New-York tribune., 1908-03-26
BAKER WAS POISONED
CORONER'S JURY VERDICT
arsenic Vas Administered By Un-
bnOzc1 Person, 1t Says.

Walter r Baker came TO MS dea'h Iroi' "
cal poisoning administered by some unknown p
son" was the gist of the verdict returned oS 'he
coroners jury in Hackensack, N j.. last evening
=. tho i,ouest into the Boston cubmans death IN
tine home of Frank H. Hurd at Bogota on Octooer
27 1907 In returning its verdict the jury cehsuIeu
the undertaken, William f. Riccario. for eInoaiH-
ing the body before it had been viewed by the cor
DR.. G. Fl. McFaden. the physician who was called
to the Hurd home on the night Baker died. was
recalled to the stand. He said he still believed tnat
his diagnosis Of the cause Of Bakers death rom
heart disease and Brght's disease was correct ne
admitted that his opinion was formed from su-
perfcial examination of Bakers body and Iroin
information given him by Mr.. and Mrs Hurd-
Prosecutor Koester showed the doctor the tesu-
mony of DR.. William S. Boos and Dr. Charles mar
rngton, who made chemical examination Oh 'he
body In Boston. and the testimony or Dr. UecIso
B. McGrath who performed the autopsy at Whicn
the arsenic was found in Bakers body. Dr. Nc
Faden said that the testimony of these experts was
undoubtedly correct. He said that ne mao HI
structed the undertaken not to emoaIm the DouS
until it had been viewed by the coroner.
Malcolm Lawrence. counsel for the Hurds askeo
to call as a witness for his clients E. T. smith, OF
Manhattan. an expert tsxicoiosist. Coroner De
Mund decided that his testimony "ouio hoI oo
needed.
William F. Ricardo. the undertaken. was re-
called to the stand and said that neither OF tne
Hurds had spoken to him about embalnlns 'he
body hurriedy. He said that he reahzeo he
had violated the law in embalming the pooy peloie
the arrival of the coroner, but was "lihhs 10 a9
sumo all responsibility. Mabel Wiggin. cousin
of Mrs Hurd's was called to the stand but ADDED
little to the testimony given by her cousln jacob
Columbus a drygoods merchant of Hackensach'
who was expected to tell remarkable story OF tle
statements made by Annie Gowak, MIS- huru
maid. called. out proved great dlsappoih'-
ment.
Lena AhoH. maid employed In the apartments
of Beverly Birmingham, who with Baker in
New York on the night of his death, contradlcted
the testimony of her employer. Brittlngham saio
at the inquiry last week that she had received
word of the death of Baker over the telephone and
had told him. The maid said on the stand yester-
day that she had received telephone message
for her employer but that he had come home late
that night and told her Baker dead.
In charging the jury Coroner De Mund asked
them to recall the testimony of the doctors who
had made the autopsy in Boston and the testimony
of Dr. McFaden.> He said that it was the duty OF
the jurors to determine how, when and by what
means Baker had come to his death. If the testi-
mony before them showed evidence that a crime
had been committed. he asked that they declare
who the guilty
The verdict in full follows:
We find that Walter Farnsworth Baker died sud.
denly at Bogota on October 81 1907. at about 2:30
Jury by the ahs w pered @ 10 1S
on the body OF the said W F. Baker at Boston.
arsenical poisoning and that arsenic admins
tered to Walter F. Baker by some person per-
approval of the action of the undertaken in violat
Raker before T the same had been Viewed or action
taken by the coroner.
1t has not yet been determined whether Prose-
cutor Koester will take the before the grand
jury. The lack of specific evidence in the case
will probably preclude such action Bakers brother
has determined to further investigation of his
brothers death