The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-01
A TRAGEDY IN SOUTH RALEIGH
Mrs. Baker Shot Through the Throat. Was
1t Attempted Suicide or Was it
Attempted Murder?

From Thursday News and Observer
Raleigh Was shocked yesterday af-
ternoon BY an occurrence thar has iii
il both tragedy and mystery.
The tragedy lies in the fact that as
1he result of a pistol >hot, a woman
lies desperately and perhaps fatally
wounded. al the Res Hospital.
The mystery Of the affair IS that
il Is doubtful whose hand fired the
shot by which the woman was injured,
and also that the woman herself has
told different tales about the occur
rence-at one time saving that her
husband shot her. then that she shot
herself, and finally that She and her
husband We're Scuftiin@ over the pistol
when it fired. and chat She does not
know who fired il.
The unfortunate affair took place
al the home of Mr.. Sid Workman. OF
this citS The woman who was shot
is Mrs. Dora Baker. and her husband.
and the man who many people here
believe to BE guilty OF attempting To
murder his Wife is one ~ +. Baker.
Of HarGett county.
Down in Southeast Raleigh there Is
an alley known as Jones AllcN II
is between Person and Blood worth
streets and branches off from Smith
field street. There are half 4 dozen
three room houses occupied by white
people.
II was in one Of these three room
ed houses that the tragedy occurred.
The only eye witnesses to the affair
are the woman who WAS shot and her
husband.
There was only short time after
the deed was committed before ! ply
sician arrived. The woman MAS lying
on a pile of chips in the yard. in a
pool of blood which had poured from
Il wound in her throat. She was re
moved from the ground, and carried
into the house, and placed on . bed in
the front room. Her dress was cover
ed With blood and about her neck
were clots of red that told the first
part of the story. She was in terri
BILE pain. though She held herself un-
der control to all outward appear
ances and only once did She break
down and cry after the first excite
ment and that was when she was ask
ed why she would wish to shield Il
man if he had fired a-shot to end her
life
She said that hes name was Dora
Baker. Before She was married her
name was Gilbert and she was the
daughter Of a Well-to-do farmer in
Iiarnett county, near Fayetteville.
She lived the early part of her life
along the meek country" between
the Cape Fear and Little Rivers. She
has long been married to Dick Baker.
but they have never been happy to-
gether as he has always been cruel to
her. She had tWC children, but both
of them died when very young. She
is twenty seven years of age and she
determined recently that She would no
longer stand the torments that she
had been receiving from her husband.
That is what brought her to Raleigh
and it was not long until he followed
her TO this city.
Her husband came TO the house
about Ii o'clock and had been there
ever since that time until the shoot
ing. Some talk had arisen between
them to cause the man to say that he
had a pistol and to show it to her. She
answered hat she had one also and
proceed to take it from the bureau
drawer. Then, she says, a scuffe en-
sued ard it was during that time that
the shot was fred.
Did YOU shoot Yourself or did
your husband shoot NOu?' was asked.
II don't know. was the reply.
The same question was asked again
and again after others had been put
TO her and once she said that her hus-
band had the pistol when the shot was
fired and once said that she reckoned
She must have had it.
Finally She was told that She could
have all the protection that could be
given anyone and was asked to tell
the truth.
u cant. It seems to me just like
said | had one too. and then the scuf-
fle and then the shot. ! can't tell you
now. but wait until | am better and.
then | can tell
why do you wish to shield him."
had been asked. and with the words
came the first tears from the broken
hearted suffering woman.
Mrs. Sid Workman. at whose house
Mrs. BakeS had been boarding for
short while says that Mrs. Baker left
her husband. who lives in Harnett
county. about four weeks ago, and
came to Raleigh and lived al the home
Of Mr.. Zeb Hamilton. who. is her cou-
sin. she told me she left Mr.. Baker
because he was so mean to her, and
mstreated her. ] don't know in what
Way-he mistreated her She was AZ
/eb Hamilton, S about q week and
then she came over here and wanted
us to see about her getting a place for
her in the factory. she hadn't got the
place yet. and she was not exactly
boarding with Us, but she was living
With us.
She had told us about her trouble
pretty much since she had been here
She said that her life was q torment
10 her when she was with him and
that she couldn't stand the way he
treated her. But he had come here to
see her twice since she had been at
our house. and they talked as nice
and loving as any two people YOU
ever saw. She had finally agreed 10
go back with him and he was to call
for her today. She told us that she
could but leave him again if he didn't