Albert BAKER
1896 - February 23 - SHOT BY EMPLOYER. Sensational Affair at Office of Sutton Woolen Mills. ALBERT BAKER THE VICTIM.

Revolver Used by Charles T. Aldrich, Jr., the Mill Manager.

Interviews With All Parties to the Fracas - Mr. Aldrich Surrenders to Police and Placed Under Bonds.

Albert Baker, an employee at the Sutton woolen mills, in Woodbury Village, was shot, Saturday afternoon, by Charles T. Aldrich, Jr., the manager of the mill. Five shots were fired from the revolver, of which only one took effect. The 38-calibre ball first tore through Baker's left hand and passed nearly through his body at the crest of the hip bone on the left side, and was taken out near the crest of the hip bone at the right side, by Dr. H. W. Cronin, to whose office in Millbury the young man was taken as soon as possible after the shooting. While at work on the wound, Dr. Cronin saw Dr. Clapp of Grafton and Dr. Church of Millbury coming up the street, and, believing that the matter would come into the courts, called them into the office to have them present while the operation was being performed. They remained until Dr. Cronin found the bullet and the patient was in comfortable condition. When the would was dressed, the young man was taken to his home at Wilkinsonville. Dr. Cronin said the wound was as serious one, on account of the extent of it, and the possibilities of future developments. The doctor deserves great credit for his success in locating the ball. A fraction of an inch would have made the shot a fatal one.

Mr. Aldrich is rather unfortunate in the matter of assaults, scarcely a year having passed without being mixed up in some thing in the way of a sensational assault, but heretofore he has been fortunate in not having them result in serious consequences.

The reporter visited the home of the Bakers in Wilsonville. A large crowd of excited neighbors was at the house, and there were such expressions as "He ought to be hung" and "The life ought to be pounded out of him." etc. The victim, Albert Baker, was found lying on a bed in a room off the kitchen, completely prostrated by the shock to his nervous system. The appearance of the young fellow does not indicate that he is a very desperate character. He is about 21 years of age, and of medium height. He told his story in a very straightforward manner.

THE VICTIM'S STORY
Responded to His Mother's Call and Defended Her and His Brother.

He said "The first thing I knew of any trouble being at the office, was when my mother came into the finishing room of the mill where I am employed, and cried out to me to 'come quickly, as Aldrich was killing Willie in the office.' I went with her to the office, but before I had arrived, the trouble between Willie and Aldrich had come to an end, and the boy was standing at the mill gate with a stream of blood running down his face. I asked him what was the matter, and he said that Aldrich had hit him with the butt end of a revolved and cut his head. My mother became very angry at the sight of Willie bleeding, and she went into the office, followed by me and said: 'Mr. Aldrich, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for abusing a 16-year-old boy in such a way as that.' He told her to get out, and she said that she wanted the money that was due her on a board bill; also the money that was due Willie for the work that he had done in the mill. Mr. Aldrich took a book from his pocket and said: 'You people owe me more money than I owe you.' My mother would not listen to that, and a sharp discussion followed. During the conversation, Aldrich said: 'That little son of a ____ was told by me never to come on my premises again, and I want him to get off. I want you to go with him and go now.' He took my mother by the arm and led her in no gentle manner to the door. When he got her as far as the lower step of the office steps, he looked up at the factory to be sure that no one was looking, and he gave her a final push that sent her flat on her back in the yard. I could not stand and see my mother abused in that fashion, and rushed at Aldrich. All the time that the conversation had been going on, Aldrich had been playing with the revolver, and still held it in his had as he led my mother towards the door. When I rushed at him, he pushed the revolver into my face and said: 'Stand back or I will teach you a lesson.' I was frightened at the pistol, and I thought that he was going to shoot me. I grabbed his hand, and then the pistol went off the first time, the ball went into the ground. I hung to him as best I could, but soon became convinced that I must have help to hold him. I called to my brother, and together we held him as best we could. While we held him he was raving and saying that he would shoot us if he got his hands loose. About this time, I struck him in the side of the face.

'The noise of the shots was heard in the mill, and soon there was a number of employees in the yard, among them being Michael Mahon, the boss weaver, and Edward Fallon. Mahon came to me and said: 'Run, Albert, if you can, because he will shoot you.' I could not run, as there was no one holding Aldrich. Several of the employees got hold of him, and then we got an opportunity to run. We both started as fast as we could, and were running away, when Aldrich shot at us twice. The first shot went wide of its mark, but the second struck me in the hand, and then went into my body. I did not stop running, but kept on until I reached the house of Henry Morrissey, where I stopped. I then sent my brother on to Wilkinsonville to Balcom's stable to get a carriage to carry me to the doctor. When he returned, we went to Millbury and Dr. Cronin took out the bullet.'

The foregoing story is the story of the unfortunate young man now lying at his home, the result of the unfortunate affair.

WILLIE BAKER'S ACCOUNT.
The next person with whom the Spy man talked was the younger boy, William Baker, whom he found a bright young fellow, but seemingly of a more aggressive nature than his brother.

He said: 'I had a row with Charlie, a day or two ago, and I quit and he was very mad with me, because I gave the job up before I had worked a notice. Saturday I went to carry Albert's dinner to the mill, and my mother came along, as she had a board bill that she wanted to collect from Aldrich, on account of a young lady that boarded with us and worked in the mill. When he saw me in the office he said: 'I thought that I told you to keep off these premises, you little ___ of a ___.' I said I would get off as soon as I got my money. He said: 'I do not owe you any money. You admitted to me when you got through that you had spoiled more cloth than your pay would come to, and now you get out.' I told him that if he said I admitted that I had spoiled cloth in the mill, he was a liar. He went for me, and grabbed me by the top of the head and began to pull me around. I fought against him as hard as I could, but when he struck me with the revolver I went to the floor and then he pounded me as long as he could keep me down. Mother ran into the mill, and when she and Albert came back, I was outside of the office, but my head was bleeding badly. The rest of the affair is as my brother told it.'

WHAT MRS. BAKER SAID.
Mrs. Baker was the next one to give a version, and she is, to all appearances, the warmest one of the family. She was emphatic in her denunciations of Aldrich and said that he was an awful man. According to her story, she got to twitting Aldrich on some things regarding some of the girls that were employed in the factory. Talking up such matters in the presence of Mrs. ALdrich, who was in the office at the time, drove Aldrich frantic, and he could not control himself, and it was at this time that he grabbed hold of her and threw her out.

MR. ALDRICH'S VERSION
A Brutal and Unwarranted Assault by the Bakers.
A Spy reporter had an interview with Mr. Aldrich and his wife, at the office of Brown & Hopkins, at the Walker building, in the afternoon. Mr. Aldrich exhibited his wounds, which consisted of a stab through the right side of the nose, close to the eye, penetrating to the nostrils. He also had a cut in his right hand. Several bunches were discernible on the top and back of his head, and he expectorated blood frequently as the result of the wounds in his nose. Mr. Aldrich told the Spy man that the trouble was caused on account of his refusal to pay William Baker the amount of money that he demanded. Baker had been disorderly recently and refused to comply with the rules of the mill, and Friday there was an open rupture, at which time Baker left without notice.

At about 11.25 Saturday morning, Mrs. Jane Baker, the mother, and William came into the office and demanded the pay which William claimed was due him. Mr. Aldrich explained to Mrs. Baker that William had spoiled cloth enough to partially offset what he claimed was due him, under the fines system at the mill. Young Baker called Mr. Aldrich a "D___ liar!" Mrs. Aldrich was present, and as the language was unfit for ladies to hear, Mr. Aldrich ordered him from the office. He refused to go, and roundly abused the mill proprietor, applying all the vile epithets at his command. Mr. Aldrich took the young man by the shoulder and started him toward the door. Baker turned around and struck Aldrich a stinging blow in the face, which seemed to be the signal for Mrs. Baker to rally her forces. While young Baker was playing a tatoo with his fists on the face of Mr. Aldrich, the mother grabbed an office chair and belabored Aldrich vigorously over the back.

She then picked up a dinner pail and struck him another blow over the head, breaking the skin. Mr. Aldrich was endeavoring all this time to get the irate mother and son out of the office, which he finally succeeded in doing, after a struggle that lasted about ten or fifteen minutes.

In a few moments, Mrs. Baker returned with an elder son, Albert Baker. She began abusing Mr. Aldrich roundly, and Albert asked what the trouble was about. The proprietor started to explain, but was interrupted by the abusive flow of language from the lips of Mrs. Baker. Aldrich gave notice to the son that, if his mother did not cease her abuse, he would have to eject her from the office. Albert replied that if he did he would have to eject him too. Aldrich placed his hand on the shoulder of the woman and started her toward the door. Mrs. Baker turned with an expression on her face suggestive of an enraged wildcat and struck Mr. Aldrich several blows in the face. Albert joined issues with his mother, and the pair beat Aldrich in the face and on the head.

By this time all three were outside the door on the walk, fighting vigorously, when the son, William, came rushing towards them with a uplifted knife. Before Mr. Aldrich could protect himself, William stuck the knife through his nostrils.

'I was blinded by the blow,' said Mr. Aldrich, and realized that my only defense was to keep on my feet. I hung to the three as best I could for something like a moment, when my sight returned. The first thing that I saw was William Baker coming towards me with his knife again uplifted. It appeared to me that my only means of escape was that of self-defense. With difficulty, I drew my revolver from my pocket, with the intention of frightening the three rather than injuring any one. I aimed as I supposed between Mrs. Baker and Albert, and towards the ground, and pulled the trigger. Then William Baker exclaimed 'Take the revolver away from him and kill him.' The trio endeavored to carry this suggestion into effect and the fight became hotter and hotter.'

By this time Mrs. Aldrich had succeeded in notifying Michael Mahan, the boss weaver, of her husband's peril, and he came to the rescue with others and put a stop to the fracas. Mr. Aldrich then went to his house and bathed his wounds in hot water. Constable Austin came to the house and asked an explanation of the quarrel from Mr. Aldrich. Mr. Aldrich told the officer that he had been assaulted by the Bakers, and that he was getting ready to go to Worcester to get out warrants for the arrest of all three. Constable Austin then told the mill man that he had shot Albert Baker, and ought to explain the matter to the authorities. This was the first that Mr. Aldrich was sure that he had shot Baker, supposing that the bullet had passed between mother and son. Mr. Aldrich said that he certainly should do so at once, and, with the officer, started for Worcester. They first went to the office of Brown & Hopkins, in the Walker building, and found that Mr. Brown was not in. They then went to the office of Dr. Wesley Davis for medical attendance.

Mr. Aldrich was suffering considerable pain and was very weak. Dr. Davis looked him over, and found 16 different bruises about the head and face. The wound in the nose was sewed up, and the other bruises attended to. In the mean time, Thomas Brown, of the firm Brown & Hopkins, who was in Millbury, heard of the fracas and, with Mrs. Aldrich, started for Worcester. Here he was joined by Mr. Aldrich and Constable Austin. After consulting his counsel, Mr. Brown, and telling him the story of the assault and attendant shooting, it was decided to send for Bail Commissioner John A. Thayer. Mr. Thayer came over, and, after listening to the story of the fracas, decided to home Mr. Aldrich in the sum of $1000, on the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. A bail bond was drawn up and signed by Mrs. Aldrich.

Mr. Aldrich strongly contended that he had no intention of shooting any of the Bakers, and drew his revolver as a last resort, hoping to frighten his assailants, and would not have drawn the weapon had not William Baker first stabbed him in the nose. He thinks the knife used by Baker was an ordinary large-bladed jack knife.

The hearing is set for next Wednesday at the central district court.