were young reCroes who had
I been born and brought up in the village. Both
Of them had played with Mr.. Baker when they
were boys and both had worked for him on his
farm. Their names We're Willard Thompson and
Henry Baker Henry Baker was born in cot
taga On the farm Of Moore Bakers father. His
father was an od-time servant and farmland,
and he had grown up under the protection of
the Baker family. He has always been shiftless
and has recently been living with a woman
named Doughty l.. q shanty in Black Horse
! Lane
The village Of Franklin Park is seven or eight
miles southwest OF New Brunswick, and about
three miles west Of the Franklin Park station Of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Moore Bakers house
is about quarter Of a mile from the home Of his
father. John J. Baker. prosperous and re-
| spected farmer. The story Of the terrible battle
! was graphically told T. 2 Tribune reporter by
| Moore Baker yesterday afternoon at his fathers
house. Mr. Baker was badly bruised and sore
| from his encounter and his face bore the bloody
marks Of finger nails ana wicked cut across
! his forehead an ugly reminder that he had mar
| rowly escaped being Drained with the which
/ killed his wife and child. He Is twenty-five
years old. six feet tall. large-bonod and e1-
tremely muscular. lie has nerve and courage as
the killing Of The two burglars proved
YorNG RAKEEs GRAPHIC STORY.
'T slept with my Wife" he said lin our bed
I room on the second floor Of the house The bed
was placed In front Of a bow window and
slept on the side nearest the window. my wife
occupying the side nearest the centre Of the room
IN order 70 be near the CRIB in which the baby
slept first awakened about o'clock
by my wife. VINO thought that the baby was rest
less. I arose and turned up the lamp and found
the baby sleeping quietly. I went back 70 bed.
when my wife said: I hear a noise I turned
and listened but hearing nothing l told her II
must have been some puppies downstairs that
she had heard ! had two puppy-dogs there.
Il had nearly dropped off 10 sleep again when
tho rustllng Of clothes woke me. I reused up
and saw two negroes in the room, one Of them
/ with an axe | knew Immediately that would
have 10 fight and with the exclamation %.
| nv Godr put NV feet out on the floor Before
I could rise. however. the negro. Henry Baker.
seized me by the throat and tried 10 choke ME.
He held me pinioned for a moment Ny wife
sat up and screamed when she saw the burglars.
Thompson sprang forward. and with one blow
Of the axe split her skull she fell back dead
without uttering a sound. Then Thompson
struck tho sraaring child with the axe several
times crushing its head and killing It instantly.
The sigh, made mo desperate. ard succeeded
( in freeing myself from the negro who was
choking mo and he ran out Of the room I
rr,hho1 nv run hut was so nervous that
corld nor cock II and after irving two or three
,,,, D., l., g., ,.hilo ,,siro g. nc y waanon IN
.. ,, ,r,,, ,rt,,,,,,s,, aud his avo
,.. ., ,i a. ..,,. Ga. ,h, ,,,,,r, with my.
tt.,.,, ..,..,.,,. .,,+ a.. ,,, droy, b,,l,
Ems, fl, ,i,,. , .s,.,,,. boir, braina1 The blade
,.,,.I r,,. e,r.b.,d and p,,1a this n,.I." and
-, =, A.. e-..h,
MT baker p'ln''u To '''' N"S" j" HIS '"''""''
STRUGGLING OVER THE AXE
, r ,,.,
'Bei"rc ne c"uId raise the axe "Eal" ''"S'"
on him and seized the handle with both my
hands ,rh,n,nsn, ais, had hold Of the weanon
,,, ,.h ,l ,, 49,. h,,, % ,.rrtl, strug-
WIZ" "''" ''''''''' anu " -, , =,
gle Tor the poSS'SSI'n 'I IT, We l'"S'' "'
around the room. which was slippery with blood
lie p,t several onuortunitcs to lam the blade
- ,, o..,,,,., ,,,, i.e, arm, g., ,b. bora ,f
"i ''' axe "SiIi'S' ''H '''' ann '' '''' "'P' V
disabling me- and succeeded in cutting several
uejy poshas Every now and then | would get
' .,.. , t 49, .;,h ono
d" 'PP"' '""'N ~ ''' - ~ Wv "N' W."
hand for the instant ANA SnaSh the negro lace
with my fist. The blows gave him would have
lnockod an ordinary man sanscIoss bur they
., ~, , ~
s''m'u 10 pi"""'' 10 c"'0' "' i""''P''"'
still fought desperately realizing that 1t was his
lIfe ar mine At last | tired him out and sue
,.,,,..- ,.,.., .,,, -, ,,,., ,,o,,, o,,,ic,t
'''u'" III P"S"''P "''' '"' " wv ~ 7
the stairs in the han. Whele nnally Wrenched
tho axe away from him.
...>-,,. ,.,, ,.l,,. villain. 7 e,id .vou shall
nav for your crimes sunk the axe in his
skull but the blow did not kill him. lie con-
tlnucd to fight mo with his fists, and TO try To
ward of my blows with his upraiscd hands. |
t.,,rf.I va ~, his h,nd s,Npu Times and