The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-11-08
FOUND DEAD
IN BUGGY
With A Bullet Hole. IL His
Head
BeIlvIIle Man Meets Fate
Near CreSllI0e
Circumstances Of The Case
IOdlCate Murder
4 Suspect Is Held 10 Jail Al
CreStli0e
Pending An Investigation B)
The Officers
mansfield News)

(Mansfleld News)
With q bullet hole through his head,
Orin Baker, well known stock buyer,
who resides in the vicinity of Bellville,
was found dead and sitting upright in
his buggy on a road four miles north
OF Crestline, near the Catholic church
In the Shelby Settlement. A 17-year-
old young man who gives the name OF
Lon Parsel. is being held in the Jail
at Crestline pending an investigation.
Baker, who is well known through
out this section as stock buyer, is
accustomed to driving over the terri
tory and he started from Gallon on
Tuesday morning with his own horse
and buggy for Shelby, asking a young
man to 60 with him for company.
Practically nothing else is known of
Bakers movements or where he was
until the police Of Crestline were noti.
fed about three o'clock In the after
noon to go to place near the Catholic
church in the Shelby Settlement, as
there was man dead in a buggy there.
1t seems that young man had gone
to the home Of Rev. Kuebler, pastor
Of the Catholic church in Shelby Settle
ment and told of finding the body of
dead man in the buggy on the road.
He was advised to telephone to the
police at Crestline in regard to the
matter, and after doing so was told to
await the arrival of the ofJicars.
When the Crestline police arrived
on the scene. they found Baker sit
ting upright in the buggy, which was
standing at one side Of the road, the
horse having been tied to a fence by
Parsel, according to his own story.
Baker had apparently been dead for
some time when the police arrived on
the scene. On the floor of the buggy
was found roll of bills amounting to
about $65, while Bakers watch and
other valuables were found on his per-
son. The police then took the body of
Baker to Crestline, and Parsel was
also taken along to Crestline
The first examination of the body
by the Crestline police showed that
Baker had been killed by a blow at
. the base of the brain, and as there
was not great amount of blood in
the buggy or at the spot 1t was sup
posed that some club or other instru-
ment had been used in killing him. A
post-mortem examination was held on
Tuesday evening In Crestline and re-
vealed the fact that Baker had died
from bullet wound. The bullet had
entered the base Of the skull and lOdg-
ed just back of the nose. The manner
in which the bullet had entered the
head indicated that Baker had been
shot by some one directly back Of him
and not great distance from the
buggy. Had the person who did the
shooting been up the road any dis.
tance, It would have been almost i'm.
possible for the bullet to have taken
the course 1t did through Bakers head.
1t was also improbable that Baker had
shot himself.
When questioned by the police In re.
gard to the affair, Parsel gave rath-
er disconnected story In regard to HIM
self and the manner In which he ar
rived at the place where the body Of
Baker was found. Parsel says that he
is an orphan and for years has made
his home with an uncle In Marion. He
said that he was enroute from Cleve-
land to Marion, having beat his way on
a freight train from Cleveland to Shell
by and then started to walk across
country. He says that he was walking
: along the road when he discovered
the body of the man in the buggy. His
actions Immediately after he discov-
cred the body are not very clear, al
though he went to the nearest farm
house and telephoned to the police.
Parsel's story was refuted to some
extent by employees OF Hershey's liv-
cry stable at Gallon. Baker had left
this place early Tuesday morning and
Parsel was identified as the young
y,an whom Baker had asked to go
with him for company. No weapon
was found on Parsel, but It ia believed