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- from "The Worcester Daily Spy", 16 Dec 1895 (genealogybank.com)
The principal topic of conversation on the streets, Sunday, was the sad drowning accident at North pond, Saturday evening, in which William J. Baker, a son of Charles Baker, president of the Charles Baker Lumber Company, lost his life. The body of the unfortunate young man, which was taken from the water shortly after midnight, Sunday morning, and removed to his parents' home at the corner of Salisbury street and Park avenue, was viewed Sunday by Medical Examiner F.H. Baker, who decided that the cause of the death was accidental drowning. The funeral will take place from the family residence at 2 o'clock, Tuesday afternoon. A meeting of the Lincoln Guild of Central Church was held in the library at the close of the morning service, to take action on the death of Mr. Baker, who was a member of the society, a committee consisting of Rev. E.M. Chapman, David M. Earle, Jr., Roswell T. Hapgood and Earnest Smith, was appointed to purchase a floral tribute in represent the guild at the funeral. A meeting of the freshman class at Worcester Polytechnic Institute will be held this noon, when a delegation will be selected to attend the funeral. Miss Estelle Potter, who, as stated in the Sunday Spy, was in the icy water fully five minutes before she was rescued, spend Saturday night at ex-Alderman W.C. Jewett's home, where she was taken after being rescued from the water. She was removed to her home on Salisbury Street, Sunday morning. She is now confined to her bed as a result of the shock, but is resting as comfortably as can be expected. So far as her physical condition is concerned, she has entirely recovered. It is not until Sunday morning that she was told of the sad fate that had befallen her companion. It was not carelessness nor foolhardiness on the part of the young couple that caused the accident. The hole in the ice into which they skated had formed during the last two days, for Thursday night when a number of the young people of Salisbury street went out there, the pond was entirely frozen over and perfectly safe. It was not known by those most familiar with the pain that there was any current or spring in that part that should have kept the water open. In the darkness of the night the water looked almost the same as the ice about it, and even the young man who rescued Miss Potter nearly skated into the water in encircling the hole to reach her. It is surprising that an accident had not occurred earlier in the evening for there were several people who, unaware of any treacherous place, it's skated across the pond in almost the very spot of the sad accident.
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1878 - 1895 (17 years)
Charles Baker, b. 4 Apr 1828, Phillipston, Worcester, MA 