The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-17
THE MCDONALD HEARING.
Ii Reyiyes Interest in the Tragic
Death of Captain Ike Baker.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE INTRODUCED
The Hearing Win Be Continued at $50
O'Clock This Morning--There Are
Many Witnesses.

The preliminary hearing Of Thomas Me
Donald. one Of three defendants charged
with the murder Of Captain lie Baker,
which occurred in May 1896, was begun
la Justice lillrs court yesterday afternoon
AT O'Clock, having been deferred from
the morning hours in order to give time
for witnesses from the country to come in
large number of witnesses were In at
tendance on the hearing. aud subpoenas
we're issued for number of others who
are expected to be ON hand at $3.50 o'clock
this morning, at which time the hearing
will be resumed
The evidence heard yesterday afternoon
served to rehearse the horrible crime with
which an Houston rang at the time of It's
commission. Captain Baker was found
murdered on the morning of May 26 1896,
in the residence Of Captain j. c. lutche-
son, corner Of Mckinney and La Branch
streets. There were many facts showing
that the crime had been carefully planned
and Systematically executed. The fact
chat each Of tho stairways leading from
the floor occupied by Captain Baker to the
ground floor had been carefully barrlcaded
with chairs showed that the murderer or
murderrrs expected their victim to at
]
in so doing he would fall over these chair
harricades and thus be an easy victim for
their designs.
a phase of the case which makes II still
more interesting is the fact that a negro
was tried for the crime, convicted and
sentenced to be hanged. and probably cs-
capped the galows only by fatal sickness
/ which terminated his existence while the
] tat- lea,
| During the course of the Investigation
yesterday afternoon counsel for the State
essaycd to use the former wife of the
/ defendant as witness Counsel for the
defendant objected to her testimony, in
yobiug the rule which debars the wife
from giving evidence against the husband.
summary of the main points in the eyl-
dence is as follows:
Frank Andrews ~ knew Captain Ike
Ba%er, He Is dead. He died on the Goth
or 2Sth of May, 1896 / am not quite sure
Waich. ! think 1t was on Wednesday morn
ing his body was found. He was living
nl the corner of Mckinney ana La Branch
streets In Captain HutcheSou'S residence
tlbe witness drew diagram of the house,
showing the situation of Captain Bakers
room on the second door, tue front and
hack stairs the location of the body when
found, etc, this part OF his statement re
.pV iInEgNA WIS h"liuru ~ VT; t'luppeH'
the servant having given tue alarm. me
D"iy was lylhg al lhe notion me bark
stairway prat'ltaiN ON ltS hach- win one
root on the bottom step ana the other
on the step iA"Ne. Inc arms were extend
td. Inc mead ana iHrr we're badly mutt
laI"l Iherc was '1 on the ictt side
OF the face from the temple 70 the Jaw
bone. ON the other side OF the face there
was u cut lower down ana reaching 10 the
point Of the chin. Another cut extended
across the two described. There were seE-
eral slight cuts In the face aud forehead
The left eve had been apparently labbed
out and was entirely gone The tongue
was in the mouth hut cut loose There
were no powder hS--.S On the face, but the
tongue aul inside Of the mouth we're pow
der burned. The left Jaw bone was al
most entirely cut through and the other
was brokc2, and the false teeth of the de
ceased had been knocked out, There was
pistol ON the stairs half way between
where .hr body was lying and the first
landing Blood was spattcred ON both sides
of thu stairway. particularly on the side
tn the iofl as yon come down the stairs.
The steps were bloody Th2-e was no
blood uu the drsL laudinS There was a
huIr i'm tine wall and bullet mark on the
latin lhr plaster bciug knocked loose. /
cyauiurd inc pistnl and found that one
bullet mad been discharged The pistol
was d large one The hole in the wall was
MOI smnnf1 but il Indicated q large bullet.
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