From the Dundas True Banner – 1 June 1876.
“Yesterday morning there was enacted in Waterdown one of the most terrible tragedies that ever occurred in this part of the country. At about 10 o’clock in the forenoon the inhabitants of the village were thrown into the biggest state of consternation by the report that Dr. Walker, a dentist well known in the village, had shot his wife and then committed suicide. The report proved to be only too true. The scene of the tragedy was Baker’s Hotel, and soon after the news had spread abroad a large crowd of people had gathered round. From what can be learned the particulars of the sad affair are as follows: It appears that yesterday morning Walker and his wife were in an upper room at the hotel in which they were stopping, when an altercation took place between them.
It commenced concerning some trifling thing and Mrs. Walker taunted her husband with having another wife somewhere. This apparently enraged Walker and he drew a revolver and fired two shots at his wife. Mrs. Walker was standing in such a position that she received both bullets in the side, but too far forward to be anything more than flesh wounds. Immediately after being wounded, Mrs. Walker ran out of the room and down stairs screaming ‘Doc has shot me!’ Walker remained in the room in company with his son, a little boy seven years of age, and as soon as his wife had disappeared shot himself twice and died almost instantaneously.
Drs. Philp and McGregor were soon in attendance, and on examination found Walker himself quite dead, and Mrs. Walker suffering from the effects of her wounds, which, however were soon ascertained not to be necessarily fatal. The medical gentlemen gave their attention to the wounded woman and in a short time had extracted both bullets, which were found to be lodged in the breast. At the time Walker fired the shot at his wife, she was standing with her left side towards him. One bullet passed through the fleshy portion of her left arm and thence through the left breast, lodging against the bone about the centre of the chest. The other passed along just below the left breast and lodged about three inches below the first one.
In the body of the deceased there was one wound about the centre of the breast, opposite the upper part of the heart and some of the large blood vessels; the second wound was about four inches below the first. As it was evident that death resulted from the wounds it was not deemed necessary to hold a post mortem examination.
Dr. Albert Walker, or as he was familiarly called, “Doc Walker”, was a man about 35 years of age, of medium stature, dark complexion, and on the whole rather fine-looking. He married the woman whom he yesterday attempted to murder, about ten years ago, and shortly after came to Hamilton to practise his profession. He remained here for some time and then went to the States. After remaining there for some years he returned to Canada, and latterly he and his wife have been living sometimes in Hamilton and sometimes at the residence of Walker’s father-in-law in Waterdown. The deceased, who was considered a very skillful workman, at one time worked in the office of Dr. Filgiano, and subsequently in that of Dr. Bastedo.
Respecting the domestic life of the unfortunate pair, there is reason to believe that for some years it has been most unhappy. After they had been married about a year it appears that another woman made her appearance and claimed Walker as her husband. She, however, went out of sight soon after, but, apparently, not out of mind, at least as far as Mrs. Walker was concerned, and the subject was one which caused great bitterness between her and her husband.
Whether Walker really had another wife was not certain, but he evidently could not endure being charged with it, and yesterday, on the mention of it by his wife, he in a fit of desperation committed the rash act, which resulted in his own death and the serious wounding of his wife. The revolver which was used is a small seven-barrelled Smith & Wesson, and when picked up a few minutes after the shooting had four chambers discharged and three still loaded.
At eight o’clock this morning a jury composed of the following gentlemen: Charles Sealey, foreman; James McMonies, Jr., W. D. Misner, John Baker, Chas. W. Brown, W. Lee, Hiel Truesdell, John Forstner, Joseph Foster, G. H. Rymal, Jas. Young, George Rymal, and Ed. Brown, which had been summoned by Dr. Philp, Coroner, met at the house in which the tragedy took place and having viewed the body took the following evidence.
The testimony of the wounded Mrs. Walker was taken in her room, she being unable to be out of her bed. Mrs. Mary Walker, sworn – Yesterday morning my husband and myself had a talk about a silk dress which I had not worn in his sight; we also talked of his clothing and of taking a walk together; I mentioned to him about his other wife, and of her being in Hamilton; I also spoke to him about giving me a bill of divorce, which he said I would never get; he became annoyed, and the first thing I was aware of was the report of a pistol; I looked around and saw that he was shooting at me and then I flew down stairs and cried out ‘Doc has shot me’; I met my mother at the foot of the stairs; my little boy was also in the room when the affair took place.
Master Freddy Walker, seven years of age, son of the deceased, was the next witness examined. He said – I was in the room when my pa shot at ma; I saw him do it; he fired two shots at ma and two at himself; he fell part of the way down after firing the first shot at himself, and then he fired again; my mother ran out of the room after the shots were fired at herself, and then pa shot himself.
Mrs. Louisa Ann Baker, sworn – Am mother of Mrs. Walker; heard two pistol shots fired in the house yesterday morning, and immediately after heard my daughter scream ‘Doc has shot me’; I took her into the kitchen, supporting her; I sent at once for Dr. Philp to come and see her; I then went upstairs to see Walker, and found him lying on the floor, but did not speak to him.
Francis Scott, sworn – Came to this house yesterday morning about half-past 9 o’clock, sat a while, and then inquired for Dr. Walker, the hired girl told him that I was waiting for him; after waiting a short time I heard two pistol shots fired, and Mrs. Walker came down stairs crying ‘Doc has shot me’; just afterwards I heard two more shots, followed by the sound of something like a man falling on the floor.
George Byrens, sworn – Live in Hamilton; knew the deceased and his wife; they stopped at my place in the city sometimes; after Mr. and Mrs. Walker had been at my house some time I was informed that the Dr. had another wife; I made it my business to inquire, and I asked my sister-in-law, Mrs. Walker, about it, and she said that she had asked her husband respecting the matter, and he said that if she threw that up to him again he would put two bullets through her heart; this conversation took place after a woman claiming to be Mr. Walker’s wife had stopped at Mr. Walker’s house for two nights before.
Harris Crooker, sworn – When I heard of this affray yesterday morning, I went at once to the room where it had taken place, and found Dr. Walker lying on the floor, and the revolver produced lying quite near his right hand; life was extinct; think it was about two minutes after the shooting ook place; the revolver now produced is the same one I picked up; it is in the same condition as when I found it – four chambers discharged and three undischarged.
William Channel – sworn – I was about the first person that saw Dr. Walker after he shot himself; I think it was about a quarter to ten o’clock in the morning; saw his wife, who said that her husband had shot her; went upstairs and found the deceased lying on the floor; his shirt was on fire and I put it out; I turned the body over on the side and saw two shot wounds; there was no movement of the body, but saw the last gasp; saw the revolver lying on the floor.
After hearing the above evidence the jury returned the following verdict: – “That the deceased Albert Walker came to his death from the effects of the two bullets discharged into his body from a weapon by his own hand.”
At latest accounts Mrs. Walker was progressing favourably under the care of Dr. Philp, who has strong hopes of her speedy recovery.”
Archivist’s Notes:Additional material at the Flamborough Archives provides some background to the story.
In Grace Church Anglican Cemetery, Waterdown there is an upright stone with the name Walker inscribed. Behind is a marker with ‘In memory of Albert Walker 1820-1877, his wife Mary Jane Walker 1848-1939’. Nearby is a Baker family marker with the following inscription ‘Abraham Baker 1823-1897, Louisa Ballard, his wife 1826-1920, Isaac Baker, son 1859-1940, Maria Baker, daughter 1846-1863’.
Note the incorrect date of Dr. Walker’s death on the monument.
Abraham Baker was the eldest son of pioneers George and Mary Baker who founded the community of Bakersville on Centre Road where it crosses the Grindstone Creek. He grew up in Bakersville, worked in his father’s sawmill and moved northwards to purchase 50 acres of Lot 7, Concession 9 by the time of the 1851 Census Returns. Following his father’s early death in 1836, Abraham signed a quit claim to the Bakersville property, all of which eventually came into the ownership of his brother, John, the second of George and Mary’s six sons. The John Baker who sat on the Coroner’s jury was probably Mary Jane Baker-Walker’s uncle, who operated the ‘Rising Sun Hotel’ in Bakersville, and also acted as Toll Keeper and Post Master.
Between 1861 and 1867, Abraham and Louisa Baker had seven children, including Mary Jane, baptized at Grace Anglican Church. By the late 1860s, Abraham and Louisa Baker were in Waterdown and also in the Hotel business, operating an establishment on Dundas Street, which according to the newspaper article was called Baker’s Hotel.
© The Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society 1998, 2023.
