Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-20
Mrs. Alice j. Baker Shot Dead at
Home Under Mysterious
Circumstances.
WALTER GRIFFIN ONLY WITNESS
Boy Visitor Claims the Weapon
Was in Her Own Hands,.
An Inquest.

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| occurred about o'clock at her home
in the village, under most peculiar
| circumstances. A bullet fired from a
3S-calibre revolver ended her life, but
whether the weapon was in her own
/ or the hands of 1S-year-old Walter
Griffin was a question for a coroner's
Jury to answer.
| Mrs. Baker was the widow of the
late Samuel Baker. She was a. years
of age and lived two blocks southeast
of the depot with her two children,
Clement. aged IA, and Goldie, aged
/. There were also three board
ers in the house. Walter Griffin
is the son of George Griffin and q
I well-known and respected young
man. He has something of Il taste
for music, being a promising per-
former on the piano. Having no in
strument at home, it had become his
| custom to call at the BIker home
stead to practice on the instrument
there, and in this way he became a
close friend of Mrs. Bakers. Yester-
day afternoon, between 2 and 8
O'Clock, he paid visit to the place.
and what followed there is no one but
himself to tell.
Griffin Claims 1t Was Accidental.
His story as gathered from his tes-
timony at the coroner's inquest is
su bstantially as follows: Some DAYS
ago ! borrowed Mrs. Bakers 3S-cali-
bre revolver. ! had no particular use
for it, but shot at mark with some
cartridges which also borrowed from
her. | called on her either Monday
1t, L l.
the weapon back, as she was afraid to
live alone so much of the time with
out it. So yesterday afternoon put
the gun in my pocket and went over.
Mrs Baker was upstairs scru bbing
and | went up to where she was
When | entered she screamed, but she
had often done that before. 1 told
her l had brought her revolver home,
and she got box of cartridges out
and wanted 10 see if they would fit
the cham bers. | tried three of them
and found that two tit. These left
in the gun and laid it on the dresser.
Soon Mrs. Baker spilled a box of
beads, and while | was picking them
up she remarked that it was tim to
start supper, and went down stairs. /
soon followed her and found her pTepar-
ing potatoes. She asked lie 10 help
and | started TO do so, but we started
scutlle as we had often done. She
playfuily slapped me and | slapped
buck. Then ran away through the
hall, into the parlor and behind the
stove, intending to dodge out when she
came after me. | saw her enter the
room and | crouched low. | heard
her start to speak.
Fell Dead On the Floor
She said, Now and seemed to
be going on when / heard the
shot, and jumping from behind
the stove, saw her lying on
the floor. l VS. excited and ran
out of the room uncertain what
to do. On second thought 1 re-
turned AMI examined her hastily to |
see how badly she was hurt.
Seeing no sign of life Iran out again |
and started home to tell my folks On |
the way l saw Fred Glow aod others
and told them what had happened. |
There never had been any trouble be-
tween Us. and Mrs. Baker was in an
cheerful mood. | have
often heard her threaten to Kill her
self. saying she did not enjoy life. / |
did not carry the revolver down
stairs. Mrs. Baker often carried the
concealing it in her BOSOM"
The Jury which Coroner Eckhart
last evening TO investigate
he matter consisted of DR.. w. l..
Eddy, foreman; S w. Heath, j. G.
Miller, j. w. Caldwell, .. V. Pinkley
md Jonathan Space. They met at
he Baker home and after viewing the
examined Fred Glow. Mrs.
Nary McCulloch. Miss Emma Lam
pert and Mrs. Amanda Wright They
estitied as to the position of the body
when found, showing it 70 have
)een lying with the head in the
corner. the revolver at the left
ide, and stove poker, which
Usually stood in the corner, leaning
.cross the neck. Mrs. McCulloch .
aid she had heard decea sed threaten
o kill herself. After Walter Griffin
lad told his story the inquest ad-
burned till . O'Clock this morning.
Upon reconvening today al the
flee of DIX. + Idly, with States Attor-
lev Weld present, the last witness Z,
7as again placed upon the stand and
u objected 10 rigid questioning.
Boy sticks to story. :
Griffin repeated his story substauti- +
lly as told last evening and displayed
% dispositi n to become nervous or )
Ncited. Ney Wilson, brother of the
eceased, was examined and testified p
0 her good health and cheerful
isposition. DR.. Eddy testified as to b
ae nature of the wound. The ball
uttered the head horizontally from f
be right side, shat,ering the jaw and
assiHg into the neck. Death, in the r
octor's opinion. was caused by the
evering of the large blood vessels n
he neck, thus cutting of the supply
I blood 10 the brain. @
Jury Fixes Blame. Ip
The verdict of the Jury was that de- L