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CHARGING BROTHER IN-LAW WITH FOCKETKNIFE SLAYINGProsecutor Reports Gilbert Martin, 18, Admits Fatal Stabbing Last Night of Walter Raker, 23.FAMILY DISPUTE SEEN AS CAUSE OF SLAYINGHighway Patrol, County Authorities and Police Carry Out Investigation Ending at Dawn.A family argument was given as the cause of a fight last night ajt about 8 o'clock that ended with the fatal stabbing with a knife of Walter Baker, 204 Stewart street. Prosecuting Attorney R. C. Frith said a charge of second degree murder would be filed against Gilbert (Skillet) Martin, 18, Baker’s brother-in-law.Baker died soon after the cutting, officers said, of a two-and-a-half inch gash in the abdomen, running down to the left from the navel, penetrating the intestines in four places.Frith said that Martin had signed a confession admitting the assault and also told officers where to find the pearl-handled pocketknife with a 4-inch blade that apparently was the murder weapon. The knife was located by highway troopers in weeds behind a woodshed at theBaker home.The confession followed nearly eight hours of questioning, ending at 5:30 o'clock this morning, by state, county and city officers.According to the story told officers, the 23-year-old Baker, a navy veteran, Martin, and Martin's brother, Willard Martin, 23, Mr. and Mrs. Jame3 Cunningham, 51 Batta street; and Herman Boude, were at the home of Harry Gordon, on Stewart street, drinking home brew, when the argument broke out.Mrs. Baker said today that there were words about Willard Martin s wife, who was.not present, and that one of the Martins was going to slap her (Mrs. Baker). Mrs. Baker, who is a sister to the two Martins, said that her husband Interfered and the two Martins began to strike her husband.Frith said the fight was divided into three parts. The first, the encounter in the house; in the yard f the Gordon home; then that the fight stopped and Baker and his wife began to go up the street to their home but they had only gone a few steps when tha battle was renewed.Frith said that in the statement Martin said the fatal cut was made while he and Baker were rolling In the street in front of the house of Arthur McMullen, who lives on the opposite side of the street from Gordon and slightly south.McMullen said today that he watched the fight and said thatboth of the Martins were fighting Baker, then, he said, Baker and Gilbert Martin rolled on the ground. “After a bit I saw Skillet (Martin) get op from the ground. Baker stayed on the . ground and Skillet tried to help him to his feet.”Mrs. Baker said she thought her husband was cut while in the house. “He leaned against the wall, grabbed his stomach and said, T*ve had engugh boys/ but they kept on fighting,” she said. McMullen said that he tried to keep Baker from the fight in the street, but said he didn’t notice any cut and added that Baker seemed all right then.Baker was carried Into the yard of his home where Mrs. Cunningham and Gilbert Martin carried him into the house. Boude then went to the home of the Paul Colvins, 155 Brunswick street, where Mrs, Colvin called the police, the sheriff and the coroner.Officers of the highway patrol, police, Sheriff Frank Jacobs and Coroner Lee Meek went to the house. Baker was dead and he was taken to the Gordon Home for Funerals by the Skinner Ambulancefleers, officers of the patrol* Sheriff Jacobi, deputy Roy Pcwgand Frith examined the witmeeea until dawn.Baker, Meek said, had (Mly one cut, but bad sevtcal UralMs and cuts on the face from tha fight. Young Martin, had several bruises on the face and body and a black eye. The older Martin had a few marks from the fight.Officers said they had learned that the murder weapon had been won on a punch board.Frith said that a coroner’s inguesfc will be held at the funeral home at 1 o’clock this afternoon. Funeral arrangements have not been made as yet.Mrs. Baker said that she and her husband had gontr to the Gordon house to say goodbye to their friends. She and her husband were planning to leave Tuesday for Twin Falls, Idaho, she said.Baker, who was still under Navy medical care for rheumatic fever, was employed as driver on a city garbage truck. Gilbert Martin was a helper on the same truck and Cunningham had begun work yesterday with the two. Willard Martin was unemployed. Baker had resigned his truck job a week ago, effective today.Baker, a lifetime resident of Chillicothe, married Mrs. Baker in February of this year, Mrs. Baker said. They had one infant child, a boy, James and Mrs. Baker has a girl, Gladys, five years; by a previous marriage to Jesse James McNally, her step-brother, who was killed In service.Baker also is survived bj? his mother, Mrs. Ethel Baker, 221 Hfcrri-ford street; his father, Orie Baker, of Twin Falls; three brothers, Orban and Bari, Twin Falls, and Gene Baker of St. Louis; three sisters, Mrs. Herbert Boude, Twin Falls, Mrs. Robert Roney, 219 Liberia street and Delores Baker, Chillicothe.Charges also will be filed, Frith said, against Gordon, 49, on possessing unstamped liquor. Gordon was recently fined $50 and sentenced to 90 days in the county jail on charges of driving while Intoxicated. He was paroled.Mrs. Cunningham and Mrs. Baker art sisters to the two Martin brothers. Another slate*’ is married toBaker's brother, Orban.FUNERAL MONDAYServices For Mrs. Rosa Adkins WillBe at 2 o’Ooek.Funeral services for Mrs. Ross E. Adkins of Chula will be held from the Robertson Funeral Home at Chula Monday afternoon ^at 2 o’clock. The Rev. George E. Ver-fcrees, pastor of the Laredo Methodist Churoh, will conduct the services. Mrs. Gertrude Fellows will furnish the music for the service. Interment will be mad# In the family lot in Edgewood cemetery.Mrs. Adkins, the former Mayme Cabell, daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. R. H. Cabell of Chillicothe,died at her home In Chula Thursday morning at 5:20 o’clock.Mrs. Adkins is survived by her husband and two sisters, Mrs. Emeley Schmidt of Pocatello, Idaho, and Mrs. HalUe Gray Of Alden, Kansas, and a brother, R. H. Cabell of Ridgewood, N. J.Only 12.9 percent of the -people of India and Pakistan live in towns of more than 2,000 population.CAMERA RECORDSRETURN OF THEU. 8. WAR DEADFootball at mid-season, with Texas and Oklahoma in a bitter battle at Dallas and Army and Illinois in a scoreless deadlock. In addition, there will be professional football movies on the screen—the Chicago Bears vs. the Detroit Lions. The war dead arrive home from overseas. The United States backs a Palestine petition .... Holland’s princess is christened In state ceremonial. See these and other news events of the day at the Ritz theater
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Chillicothe Constitution Tribune
Chillicothe, Missouri, US
Sat, Oct 25, 1947
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