Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-10
GOVERNOR GRANTS
z WEEKS RESPITE
To BAKER BROTHERS
CIemenCy Plea Is Taken I'm
der Amusement After
Hearing--OnIy Arguments
by Lawyers Heard


after hearing arguments for and
against the petition of George and
Ralph Baker, of Walker county, for
Communication of their death SEN
fences to life Imprisonment, an.
nounced that he would grant a two
weeks respite. This fixes the date
of the execution for April q.
The hearing was held in the SEN
ate chamber where the governor a
few months ago held similar hear
ing in the DuPre case. 1t was at
tended by a large number of Atlanta
women who have Joined in the move
to. save the Baker brothers from the
gallovs. Among them were several
who attended the DuPre hearing as
sympathizers of the Peachtree
bandit.
r. d. Baker, father of the con-
demned men, and his wife and sew
eral children sat in a front row. One
Of the children was a babe in arms
and another was a boy apparently
twelve years old.
Governor HardWick announced at
the beginning that no manifestation
of approval or disapproval would be
permitted from the audience. He
announced that the time would be
equally divided between the lawyers
and that no others would be heard
on either side unless by their re-
quest. He announced also that law
yers representing the Bakers would
have the opening and the conclu-
sion.
Petition Is Presented
o. n. Chambers and +. NJ. Glenn
appeared for the applicants. Solcl-
tor E. S. Taylor and Attorney james
E. Rosser appeared for the state.
Attorney Chambers opened the
case by presenting a petition signed
by a number of Floyd county citi-
zens and letter by Rome min
lister, who has visited the Bakers
regularly in the Jail in that city
where they are confined, and who
expressed the opinion that Ralph
Baker is a kind-hearted and con-
siderate boy and that George Baker
iG mentally deficient
He also presented an affidavit by
F. NJ. Madison, physician, to the
effect that George Baker has been
treated by him over a period Of sew
eral years for brain and nerve
trouble caused by meningitis; an af-
fidavit by DR.. J. 3. Hunter to the
effect that he has treated members
Of the family for mental trouble;
an affidavit by thirty others to the
effect they had known George Baker
since he was a boy and considered
him mentally unsound; certificates
from the United States census bu-
reau showing that Ralph Bakers age
us given to the census enumeration
in 1920 would have made him about
fifteen years old when the murder
was committed in March, 1922.
E. r. Craighead, an Atlanta law
yer, spoke about three minutes IN
behalf of the applicants. He empha-
sized particularly the evidence as to
George Bakers mental deficiency.
Attorney B. NJ. Shaw, Of Walker
county, one of the lawyers who as
sisted in the prosecution, presented
a request from the civic bodies OF
Lafayette, the county site of Walk
er county, for the governor to post
pone the execution at least one
week, because a large school con-
vention is to be held at Lafayette
next Friday, the scheduled date of
the hanging.
Record of Case Presented
Attorney Rosser made the open
ing argument for the state, which
was based entirely on the record in
the case. Referring frequently to the
record, he presented to the governor
the following account of the MUIR
der:
"Tkese Baker brothers boarded a
train at lonely station where there
was not human habitation in a
mile in any direction. At this blank
station they could cut the telegraph
wires without any interference while
waiting for the train. George ap-
preached a travelling man named
Peterman whom he had never seen
before and ordered him to drink some
whisky which he offered him and
held a gun against his body and
threatened to shoot him when he
refused.
after this trouble subsided
George crawled around on the train
until he found the box containing
fuses which are used to stop a train
He stole several of these and put
them in his pocket. When the con
ductor found it out and tried tc
take them away from him. he ant
his brother both drew their guns
and threatened to kill the conGuc
tor. The conductor persuaded them
to get off the train at Durham.
Aged Officer Slain
'"The depot agent at Durham
noticing that there was some trou
BILE, demonstrated with the boys
They drew their guns on him an(
Cursed him and threatened to shoe
him. Then they approached J. w
Morton, deputy sheriff, about sew
enty-fve years old, who was at the
train 20 meet his daughter, who was
bringing her sick baby to. town tt
see doctor. They went up to the
old man and one of them said
Have you got a warrant for us?
Morton had never seen them before
He asked them their names ant
they told him they were the Baker
boys, and he told them he did no
have a warrant for them
zone of them said with an oath
which L will not repeat in the pres
ence of the ladies here, Yes, 70,
Continued on Page 6, Column q