The Washington times., 1921-03-20
TIM STRAIGHT :
SAYSBURGLAR
Baker, Held for Attack on Mrs.
Logan, Claims Innocence.
Denounces Police.

81 married the best little girl in
the world and / have tried to forget
the past and go straight Now you
fellows come along and try to put me
back in the cooler for burglary !
did not commit"
This was the declaration of Robert
Leroy Baker, Baltimore youth. when
he was arrested on Friday in Rich
mond, Va, for the attack on Mrs.
Mary b Logan, 1918 Belmont road,
March 5 last. Baker, In 1912. masked
and armed with Q revolver, terror
lied residents Of the Capital by loot
ing houses.
MRS. LOGAN IDENTIFIES HIM.
Mrs. Logan, with Detective Sergeant
Harry Pratt, went to Richmond yes
terday and Identified Baker as the
man she found In her home on the
night of March 8. and who locked her
in a cupboard. Baker, nevertheless,
claims he was not In the Capital that
day
"Mrs. Logan 10 mistaken" said
Baker. ~ousts year ago today, Slee
told Detective Pratt. II was married
to a Baltimore girl who knew my
past and had confidence in mo- !
would not break this confidence, ~ ]
love my wife a0d I know she loves
me. Why should I go wrong? ! am
earning $500 month"; here. and !
would not steal, because II I did i
know I would break my wifes heart.
She trusts me. and ! have tried to
live straight for her alone
In asserting his innocence OF any
connection with the attack on Mrs.
Logan. Baker declared he was dis
trict manager OF the Fuller Brush
Company. and had eighteen statesmen
working for him. He claims to have
bought an automobile on March 4.
and aserts his salary averages 5000 .
month.
NOT SHORT OF CASH.
"why should go to Washington
and rob that woman7" Baker asked
Detective Pratt at Police Headquar-
ters in Richmond yesterday. Il was
not short of cash. / was not starv-
ing. When robbed those houses In
Washington in 1912 / needed money.
l could not get work and was hun
cry
But" Pratt rejoined. III you were
hungry, why didn't you sell the re.
volver and hashlight you used when
you entered the homes OF Washing
toniane, awakened them in their beds
and demanded their money!
That's true" replied Baker. but
Ii I sold the revolver and hashlight.
would not have anything to depend
on. I never carried the revolver to
shoot with. 1t was just a 'blun.'
knew that when a man or woman
faced a revolver they would come
across"
CLAIM ALIBI FOR HIM.
The attack on Mrs. Logan occurred
a few minutes after o'clock on the
night Of March 8. When Baker was
given a preliminary hearing in the
police court at Richmond he brought
before the court eight men who
claimed they had been with him from
6:45 to IL o'clock that night. They
insisted It would have been impos-
sible for Baker to have been in Wash
inston at the time when Mrs. Logan
was attacked and robbed of a 81 900
diamond ring.
II started as a peddler going from
door to door for the Fuller Brush
Company in Baltimore" Baker told
the police at Richmond. After a
while I met the girl whom I later
married. I proposed marriage and
told her all about my past. She ac-
cepted me, and since that day have
tried to go straight. Later the COM
pany made me a district manager and
sent me to Richmond. I have a good
Job now and have been trying to make
good. Now you cops come along and
put me back again behind the bars.
IT'S not fair. I have been trying
to live honestly and uprightly and for
get the past. You won't let me-"
FIVE YEARS FOR ROBBERIEs.
For the robberies that Baker COM
mitted in Washington during 1912,
he was sentenced to Ave years in.-
prisonment in the Federal prison at
Leavenworth, Kans. When released
and returning to Baltimore. Baker
stopped or at Cincinnati. He robbed
several houses there, was captured
and sentenced to the Ohio Stats
pcnitentiary. He was paroled in
1918 and went back to the home Of
hts mother In Baltimore.