The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1917-03-02
BAKER GIVEN A
LIFE SENTENCE
Eight OF Jurors Who Tried Slayer
OF Reno King Voted For The
Chair-Doings In Court

John Baker, for striking Lorenzo
y. King on the head with a corn
knife. from the effects of which he
died few days later, was given a
verdict of life in the penitentlary at
noon Wednesday. The case was call
ed Tuesday morning and the jury
was complcted lust as our Tuesdays
;ssue went to press, the names
nf tbe Jurors appearing in that paper.
The evidence was all in by adjourn.
ment Tuesday afternoon and that
evening Attorney c. C. Bagby, Tor
Tho defense. and Commonwealth s
Attorney A. A. Huddleston, of the
Casev district, who has been employ
od in the case. spoke for the prosecu-
lion Ouite a crowd gathered to hear
the sneecbes. and splendid attention
was Given them. The efforts of the
gentlemen were about as unlike as
two speeches could be. That of Mr..
Bapby. was an application of the law
to tbe case. couched in beautiful Eng
Esh. He is an ornate speaker ana
forceful one. That of Mr.. Huddles-
TOW was a going over and over of the
enitbet applied to King by Baker; the
GOODNESS of the murder and the ne
cessity of dealing summary WIFI
the slayer. ,.
yer and good one. In tact MS sue
cess as prosecuting attorhe! n's
been rhenomenal, but those VINO
heard and saw him here were some
what amused at his characteristic
poses. A dozen or more times ne
Sronned to his knees during the houf
allotted to him and pointing to the
Jurors, told them to do their duty as
men; that the case before them need
ed men. not chicken-hearted lndividu.
ais, etc. Notwithstanding the iac!
that he had never been at STANFORD
more than once or twice, ne knew
each juror by name and called IL
without the least hesitation.
Messrs. j. S. Owsley, Tor the de-
Tense and Commonwealth Attorney
f. V. Puryear both made creditaple
speeches, the formers beng very
highly complimented.
The verdict was not surprise TO
anybody and the prisoner himsell
seemed satisfied. He will MAKE no
appeal, but take his medicine. Baker
is not a strong man, physlcaliS Oh
mentally, and it is doubtful II ne
lasts long in confinement. lie mas
grown very trial since his incarcera-
ton here.
The latter part of July of last year
Baker, who had been on f!lSh1i!
terms with Lorenzo ID. King, pro,
Their of Baker and neighbor named
Kelley were together in the SUBURBS
of Moreland, the home OF each OF
chem. There was bottle OF WHISKY
in the crowd and each took Il drink
or so. King, who was fond or pracIi-
cal Jokes, amused himself by "goos,,
ing John Baker The later grew t;reo
of it and left the crowd. Going TO
his home, some 200 yards away. ne
secured a corn knife and returning;
struck King on the side OF his head
with it, cutting cash some SIN
inches long and an inch or more deep.
He died several days later. Baker
never gave any good reason Tor ms
act, save that King had hurt him
and had gone too far with HIM. lie
was Immediately arrested and since
has been in the Jail here.
Probably the NEST damaging test,-
mony was that of his brother, WI
liam Baker. That of the defendant
was not helpful to his case. In iacct
Baker seemed careless about his
fate.
1t is reported that eigh. of the
twelve jurors were for inflicting the
death penalty.
On Wednesday afternoon l.. ID.
Kennedy, Preachersville merchant
was sued by the King Bros. Shoe Co.
for a bill of SAP. Verdict for that
amount was given. A counter claim
of $3.50 was put in by Kennedy
charging that His trade had been
damaged to that extent by the worth
lessness of the shoes. A verdict was
given Kennedy for $50. :,
The trial of John Engleman, col
ored-"Big Foot"--for crushing the
skull of Mitchell Dotson, will come
up Tuesday. Dotson's mind has been
i'm bad condition since he was as
saulted in Macksville some three
months ago Engleman has admitted
that he struck Dotson, but later de-
MED it.
James Norris, a colored boy, this
morning confessed to have stolen q
suit of clothes from l.. l.. Sanders, of
Crab Orchard, and was given from
two to five years in the reform school
at Greendale. LATE Burlington, also
colored, was given ~ months at the
same place for circulating obscene