THE CORONER’S VERDICT

Van B. Baker Officially Charged With The Murder Of His Wife And Mother-In-Law

Steubenville, May 14. – The coroner’s jury in the McWha Baker murder case have finally rendered a straight-out verdict, and find that “the deceased came to their deaths by being struck on the head with an iron bolt and an ax to the hands of one Van B. Baker.” When the verdict was pronounced Baker, through his counsel, waived a preliminary examination and was committed to jail to await the selection of the grand jury, which meets in June. No new evidence has been found against the prisoner today, the detectives being at Cross Creek village, where Baker spent the night of the day of the murder.

The jail in which he is confined at New Cumberland is ----- and it is thought he will be taken to Wellsburg or Wheeling for safe keeping. It now turns out that Mrs. Baker herself gave currency in the fact that some two months since Baker attempted to poison her, but she was so infatuated with him that she did not expose him at the time.

(Abstracted from the May 21, 1887, "The Saturday Review" newspaper,East Liverpool & Wellsville, Ohio)