The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-12
THE STORY SENSATIONAL
EX-SENATOR BAKER, OF MARION, DE-
MES BIGAMY IMPLICATION.
An Alleged Russian Countess, 1t Is
Said, Charges Him with Being
Her Husband.

Ex-senator o. A. Baker, of Marion, was
seen at the Dension last night in relation to
a sensational story printed yesterday by an
afternoon paper of his city in which it was
intimated that he had been guilty of big
amy Mr. Baker denounced the whole story
as false. He said he had never heard of
the woman who it is claimed has made the
charges against him, and said he had never
been married but once and this was to his
present wife.
The story printed by the Marion news
paper, which on the face of it seems "fshy, -
is to the effect that there is a woman in
Madison. Wis, who claims to be Mr. Ba-
ker's wife He has a family in Marion the
members of which are well known. The
paper says it first became aware of the ex-
istence of the Wisconsin woman from let
ter received, telling of the alleged treatment
Of a wife at Madison.
Living at 524 State street, in Madison, is
a woman Of Russian birth. who claims to
have been Countess of Nazimow in her ma
tive land. She says she is the lawful wife
Of o. A. Baker, of Marion. The story of
her marriage is a romantic one as related
by her. She says she was married to eX-
Senator Baker before she ever saw him,
by proxy that he was attorney for Rus
sian syndicate having large investments in
that county, in which she was financially
interested, and that she began a CORE
Spondence with him on matters relating to
those investments; that the correspondence
continued; that she fell in love with him
by his handwriting, as she expressed II,
and that the marriage by proxy resulted,
she being regularly married in Russia, with
representative of ex-senator Baker taking
his place at her side as bridegroom. This,
she says, Is an authority marriage in
the Greek Church, to which she belongs.
Immediately after this ceremony she came
to America, III October. 1896 Mr.. Baker,
she claims met her in New York city and
they were married again in a little PreSby-
terrain church in some small place near
New York. She does not remember the
name Of the place or the preacher, and
while she says the marriage certificate was
issued, she further says that Mr.. Baker has
it, with other papers. After the marriage,
she says, he went to Marion, and she lived
for some time in Sturgis, Mich, where her
baby boy was born, died and was buried.
She went to Madison, and claims Mr.. Ba-
ker accompanied her about three months
ago. He visited her there at Christmas
time. she says. She claims that the reason
Mr.. Baker does not want to publicly recog-
nize his marriage with her at the present
time is that it might interfere IN the APP
preaching marriage of one OF his daugh-
tiers. She says he showed her a decree of
more than two years ago.
The Bakers reside in a handsome residence
on Delphi avenue, Marion Mr.; Baker was
i'm the Senate two years ago. 1t is claimed
that the first intimatior of the Wisconsin
womans story came to his family yesterday
morning in letter to one of his daughters.
The letter was from the alleged Russian
countess Information from Marion last
night stated that Mrs Baker asserted yes
terday that her husband lived in North
Dakota four months last summer. Mrs.
Baker says If he secured a divorce from her
there it was without her knowledge. A
dispatch from Marion says that the Baker
family is heart-broken over the news. Mr..
Baker has been a good husband and father
and his family cannot believe he has been
leading a double life.
Mr.. Baker was positive in the assertion
last night that he had never known a
Russian countess. He said a friend of his
at Marion wrote to him yesterday intimat-
ing that there was a story in circulation
there about him. He said he understood the
story concerned this Wisconsin womank Mr..
Baker is a lawyer, and is well known over
the State. He said last night he would re-
turn to Marion to-day. He was evidently
greatly puzzled last night when told of the
Wisconsin story and pondered long and deep
~ before he concluded to say ANYTHING.