The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-21
DR.. JULIAN BAKERIS
ADMITTED TO BAIL
The Amount Placed at Ten
Thousand Dollars.
THREESESSIONSOF COURT
A Packed Rom and flushed Attention Given to
the WitneSStS--- Trial Of the
Case Comes OF in Sep
tennb2r.

Especial to News and Observer.)
Tarboro, ~ c., March 20.-Dr. Julian
Baker, after the preliminary hearing on
the warrant charging him with the mur-
DER of DR.. II. T. Bass, was admitted to
bail today in the sum of ten thousand
dollars, and this was Immediately given,
the rating of the bondsmen being placed
at four hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars. In rendering his decision Judge
Brown said that it was very evident
that there was no evidence of murder in
the first degree, and as the plea of self
defense had been raised, that was a uues
ton for the jury Declaring it to be
proper case for bond to be given. he
placed this at ten thousand dollars. This
sum he said he named as from his per-
sonal knowledge of the defendant the
amount or a much larger one could easily
be given
The bondsmen are Hon. Geo. Howard
Geo Howard, Jr., Geo. A. Holderness,
Job. Cobb, DR.. w. H. Whitehead, d. Lich-
enstein and DR.. w. p. Mercer.
There were reall- three sessions of the
court to-day, the first hearing did moth
ing except to swear the witnesses and
adjournment was taken to await the ar
rival of Senator Dommell Gillian of
counsel for the defense, who came from
Goldsboro on a special train as the train
from Raleigh failed to make connection
at Goldsboro. He arrived shortly after
II o'clock and court began again at half
past eleven.
There were over five hundred people in
the court room and there was intense
8atefest. AS each witness testified the
crowd gave a hushed attention to every
sentence, except when a negro, witness
mixed up his language
or the prosecution there was Solicitor
C. c. Daniels, of Wilson, Hon B. H.
Bum, of Rocky Mount, and Mr.. j. M.
Norfleet, OF Tarboro. The attornies for
the defense were Senator Don Gillian,
Mr.. HenryGilliam and G. M. Fountain of
Tarboro
Witnesse sfor the State were examined
at the morning session and their testi-
mony varied only in slight details. This
was that Dr. Bass assaulted DR.. Baker
in the postoffice on Monday last and fol-
lowed him into the store to get Bakers
pistolfromhis hip pocket, Baker finally
slipping out Of his coat as DR.. Bass
grabbed it. On the sidewalk the two men
clinched and Baker got out his pistol
using it only before Bass got out his pis-
toll and that during these shots and the
intervals between them Bass was being
held.
The defense put on its witnesses in the
afternoon and these testified to almost
the same facts, except that when the
first shot was fired DR.. Bass had hold of
DR. Baker, a smaller man and was bear
ing down on him. Then it was that Baker
tried to shoot, but Bass snatched the
pistol aside The second shot followed
almost simultaneously and Bass was shot
in the stomach.
DIR. Baker was in court and was calm
and collected. The night before his
home had been searched for him and
kilograms had been sent to points in
Virginia to find him.
There was an expectation that events
back of the shooting would be gone into,
but counsel confined the case entirely to
the tragedy. nj one instance question
was asked by the defence referring to a |
previous encounter and this was ruled |
out.
The decision was not unexpected to
the attornes as Solicitor Daniels said |
when court opened after dinner that the |
State did not hold the case to be MUIR
der in the first degree, and admitted that |
the case was a bailable one.
There is an intense feeling here on
both sides and the trial in September will |
be awaited with interest DR.. Baker will |
remain and continue his practice. He says
that his action was i self-defense and |
that it was either his death of that of |
DR.. Bass
EDWARD E. BRITTON.