Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-09-28
PUTNAM
Trial Of Herbert Baker Of Putnam
for Attempting to Burn Pond House
Illness of PIainfeId Juror.

tor attempting TO burn roma House
Illness of PIainfeId Juror.
All of Tuesdays session in the SUI
perior court was taken up with the
case of the state VS.. Herbert Baker
of Pomfret, charged with attempting
to burn the house of Judge 7. D. Pond
on May II last. Judge Gardiner
E. Searls and E. Frank Bugbee, the
latter of Willimantic,' represent the
state, and Attorneys Charles L. Torrey
and Charles w. Comstock of Norwich
are counsel for the defendant. The
case was unfinished when adjournment
was taken for the day.
tuesday was entirely given over to
the presentation of evidence by the
state.
Owner Testifies.
T. D. Pond. at whose home in
Brooklyn the fire occurred, was the
first witness. His testimony had to
do mostly with matters preceding the
fire. Mr.. Pond is the administrator
of the estate of Solomon Baker, father
of the defendant, ana also wrote the
will of the deceased at the latter S
dictation, about two weeks previous
to his death, a short time before the
fire. The will made Mrs. George Ba-
ker. wife of Herberts brother, sole
heir to the estate.
Long List OF witnesses.
Other witnesses heard Tuesday were
Mrs. Charles Downs of Brooklyn. who
discovered the fire. Charles Blake,
Fields, Frank Young, John Johnson all
of Brooklyn; Mrs. Horace D. Covell
Of Pomfret, Chief George NJ. Pilling
of Danielson and State Policeman
Robert Hurley of Hartford. who ar
rested Baker the day after the fire.
1n fnof of hn a Srnf Nf
the witnesses had to do with what
occurred at the time of the fire and
about following s. trail of footprints
that led from the rear of the Pond
house through ploWed field and
across country in the direction of
Pomfret, in which town Baker lives.
John Johnson, colored. for S8 years
a resident of Brooklyn, and a coach
man in the employ of d. B. Hatch,
testified that on the night of the fire,
which was discovered after a. m,
he was driving home from Danielson
when. about $50, he met man about
half a mile east of Brooklyn, walking
along the highway toward Danielson
Johnson said that he said, Hello
Rob!" to the man, whom he thought
was a friend named Robbins. The
man did not answer. and johnson
said that upon closer scrutiny he saw
the fellow was the man whom he aft
erwards recognized at the Jail as Ba-
ker. Johnson said it was bright moon
light when this chance meeting on the
road occurred. He felt certain that
Baker was the man he saw.
State Poiiceman's Evidence.
The most interesting evidence OF
the day, however, was given by State
Policeman Hurley. He told Of going
to Brooklyn to start his investigation
the morning after the fire.
u
house, he related details of the dam
age caused in one room and to furni-
ture by the blaze and said that there
was a strong odor of kerosene about
the scene of the fire.
Going on with his narrative of what
he did after inspecting the house Hur-
ley told of picking up the trail of foot
prints through the plowed field and
across country toward Pomfret and
gave the names of those who went
with him.
He told Of the trail ending in Pom
fret and of going to Bakers home
Baker was not there, the witness said
but Mrs. Baker was and to her he
made known that he was looking fol
her husband. He learned that Baker
was employed at Peck's farm, about
mile distant. Hurley made an in
vestigation at the house before leav-
ing and identified coat which he
entrance to Bakers bed room. The
coat, on the right side, smelled of kerr
osene oil, especially about the pocket
which was bulged.
Arrested Baker.
From the house Mr. Hurley and hi:
party went to Peck's farm, where Ba-
ker was found and arrested. He smell
ed of OIL said the witness, and there
were signs of oil on his jumper. This
garment was exhibited in court and
| identified by Mr.. Hurley.
| Mr.. Hurley testified that he told Ba-
ker that he wanted him for setting
fire to Mr.. Ponds house and quoted
Baker as saying that he knew moth
| ing about the fire. and further as say
| ing that "all you have got on me i:
Ethe trouble over Ponds wilP'; tina
Pond drew the will of which he wa!
administrator that its terms had Gu
him (Baker) out, and that he did no
know it until he found 1t out at hi!
fathers funeral. Much of this con
versation took place in the automo
bile in which Baker was being con
veyed to jail.
Shoe Fitted Footprints.
| Hurley said that when the part.
| arrived at q point in the road nea
where tracks were to be seen in {
| nearby field he had the machine stop
/ The witness said that the shoe fittet
| perfectly into the track of the trail
| that the officer had followed earle
| in the day, even to the heel plate, tn
print of which was left clearly in tn
soft soil.
| When he got back to the auto1nobil
Hurley said that Baker asked him /
he had been fitting the shoes into tn
| tracks and that he replied ''It look
/ like it," Baker then told the witnes
that he had gone through the field tn
previous Sunday. Hurley also told o
| fitting the shoe into other tracks a
another point and that they fitted a.
perfectly as in the other instance
/ Expiainsd About Oil.
| Baker, Hurley said, explained tina
| he got the oil on his jumper by say
| ing that he did it while cleaning hi
boys bicycle on the Sunday previou
Relative to this point Hurley quote
| the elder Baker boy as saying In
| room at the Jail on the day of the ar