The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-03
Roses, Kisses and Bullets Are
Referred to in Trial.
Infatuation of Baker for the
Hirsch Girl Brought Out.
ONLY INITIALS
Kansas City Man Wrote to Her
While She Was Here.
Missives Were Found by Sister
in Ruby's Satchel.

Kansas City, Feb. 3-Love missives
telling of roses and kisses were read to
the jury in Judge E. E Porterfield's
court by Henry Jost, the prosecutor of
Edward NJ Baker for the killing of
Ruby Hirscla, his sweetheart.
The notes were found in the slain
girls satchel by her sister few hours
after ths tragedy in the Hirsch home
that July night last summer. They
covered a period of several years and
breathed the wild infatuation of Baker
for the girl Some pleaded forgive
NJ IS for dates he had forgotten to
keep, and others were the outpourings
of a lovesick man, who neglected wife
anG family for girl.
Told of Flowers for Her.
One note. written to Ruby while she
was visiting in Topeka two weeks be-
fore she was slain by Baker, pleaded
for her to return. 1t read:
81 was so awfully glad to hear from
you. began to think you had ran
away from me. No, Ruby. 1 am not
mad at you for not coming home when
you said you would. 1 love you AMI
just can't help it and will do all 1
can for you.
ST was out to Lenexa the other day
looking at ten acres of ground 1 am
thinking of buying. I will send you
two climbing roses, all covered with
love and kisses, which 1 plucked out
there. That kiss you sent me was all
right, but I prefer the real article.
Now come home soon for 1 am lone
some for you. With lots of love and a
kiss returned, am, your true friend.
81. E. B."
Signed Only His Initials.
Bakers full name was signed to none
of the dozen or more letters and love
notes reads to the jury. He always
wrote his initials, -. E. B." The writ
ing. however, was identified by a wit
ness and the defense admitted the let
tiers were written by Baker.
Another letter written to Ruby. while
she was in Topeka. told how Baker
had forgotten his family for his love of
the girl. 1t read:
II am all alone now. Belle is down
to Fred's and Katie is singing at a
wedding. This would be an awfully
good chance for me to run down and
see you if you were only in Kansas
City. Well. dear Ruby, 1 will have to
| close for the present. With lots of
love. J. E. B."
often in his notes he cautioned Ruby
to send the letters to a different ad-
dress so he would. surely get them
Sometimes they were sent to saloons.
Many of them were sent to drug
store near his home. None came adj
dressed to his home.
DO you think L ever get lonesome?
come home. I'm homesick for you"
Notes Told of Money.
That was the message a Cupid
Dart postal card bore to the girl. In
many of the letters Baker told of
money he sent to the girl and asked
her forgiveness that he could not
maintain her as he wished The last
letter of the correspondence accom-
panied money Baker sent to Ruby in
Topeka to bring her home. 1t was the
next night that he shot her.
In the reading of the letters and the
remainder of the mornings testimony,
Mrs. Baker, wife of the prisoner, was
not in the court room. She slipped
quietly from the room and sat by the
| side Of her son in the corridor. She
could not bear to hear the story of her
husbands neglect. Baker sat. with his
eyes closed while the letters were read.
| Sometimes a light murmur of comment
would go over the court room at SOME
declaration of love; but he did not ap-
pear to notice it. Not once did ne
! glance at the jury. Not once did he
speak to his attorneys. With his Shout
/ ders bumped over and one hand to his
| face he appeared oblivious to every
| thing.
! The Women Met in Court.
| Mrs. Hirsch, mother of the murdered
girl, sat in the corridor only a few feet
away from Mrs. Baker. She did no:
| enter the court room except to answer