The Baker Inquest

New York, 1895

The inquest on the body of Frederick Baker, the Shoe and Leather Bank robber, has been an egregious farce. Happily it has come to an end. The insurance companies have worked the field all over in an effort to find that the man died of poison, and have failed signally. We shall not be surprised if an attempt is made to make the county pay for this farce, as a professional chemist was employed either with or without the coroner's approval. The Supervisors should be on the alert for such a bill, and promptly reject it. Not long ago a New York chemist sent in a bill for $1,000 for an analysis in the Sharkey poisoning case at Flushing. The Supervisors cut the bill down to $300, and they did right. The analysis was not required, for the high priced chemist discovered nothing that was not already known to the physicians who made the autopsy; but such is the ridiculously extravagant way of the District Attorney's office.

Baker was found dead in the water, but there was no water in his lungs. His body was floating face downward, and he was seen to fall out of his boat. Death was due to suffocation. The chemists could find no poison that was not injected into the corpse by the embalmer. Nevertheless, the Coroner's jury solemnly declare that they do not know how he came to his death! Evidently the verdict was framed by the insurance companies. It leaves the door wide open for them to quibble. A Coroner who has no higher appreciation of public duty than is apparent in the conduct of this case ought to get out of office to save what reputation he may have for intelligence.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 22, 1895, p. 4.

A Ridiculous Verdict

New York, 1895

End of the Inquest in the Body of Frederick Baker.

The inquest into the death of Frederick Baker of Sands' Point, who was concerned with Bookkeeper Samuel Seeley in defrauding the National shoe and leather bank of New York of $354,000, was concluded before Coroner Elbert Schenck and a jury at Port Washington on Friday. Baker's body was found floating in Long Island sound on Saturday, November 24, and despite the appearances of drowning there was a popular suspicion that he had taken poison. The day before the funeral the stomach and other internal organs of the man were removed and after a superficial examination by Dr. J. H. Bogart of Roslyn; Dr. W. I. Coche of Port Washington, Dr. L. L. Seaman, the medical examiner for the mutual reserve insurance company, and Professor R. A. Witthaus, they were taken to New York for chemical analysis.

The experts were baffled by the presence of poisons contained in the embalming fluid.

Professor Witthaus was the principal witness Friday. He said he had found poisons in the organs, but only such as are used by embalmers — mercury, zinc and arsenic.

The professor would not state that Baker was poisoned, but was positive that death was not caused by drowning. The jury returned a verdict of death from unknown causes.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 22, 1895, p. 1.