South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-24
CONTEST WAR
RECORD AT
BAKER TRIAL
Attorneys Question Legality
of Admitting His Naval
Career AS Evidence.
HIS RELATIVES TESTIFY
Members of Immediate Fam
lily Tetify of Epileptic
InclinatiOns.
BY c. j. COOPER.


Spirited contest over the intrOduc-
ton by the defense OF the naval
hospital record and the discharge
from the navy OF Walter Baker,
charged with the murder Of Carl ii.
Cook. Iaporte grocer. Christmas
eve. 1918. marked the close OF Mon
day afternoons session OF the St.
Joseph circuit court. where the p
year old youth is fighting against
being sent TO the electric chair.
Attorneys for the state contended
that the naval records OF Bakers
hospital experience and his dis
charge from the navy are not COM
petent evidence, and If they were
competent evidence. the defense is
not following the legal procedure in
Indiana for their introduction.
Admit Records.
The defense contended that rec
ords Of executive departments Of
ne federal department are admis-
able iu state courts by presenting
authenticated copies OF such rec
ords The court will give a ruling
on the Introduction OF the records
Tuesday morning. The defense ask
.d for time to present authorities
support OF his contention.
The argument between the op-
posing counsel became heated at
Zines. but with the adjournment of
court for the day the lawyers re
sumed their usual good nature to-
ward one another.
Further evidence was introduced
luring the afternoon by the defense
tending TO show that Baker is a vic
lim Of inherited insanity Roy Ba-
I.er. a brother OF the defendant.
testified 20 his brothers strange ac-
tions up to the time he was / 5 years
old. The brother described an Incl
dent wherein Walter attempted to
assault a still younger brother. and
another incident wherein the defen-
iant attempted 10 cut his brothers
throat with a razor after the broth
or had asked him 10 pass the cream
at breakfast.
The brother knew little about
Walters experiences in Montana and
AT Lockport, H.. where at the first
place ne had shot a man and at
he second had been implicated in
an attempted bank robbery.
Family Epileptic.
Mrs Lula Potter. "a sister OF the
5efendants father. told of members
~ the Baker family being attacked
With epilepsy. She said that she
herself had been attacked many
lines with the malady. She also
old OF Joseph Baker. the defen-
iant's father. being similarly af-
licted.
Mrs. Viola Baker. wife of John w.
Baker. uncle OF the defendant. told
= her husband being attacked sew
raj times with eIilepuc seizures.
Mrs. Minnie Brown. sister OF Ba-
er's father, told Of her brothers
lttacks Of epilepsy. She said that
-nc. too. had been a victim OF the
disease. She also said that the de-
fendant's grandmother was insane
AZ the time OF her death at the age
y so she said that she had first
7oticed her mother being afflicted
With epleptic fits when she was so
Fears Old.
Chauffeur Tcstifics.
Walter Rammilard. Chicago
Heights chauffeur. told OF some Of
Walters peculiarities. lie told OF
Incidents wherein Walter would
throw his money on the floor in a
chicago Heights pool room and wait
or others there TO pick II up and
1--WE II back 20 him. He also told OF
seeing the defendant while undergo
.ng on attack OF epilepsy, and OF
the defendants habit OF going into
rage. He said that Baker had
3oastod Of his Montana and Lock
sort. Ill. experiences.
Cross-e examination OF Mrs Malin-
n Baker, mother OF the defendant.
vhlch occupied all of Friday after
aoon's session Of court. was resum-
"a again Monday morning by Ralph
-. Smith. special prosecutor. The
ross examination was not concluded
mil shortly before Il o'clock Mon
lay morning.
Gross Examines Mother
ATTY. smith attempted 90 show in
,Is cross examination OF the moth
- that Walters mertal condition
s-as no worse than that OF the aver
,po vouth. He went into the testi-
1onv brought out on cross examina-
ION By Atty. Hood that Walter had
srunk heavily on Armistice day. IN
MS opening statement Atty. Hood
pictured a drunken debauch. He said
hat practically every citizen in Chi
ago Heights had INDUCED on the
aav that the end OF hghting in tn
world war w9s celebrated in Chi
--NR