FROM DAYS GONE BY, Feb. 23, 1918

February 23, 1918.
Walter B. Medlin was the proprietor of the Hotel Saratoga in Macon in which he became involved in the murder of a barber which he lured to the hotel. He claimed the barber insulted his wife.
Walter escorted W. E. Baker, the barber, to an unoccupied room on the third floor of the building and shot him five times, then ran downstairs to the night clerk's room and threw his pistol on the night clerk's bed. This was early Saturday afternoon, later that afternoon he gave up to the sheriff. This is what was brought out in testimony before a jury empaneled by Coroner Stubbs late in the evening.
Medlin, who is in Bibb County jail, was bound over to Superior Court without bail upon the verdict of the coroner's jury, which was that "W. E. Baker came to his death from gunshot wounds at the hands of Walter B. Medlin and the same was murder."
According to a statement made to Deputy Sheriff Mullally by Medlin after the shooting, Medlin called Baker to an explantation of remarks he made to Medlin's wife. A friend of Baker's who was in the barber shop on Cotton Avenue, operated by Baker, came to him about 1 pm and said: "I am going to the Saratoga with Medlin, I'll se you at 2."
In testimony of Miss Sarah Enloe, clerk for the hotel, was that Medlin entered the office with another man and got the key to room 16. Miss Enloe told him it was occupied, that 15 was vacant. He then took key 14 and left with the man identified as the same one killed. "In 3 or 4 minutes after they left the office, I heard shots fired, but couldn't tell how many. A moment later Medlin came in the office, put the key on the counter and walked out of the office, saying nothing." Miss Enloe said she saw no pistol and no one was on the third floor when they went up together.
Mr. G. Croom, night clerk, said he heard shots fired he ran to door and opened it. He saw Medlin coming down hallway, passed him and went to his room. Croom said "What's the trouble?" Medlin replied, "I've shot a man", he then threw the pistol on Croom's bed and left.
A Mr. Tilloson heard the shots and met Medlin coming down the stairs and as passing told him to call an ambulance. Tilloson found a bullet on the floor of room 15 which had passed through the wall of room 14. A bullet was also found in a purse in Baker's hip pocket. It was a 32 caliber bullet and the gun found was a Smith & Wesson .32.
Medlin phoned his wife after he gave up to the sheriff and conversed with her about a doctor. The only weapon found on the slain man was a small pen knife. The .32 contained six shells, five of which had been discharged. The inquest was held at Hart's undertaking on Mulberry Street where the body was removed soon after the shooting. The body was found lying at the top of the stairs on the third floor, with the head toward the steps. Examination of the body showed that bullets had penetrated the left breast, left abdomen, left wrist and arm and the index finger of the right hand.