Arizona weekly citizen., 1895-08-24
EARLY TIMEs IN ARIZONA
Murder of the Baker Family by theiI
 Trsachsrous Employees.

nurdeF oi the 6aKer am1iy by tneI
 Trsacherous Employees. The following graphic account of tn murders of the Baker family at Blu water stated an the Gila is from tn Citizens Of December 30, 1871. At ths time the Mexlcans bandit.i wers nearl ! IS bad as the Apsches.
 Following is the report of tn , ] coFoner's jury that investigated tn circumstances Of this trightful atrocity 1 Territory of Arizona County Of Pimu
 Blue Water Station, Dec. 24, 1S7I.-Be fore John $. Thayer, Coroner, in tn
 matter oi th9 inquisltion upon the boo
 les or John ". Baker, Mrs. j ulia Baker
 William Baker and Johu Baker tie
 ceased.
 1 We the undersigned, the jurors sum
 mone' to appear before John $. ThRy
 CT Cor 5r or Pima county, on tn:s 25tl cay Of Decem Der. 1871, to inquire int(
 the circumstances Of the death of tht parties aforesaid whose bodies now lit before us, ind that John W. Baker wal ! Fl ua.ive of New London in the State oI
 Iowa, aged about 3l years; that he dieC 1 from the effect of two guushot wounds ' C'-O Ab ttAC LASfSt, tllS lIto ONnCE {; the throat: that sald wounds, where in Ilcted by persons whose names are un. known in the jury. That Mrs. Julia ] baker wife of J. ". Bgkor, was from ] New London, Iowa, aged about 30 years l that she died from the effects of six buckshot wounds Tn the left breast; tn Ri said wounds were inflicted by persons l the names of whom arc unknown to the Jury. We ind that William Baker was
 son of J. W. and Julia Baker, aged eight years; that he died from the fleets of pistoi-shot wound in the back, iD tilcted by unknown persoEs to the jury. We lind that John Baker was 8n infant son of ]. W. snd Julia Baker, aged five months; that he di,d from exposure to the weather while lyinz on the ground near his dead mother. We find that the deceased Une and ali died on the eYen- ing Of the 2lst of December 1871.
 We further ind tnut the deceased, John ". Baker, had on the I9.h. Doth and ZIst instant, four Mexicans employ ed in cutting and hauling hay 10 his house, that on ths evening Of the 2lst, said Mexic8 IS had unloaded their hay, leaving thoir tools on the wagon; thst sad four MeXicgus were seen the night of the 2lst Tn posse .siOl of the two horses belonging to said Baker and oD the road to Sonora; that on the morning of the 22d, said Mexic3ns were seen on the road in possession of sad horses and about 43 miles from Blue Water Station the nome ofdecessed.
 It appearg to the Jury in tracing the effects to the causes which produced them, that Mir. Baker was about eight feet from the kitchen door, and while ID the act of delivering some provisions. with his scales in hand. to one of the MeXicans. be was shot by two others from behind wall about eight feet dis tant, and he fell where he stood. Mrs. Baker WAS putting supper on the table and, hearing noise, ran out of the door with her babe in her arms, and was con- fronted by the assassins with the double barreled shotgun belonging to the Sta tlOn. She seized the muzzle of the gun in her left hand, and while holding to 1t. 1t was discharged, one shot passing through her left hand between the thumb and foretiDger, the powder burn ing her arm md setting her sleeve on fire-eix shot taking effect in her left breast. She had dropped the child about six feet from her husband, and fell about two feet from it. Their little boy h Gd run out at the time and in the act of running back, was shot in the back by a pistol ball. He lived for some minutes, his little boots being full of blood and the wall being bloody in sev- eral places where he had leaned against it.
 The Mexicans then broke open two trunke, searching the house generally for money, but took away but little if any clothing, and it is believed but very little money. Two of them mounted the two hcrses, and the others followed be- hind, holding to the horses. and thus made long and rapid strides for Sonora. Signed. John B. Allen, Foreman; and Samuel B. Wise. Milton Ward, Charles Lgssen, Samuel Lewis and William Mac kay.
 This morning Charles O. Brown re- ports having learned the names of the murderars, as follows Francisco, - Serbantes and Jose Montez: the latter two reside at Fl Rial de Gu8daloupe, and ali iu Sonora.