Shocking death of Elmer Baker (d. 1895)

BAKER, JAMES

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 12/11/2007 at 13:55:32

One of the most shocking accidents and heart rendering deaths that has ever occurred in this vicinity was the one which befell Elmer Baker, on Phinn James farm, a few miles from town, yesterday afternoon, ending in Elmer taking his own life. Mr. Baker and wife occupied one of the tenant houses on the James farm, and since Monday he had been engaged in digging a hole under a big rock, in order to bury it. He remarked to his wife, when he left the house about two o'clock yesterday afternoon, that he had a hole eight or nine feet deep almost directly under the stone, which appeared to be a big one. He was engaged in the dangerous work all alone, and when supper time come and he did not appear his wife expressed the fear to one of the hired men that something had happened to him. As time went on and it began to grow dark she became still more anxious and insisted that some one should go see why he did not return, it being impossible for her to go on account of two small children. One of the hired men finally said he would go up where Elmer was at work and see what the trouble was, if anything. On arriving at the scene he found that the rock, which weighed several tons, had moved from its place and in its fall had caught Elmer underneath it. He at once hastened back to the house and gave the alarm, and in a short time the whole neighborhood was aroused. It was impossible to roll the stone away, so it was found necessary to dig around and underneath the body in order to extricate it from the position in which it was found. Although the injured man seemed to be unconscious the workers were encouraged in their efforts to release him by the sound of his continued breathing. When at last he was taken from his living tomb, those engaged in the work of rescue, where horrified to discover that, in addition to his other apparent injuries, there was a great gash in his throat. Dr. Pattison was hastily summoned, and on arriving there he made an examination and found that Elmer's right leg was broken below the knee, that his right thigh was badly broken and crushed, where the rock had fallen on him, that the cords of the right arm were injured and torn somewhat from their fastenings, and that there was a gash five or six inches long across the throat, the windpipe being severed. The injured man only lived about 20 minutes after being taken out. Of course it will never --- definitely known how all this occurred, nor just how long he laid there after the accident took place, but the indications are that he lay for several hours with the rock resting on the lower part of his body, and that after a time he had succeeded in getting his right arm out and as he saw by the lengthen shadows that supper time had past and Eight was approaching, and no help came, and that he must die anyway, he had decided to end his intense sufferings with his own hand. So he had managed to get his knife out of his pocket, open the blade, which seems to have been a dull one, as it seems to have taken at least five or six strokes across the throat before the windpipe was severed. The event has caused great excitement in the neighborhood. The deceased was well known here. He leaves a wife and two small children. The funeral will take place tomorrow.

April 1895

The funeral services of Elmer Baker, who met death in such a shocking manner last week, were held her last Friday, being very largely attended, and the remains were interred in the Otsego cemetery. The bereaved wife and children have the sincere sympathy of the entire community in the terrible affliction which came to them.

Oelwein Register - 11 April 1895