Life and trial of Dr. Abner Baker, Jr : (a monomaniac), who was executed October 3, 1845, for the alleged murder of his brother-in-law, Daniel Bates : including letters and petitions in favor of a pardon, and narrative of the circumstances attending his execution, etc. etc. / by C.W. Crozier ; trial and evidence by A.R. M'Kee.
- Crozier, C. W.
- Date:
- 1846
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Life and trial of Dr. Abner Baker, Jr : (a monomaniac), who was executed October 3, 1845, for the alleged murder of his brother-in-law, Daniel Bates : including letters and petitions in favor of a pardon, and narrative of the circumstances attending his execution, etc. etc. / by C.W. Crozier ; trial and evidence by A.R. M'Kee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![Cross Examined by Commonwealth's Attorney:-—Witness • nothing that shewed anything unnatural during the conversation had with Baker. There is a difference in the appearance of a man's eye when excited and when not. Resumed by Defendant.—Baker had a very peculiar, wild, glaring look. The only change witness saw in him was in his eyes. Mrs. Sally Baker sworn, states—That Abner Baker was a small boy when she married the father of Abner. That witness dis- covered in the last two or three months before his marriage a great ehange in him. The change was the subject of private conversation in the family. Witness first discovered the change in the spring, 18—. Abner Baker was very notionate. At one time he determined with witness and her husband to go to Knoxville. This was in April, 1844 And started on the same day, and had his trunk started. He changed his purpose in a very short time, and went back to Clay. lie was at his father's in April, and again in June or July. The Inst time he brought his wife. When he came with his wife, he re- mained in his room the greater part af the time, and seemed indis- posed to see company. And his conduct and conversation was sin- gularly strange, and she believed him deranged. Cross Examined by Commonivealth's Attorney.—He visited seve- ral of his friends, and witness never apprised them of his strange conduct, or her belief of his derangement. She first discovered that something was the matter in the spring of 1844. Defendant's.—It would have been impossible for a lady about the house of witness to have had an abortion without the knowledge of witness. And she believes no such thing occurred with Mrs. Abnes Baker while there. [She also stated, that, during that visit, Abner manifes cd a belief that she and the girls kept a disorderly house, and received young men late at night.*] Mrs. Elizabeth B. McKee sworn, states—That Abner Baker and .ife were in Lancaster on a visit in July, 184 1. That she invited him, his wife and sisters to take tea with her. That she noticed when her son [Bob McKee] came in to supper, a change came over Baker. After supper his conduct was unusual and very strange, and his look wild. He paced the floor backwards and forwards—cursed and swore—wished himself in hell. Witness told Baker he ought to be ashamed of himself. Baker whispered something to his wife, and she Mied tears. Witness was so much mortified at Baker's conduct that ried. After they started home witness remarked to one of Ba- ker's sisters, and in her own family repeatedly, that Baker was de- ranged ; that she would rather risk her chance with her own son, who was then in the Asylum in Lexington, than with Abner Baker. Cross Examined.—She did not tell the father of Abner Baker ' Note. This was not in the copy before the Governor, but was testified by witness.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21112058_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
