The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-02
Moore Baker Stays Two Negroes Who
Had Mercilessly Murdered His
Young Wife and Child.
DESPERATE MIDNIGHT FIGHT
In Which the Farmer Narrowly
Escaped His Family's Fate.
An Ak Used by the WOuld-Be Robbers in
Their Bloody WOrk-Yerdict Re-
turned Promptly by the Coroner.

FRANKLIN PARK, " J.. March L.
| This township Of Franklin Park is slum-
berous sort of place, and has been for
| over a hundred years. In fact, there has
| been no excitement here since the time that
| one George Washington, in command OF
| lot of ragged and quarter-fed soldiers, was
| know in the vicinity, not long before GER
tain little events that have been recorded
| in history in connection with the records
| of Princeton and Trenton. Not since then
has there been any excitement in this little
| place until this morning. There are only
about four hundred people in the place.
| consequently the loss Of four is felt, the
manner OF their taking off is something
| that municipalities a hundred times its size
| might boast of If said municipalities were
| in the line of recorl-brealking sensations
| In q word, two negroes attempted TO rob a
| prosperous farmer, and, in their attempt
they killed q woman and child, and were
| killed themselves. The woman would have
| been the mother of another child within a
| few days If she had been allowed to live.
The Bakers have long been held as socia-
| BILE and reputable members of this small
community Old John ]. Baker has held
| ground here for farming purposes longer
| than the oldest inhabitant can tell about
=
second son, Moore Baker. married with
| the enthusiastic consent Of his parents,
| pretty blonde named Lucretia Evans.
daughter of a neiehbcring well-to-do farm
| err The settlement that the old Bakers
| made upon the young people included
| tract OF many acres. and the son built
| neat If not luxurious, Queen Anne cottage
| upon the property. The young couple start
| ed out in their matrimonial career with
| everything bright ahead. They lived togeth-
| er up to this morning with every prospect OF
1 happiness and success and joyful old
| age when il should come upon them This
morning there came a crisis that could not
| have been foreseen. nor could any prophet
| have attached to its result the terrible con-
| cusion.
| The old Bakers had had. as a sort OF
protege a colored boy named Henry
| Baker, whom they had taken in and helped
since the time he was about six years old.
| This boy had often been employed by
Moore Baker to do chores around MS house.
Yesterday afternoon Moore Baker gave his
| colored namesake a job of cutting some
| wood and paid him for il. After receiv-
| ing his pay the colored chap asked Mr..
| return it on Saturday The farmer did not
like to see the young man with SO much
Money, and he parleyed with him.
L
"Hen," said Mr.. Baker "Pve only got
| hupdred-dollar bill. If you can change that
for me I'll lend you the 81
"a hundred-dollar bill?" said the negro.
81 never see one, Mr.. Baker. Let's have
| look at it,
| With that Moore Baker displayed note
of the denomination of 800 and inadverdent-
| ly some small bills. The negro said moth
| ing, but went away without getting his
desired loan. Later in the day Henry
Baker and another negro named Willard
| Thompson, lad Of eighteen years, were
| seen by Boyd Baker, a brother Of Moore,
| to whom they said they going over
| to Dayton, about four miles away, to see
friend. They went to Dayton, as il has
| since transpired. but they went in a wagon
| drawn by horse out OF Moore Bakers
stables and without Moore Bakers per-
mission. 1t was at 10 o'clock at night, too.
| mat they started on this trip. Exactly
| what they did in Dayton is not known, but
they certainly stopped at Wyne's saloon,
several drinks. They returned by the old
plank road. which was formerly the route
| of the stage coaches between New York
and Philadelphia, and, turning off it to the
| northward, they drove to the Baker farm
and unhitched the horse. That much Of
| their movements is known by many. What
| they did afterwards is told by Moore
Baker, the head Of the household in which
| this shocking tragedy was enacted.
| About 1:9O this morning, the negroes hav-
| ing secured the AK with which Henry Baker
had made his half dollar in doing work for
| Moore Baker during the afternoon, went to
| the entrance to the cellar of young Bakers
residence at the rear Of the house and
| broke il open. They had taken off their
shoes and in stocking feet climbed down
| the narrow stairway into the cellar, then
up into the parlor of the first floor and so
| through entrance that led to a stairway
that landed at the rear of the bedroom in
which Mr.. Moore. his wife and child lay
Will Thompson had attended 10 that, and
carried the weapon close 10 his breast They
sneaked up the rear stairway and crawled
into the sleeping apartment Of the Baker
family.
| MOTHER AND BABE KILLED.
When the negroes were hammering on the
cellar door Mrs. Baker. who was not well,
heard the noise and awakened her husband,
telling him that she thought somebody was
in the house who had no right there Mr.
Baker replied that ii was probably the dogs
that were making the noise and advised
his wife to go TO sleep again. Mrs. Baker
tried to take another nap when by the light
of the small lamp that had been left burn
ing she saw the two negroes enter the rear
door. She became paralyzed with fear. She
had not even strength 10 reach over and
awaken her husband. but she did utter a
sort Of cry. Thompson, the hatchet bearer,
rushed across the room and smote her In
the forehead with his weapon Not salts
fled that he had killed her. he struck her
again. This time the head OF the ak, be-
sides causing a deep wound on the side Of
at the back OF the head as cleanly as though
a pair scissors had been used. Mr.. Baker
had not yet awakened, but the child, in a
crib alongside the bed, was aroused by the
| commotion, and she. little one Of fourteen
| months. set up a cry. The wretch Thomp-
son thereupon welded the AK with a swing
inc blow ard crushed the infants skull to
| atoms.
Now Mr.. Baker became aroused. BY the
dim lamp he saw his two enemies and rec
| ognized them both For an instant ne lost
his self-control, not being able TO believe
that the negro, Baker. could possibly be
! interested in attack upon himself and
| family. In the dilemma of the moment he
rolled out OF bed into the narrow space
between the bed and the wall. Before he
struck the floor Henry Baker was upon
him. The negro grasped for his throat,
and a struggle which cannot be described
| in words. but can only be imagined en-
sued. Mr. Baker. who Is a splendidly built
man, standing about feet inches, and
with chest about a foot and a half
through, not really appreciating what had
been done 10 his loved ones, but feeling
that he must do something and do IL
quickly. tackled the negro in truly athletic
style. He got TO his feet hugging his
namesake around the body, and then. push
ing him away, dealt him blow In the
rF,~. ra1 tan feat