South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-22
BAKER DEFENSE
BEGINS N ON Jay
IN CIRCUIT COURT
Insanity Plea will be Presented
to Save Youth from
Electric Chair.
BY O. !. COOPER.

20 close. undoubtedly Walter Baker
viii know whether ne Will be called
upon to give his young life in pen
atty for the death OF fellow man
who was also young when "A bullet
from the revolver Of a rObber sent
him into eternity.
Unless something unforeseen oc-
ours IN the meantime 20 cause delay
10 IS expected that the trial. OF
Baker IN the ST. Joseph circuit court
for the murder Of Carl II. Cook. La
porte grocer, will have ended before
next sunday, and Baker viii have
been told by the jury Of II men
GOOD and true whether ne caused
the death Of a fellow being and
whether ne shall in payment for
that death spend his last moments
in the electric chair in the states
prison at Michigan City; or whether
he shall spend the balance OF his
life within the walls OF the peni-
Tertiary; or that he is not guilty Of
tho crime charged and shall be al
lowed to go free.
Defense TO open.
Bakers trial will be resumed TO-
morrow morning before tho jury and
the presiding Judge. Arthur L. Hub
bard. The 22-year-Old youths side OF
the case is to be presented by the
defense's array Of witnesses. This
was begun Friday when Mrs Ma
linda Baker, mother OF the defend
ant. took the witness stand in de-
Tense Of her son who is charged
with a crime punishable in Indiana
with death.
All last week was given over to
the state in prosecuting Baker for
the murder OF Carl II. Cook. Under
the guidance Of Earl Rowley. prose
cutting attorney OF Iaporte county,
and Ralph y. Smith of Laporte
special prosecutor, witnesses told
what they knew about the murder.
about Baker and about Ernest
Gariepy and Steve Bartak. Bakers
confederates, who are also 20 he
tried for the death Of the LapOrte
grocer.
Insanity Il Claimed.
This week. under the guidance OF
Atty. Craig Hood. twice mayor OF
chicago Heights, and counsel for
Baker. the defense viii have its in
ming. In HIS opening statement TO the
jury. Atty Hood declared that mis-
client is Of unsound mind. and that
me was insane at the time he and
Bartak entered the Cook grocery at
Iaporte on that fateful Christmas
eve 1918, on robbery bent. The
grocer received two OF the five
bullets fired while the two men were
in the store. and he died just as
thc bells I'm Laporte churches were
ringing the announcement of the ar
rival OF Christmas day.
Judging from his opening state
ueut Atty Hood will erdeavor TO
show by his witnesses that his client
is mental defective. and that if ne
dsI XII Cook. ne was not response
hIc for his action. He Will also UNI
doubtcdIy attempt 90 show that
Baker was always under the iuhu-
,uce OF his two older companions,
from .he time lc met chem until
t-. u.3e 90 the geo .er's death. This
was indicated Friday i'm Eis exam
nation OF the defendants mother.
Tus state apparently anticipated
-hI~ A- iutroduciuS as evidence of
E.lers sanity. the history or his
.rt- tor several wears past, and a
-....,r, ID, which tho ,rutb+u1 de-
IuIsat admits to having Drod three
,r .hc rcvclvsr. shots at Cook on the
-..s....os .,. tl, .-1-sIv No.
mus NIou, Srrr.,tors
-rt frt,r..s, in, r-. t,-.1t has boer
........,-r5 si,ro Mss re-i-.,IrC. The
.....,,to,s. b-r,hes ~ IN, circuit
..,or, ba,s b. g., 1IIel through
.+ ,b- s3lv co mt sessions. Many
r.apc-., citizens Hqve traveIcd ro
-.,,r e.,, daily, .s.. tho WI
,,.s.ss tssfifv and NANNY South Bend
.,-,r.7s bave awaited themselves of
,b, o,Dortgrity ro hear the sordid
"details ~ the murder r,told from
tt, witness stand
Young women and aged men.
f.f8jr. AGED women and vourr men
contest with one another for van
r4re places ON the spectators
benches and often the number Of
-pe,tato-s I'm the court room is So