The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-25
BATTLES MEDICAL SKILL
Mrs. Emma j. Baptiste Will
Leave Butte for Good.
OWELLS ON HER WRONGS
Long Urged to Leave the Scene OF Her
T~roubles-Shot and Killed Her
Unfaithful Husband q
Year Ago.

Mrs. Emma j. Baptiste. who shot n
killed her husband something over a
year ago and was subsequently ac-
Quilted on her trial for murder. left on
the Burlington last night for Kansas
City, where she will receive medical
treatment from an eminent specialist.
Mrs. Baptiste has been In very bad
health ever since her trial. and lately
her condition has been growing much
worse. She has been making her home
with a married sister in Butte and has
lived very secluded. seldom appearing
on the streets and visiting very few
friends. She was out yesterday maxi
ing a few purchases for her trip and
bidding her friends goodbye. Her
changed appearance was a shock to
many. Always rather frail and sickly
looking. she Is now so worn and hag-
gard that her appearance cannot but
excite pity and sympathy. She looks
10 or Is years older than she did when
released from Jail on the 18th of last
February. when the jury told her she
was not guilty of murder.
II don't expect ever To return TO
Butte she said yesterday. The doc
tors here don't seem to be able To help
me and I am now much worse h i
was when ] was put in jail. although
| Il nave Dttn lIttttu constantly Slh't.
I am going back to Kansas City to see
IL the doctor who treated me before
cannot help me-"
Mrss Baptiste Is suffering from COM
plants peculiar &c her sex and has
been under treatment by different ply.
sicians since 1898. Doctors who have
attended her or consulted about her
case have expressed the belief that she
never can be cured because of her men,
tai condition. Her mind constantly
dwells on her wrongs and the killing
of her husband. and her mental suffer-
ing battles all medical skill i'm an at
tempt to relieve her physical ailments.
1t was believed that her surroundings
In Butte and the scenes of the murder
and her troubles which constantly con-
front her might have a depressing in
huence on her, and she has long been
urged to go away. but as all her friends
and relatives live here she has been
reluctant to go.
But I can't stay any longer" she
said. Il suffer too much. | have some
very good friends i'm Butte and regret
to leave them. but | will never forget
their kindness to me-
The facts concerning the murder, the
crime with which Mrs. Baptiste's con-
science Is weighted. are still fully with
in the recollection of many readers OF
the Standard. James Baptiste. a tele-
SfdDn ODtfdlois hNtu III buAtt StN'h
or eight years with Emma J. Baptiste
as his wife. No one ever doubted or
was led to suspect that they were lc-
gally man and wife. They lived to-
gether apparently happy until. on ac-
count of her i'll health. Mrs. Baptis:e
was compelled to go to Kansas City.
That was in the early part of May,
1897. She had not been away from the
city very long before Baptiste became
VIGOROUSLY intimate with a variety
performer and percentage worker In a
Galena street house, named frankie
Bell. Mrs. Baptiste soon heard OF IL
and by correspondence tried to get her
husband to mend his behavior. she
wrote to his parents about his conduct
and they advised her to blow his head
off," She returned to Butte on the 25th
of July. but soon learned that her hus-
band had forsaken her for good. Her
friends advised her to let him go and
seek a divorce. IL Is understood that
Baptiste agreed to such a course and
accompanied his wife TO the Office Of
: an attorney, where he furnished data
for her complaint and rave the attor-
ney the date Of their marriage at st
? Joseph, Mo. 1t is the belief of tn
, friends of Mrs. Baptiste that every
{ him would have ended well II she had
3 been allowed to get her divorce. bul
I while the case was pending i'm court
dDOul IA . VI 'tPttlib'is pdBNho
E and the Bell woman went to Helena
:. and were married. Baptiste. In a cold
. blooded and heartless way. excused hi!
e conduct by claiming mat he had never
: been married to Emma j. Baptiste and
I that the woman who a borne hi.
name for seven or eight years had NJ
. legal title TO II. Baptiste's d~espicabl'
n action seemed to drive the woman
y crazy. and after satisfying herself u
Y his marriage. she procured a revolvc
d and went to the NJ. & NJ. pool room
h where he was employed. and shot hin
dead. That was on the 18th Of Septem
Der. 1897. on the 18th of last Februar!
Y her trial. which took up but two o
e three days. was concluded and she wa
acquitted. Mrs. Baptiste remained IL
tire city until last night.
Shortly after the murder and Bap
e tiste's funeral. Frankie Bell left TN
: city, but after the affair had somewha
quieted down she returned and agai
d went to work in the variety theater %
Galena street. She was Kissed ever
time she appeared. and generally thing
were made So uncomfortable for he
that she soon left again and her pres
X ent whereabouts are not known