Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-12
MARY DAKER, COL,
DYING FROM BURNS
Charges That Walter James,
Co.., Set Her on Fire and
Left Her 10 Her Fate.
ACCUSED MAN Is UNDER ARREST
The Tragedy Occurred at 7O4
Lord Street, Yesterday,
and the Burned Woman
is Now at the Della
ware Hospital.

What at first appeared to be an acct
dental fire ut TD4 Lord street, about
6. u o clock yesterday morning, in which
Mary Baker, colorcd, was probably
fatally burned, assumed different
phase in the afternoon, after being in
ycstigated by the police, and Walter
james, colored, who boarded at the
house, is prisoner at the police
station, and the charge Of murder will
probably be preferred against him in
tho event of the womans death.
Tho first information obtained from
people in the neighborhood was that
the woman had accidentally set fire to
her clothing as tho result of lamp
exploding in her hands, but she told a
different tale. She said James set fire
TO her clothing while she was asleep
on the floor, and then rushed from the
house, leaving her to her fate. This
is denied by james, who says the
woman was asleep when he left the
house and there was no fire or excite
ment then. He alleges that he left the
house about 6 o'clock, 10 minutes
before the fire. He was arrested by
Policeman Daniel Collins and taken to
the hospital, where the woman con-
lIOuteu MIN anu Iltbue luo dCCuSbblOn
in his presence.
In her statement tho woman said
her name was Mary Baker and she ex-
pressed the belief that she was dying.
THAT man, she said, referring to
James, has been mad at me since last
Saturday. He has not spoken to me
since Saturday. He boards with mo. -
She admitted keeping the house No.
704 Lord street and, after asking for a
drink of water and having her request
complied with, continued: 81 don't
know why he has not spoken to me.
Mary Bundy and l were in the house
next door last night and this man
James woke my husband up and told
| him that / was in the next house. My
husband said that was all right James
got up early this morning and l was
| lying asleep on the floor. He got up
and lit the lamp. He lit it himself.
/ saw him when he lit ii. He lit the
lamp and set me on fire. He held the
lamp up to me and set me afire. When
he lit the lamp | dozed off again, but
woke up to find myself on fire. / saw
him going out of the door at that time
and the lamp was sitting alongside of
me. -
"What did he do when he saw that
you were on tireY" the chief asked
He went out to his work." she re-
piled. ''When my brother went to
him this morning and told him about
it he said he did not do it and knew
nothing about it. James was to see me
this morning in the hospital and said !:
| We'll, Mary, you accuse me of doing
this?' | said: WELL you set mo on
fire. He said number of times that
he was going to kill me. y
"How many times did he threaten to
kill you?' she was asked.
=" A number of times" she replied.
$50 many times that l don't know,
and was afraid of him. -
"Who ever heard him threaten to
kill your" was asked.
'Mary Bundy lives in the same house
and knows all about it," she replied.
At this iuncture James was taken
to the woman s bedside and she identi-
fed him. "That is Walter James, "
she said. "That is the man who set
fire to mo- Can | ask him question:
She was not permitted to question the
prisoner. James was then taken back
to police headquarters and locked up.
Mary Bundy, when seen by q reporter
of The Ga !ette, told what she knew.
She lives in the house in which the
Daker woman was burned She stated
that Tuesday night she was in adioin-
ing house, which is tenanted by Charles
Crawford. She alleged that she was
with Mary BAKER. She said she took
the lamp upstairs for the Daker woman
and put it on the washstand in the
room where Walter James slept. She
alleged that it was about G. 80 O'Clock
yesterday when she smelled fire and
at the same time heard the Baker
woman moaning, the noise awakening
her. She was asleep downstairs at the
time.
George Baker, the woman's husband,
was aroused about the same time. The
lamp was sitting on the floor near his
wife's feet
Altar the arrest of James he gave his
age as % years and said he had been
boarding with the bakers since last
September. He alleges that he was
born at Staunton, Va. He takes excep.
tion to the statements made by the
woman and denies that they were not
friendly. He said she gave him some
bananas and cherries Tuesday. The
Bundy woman admitted that this was
truo, but said the man and woman were
not on good terms and alleged that she
had heard James make threats on
several occasions.
When James was asked by the re-
porter if he had ever threatened to kill
the woman he replied 81 never did but
once and that was about two years ago.
told her that she was crazy and she
said if l did not look out | would be
crazy. | asked who would make me
crazy and she said she would. |
thought she meant she would give me
some kind of drug and told her |
would kill her if | caught her giving
me anything That was the only time i
said would kill her. !"
:. "Did you set fire to her clothing yes
terday morning?' he was asked.
mo, sir, he said emphatically.
"She was lying on the floor aslecT
when ! passed through her room. Her
husband was in the bed at the same
time. "
JUNIOR MECHANICS.