The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-26
The Midway Murder Trial.

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The Midway Murder Trial.
The trial of Elbridge w. Reed for the murder
of John Ray began in the Supreme Court in
Bangor Thursday, Judge Cutting presiding.
The proceedings are given in full in the Bangor
Wing. but only the testimony of importance is
given here.
Charles E. Powers, sworn and testified -
Live ia Midway; knew John Ray and Ebrldge
Reed. Learned that Ray was missing on the
18th of September last, and on that Sunday
night few of US agreed to search for him next
morning Monday forenoon 80 of us started to
search; hunted until it was quite late, bnt did
not find him. On the 28th we made another
search; after dinner we went up river opposite
Rays house and crossed to the island; eight or
ten OF us scattered, and in few minutes some
one called, ",here he is" | was near, and was
the third man on the spot, Loren Lyons and
Joseph Higgins being there ahead OF me. Rays
body laid in hole, with rotten wood aud brush
over him. The bushes were cut, L should
think, the day before. The island is in the
east branch, some ten rods from the east side,
All the party came to the hole together aud
consulted. l suggested getting Mr.. Hayford,
and VIM. Taylor and l went after him. He
had gone to Photographers; Taylor went there
and they came up together: we then returned
to the body. Mr.. York and VIM Fowler took
the body out, and Benz. York took it in birch
canoe to Haytord's Old store. Then Mr.. Hay
ford came down and got Coroner Wilson of
Bangor. The body had on pants, shirt and
frOck; saw no hat; the pants had been wet !;
shoes were on the feet. The frock was hauled
from the back over the face. The face seemed
to have Deen struck over the eye, and there was
cash behind once ear. Saw mans track ON
one side of the hole in the soil, which was
light, sandy lOam-the track very distinct. Saw
it directly after finding the body but did not
measure it. Ray is small man; feet 8 or 10
inches in height. did not see E.bridge Reed
in the search.
The cross examination of Powers ELECTED
nothing OF any Importance.
Thomas Fowler testified that Elbrdge W.
Reed lived with his father on the point between
the East aud West branches OF the Penobscot,
and no one else lives on that spot of land ex-
cept Timothy Reed, who has house some ten
rods distant. He described the island where
the body was found III very much the same Ian
guage used by the preceding witness. La a
direct line, the island is some so rods from
Rays house; the water between is some or
eight rods wide and is very low; person can
walk from the shore To the island, with boots
on, and not wet his feet Witness joined in
the search for Ray; described the search.
When the body was found, witness was with
Mr.. Hayiord at Pattagumpus, but went up to
the. spot with him. Witness and VIM. Yolk
uhSVftICu LUG pous INC the
frock of the face, and put the body in a birch
canoe, and York padded it down river to Hay
lords old store on the west side. The remain
der OF the party went down to Reeds, found
Elbtidge coming up from the river with a pair
of horses he had been watering; Mr. Hayiord
met him the lane; they passed the time Of
day." aid Hayiord said, We've found Ray
Eldbridge said Have your Mr.. Hayford said
Yes" Elbridge asked, "When did you find
him?" and Mr.. Hayiord replied Two or three
hours ago" Elbridge then said "lts sad
affair, amt it," Mr. Hayford replied "Yes, j
should think it was. We want you to go with
us for witness" Elbridge said he would &c
when he had put the horses up, but Roya
Reed took the horses and Mr.. HayfSrd and
Ebridge started Tor the shore. Noticed moth
looked stern as he came.up; he didn't look pale
or tremble.
Witness examined the body of Ray; it was
dressed in gray woods frock and homespuu
pants; had no hat on. The frock was torn
some; the pants had been wet and were still
damp; the back part of the pants LOOKED as il
they had been dragged through grass; dirt and
bits OF grass hung TO the buckle and the back
suspender. buttons. The left side of the he ad
near the eye was so stove in that the eve bal
hung out three-quarters OF an inch; there was
also bruse or cut back of the left ear about
an inch long. There was evidence of clip on
the left side of the top of the head; it was DENT
ed in some. Witness removed the clothes from
the body; found marks of blows on the hip and
ust above; the bruises were purple and green
ish and the skin was stripped up; another scar
was on the lower part of the left shoulder
blade, and two on the right side; between the
shoulders was a black and blue spot, pulled
up, the size of the top of a common saucer.
The neck was broken.
Witness described the foot print it was on
the right side OF the hole as person faced the
head it was right, thin boot, the heel some
trOd over on the outside. Ben York measured
the track Saturday or Sunday after the body
was found, with strck, leDg thwise and across
the ball Of the foot Saw him also measure a
boot which Reuben Boynton said belonged to
Elbridge Reed !; measure fitted exactly and
the boot was trod over, some outside at the
heel.
Witness had known Ray for twenty years
knew nothing out of the way between Reed
and Mrs. Ray; never saw them together, ex-
cept when some persons we1e present.
In the cross-examination il the afternoon,
witness stated that he with Ben. York and
VIM. Farwell found spade with broken
handle near where the body was found; iudg-
ed that the hole was dug the previous fail, and
have ascertained since from the man who dug
1t, that it was done to get out some squirrels
An old, beaten path ran from the river, by and
about twenty feet from the whole. At Little
Schoodle, some five miles above Reeds, live
Geo. McCausland and wife, Watson Dacy,
wife and three children, VIM Boynton wife
and child, and Royal Boynton, wife and child
rem. 81
Direct examination resumed: -On Friday or
saturday alter the body was found, noticed a
trail running from the water to the hole; it
looked as if something had been dragged over
it.
Dr. H. Fl. Reynolds testified that he exam.
ined the body of John Ray. at Midway, lust
alter 1t had been found, and removed to the old
store The body looked as though it had beea
pourded from the top of the head to the hips.
On the back the bruises correspondent in shape
to the ferules, cup and pick on the lower end of
setting pole," which was shown at the
coroners inquest. The blows on the head
were sufficient to produce death, and the neck
was dislOcated.
Cross-txamined-The fluctuations upon the
back correspond with the pick, (Which was
benp ferules and cup on the piece OF hard
wood setting pole. There were severe blows
on the head, but it is not easy to determine
what was used to iDflct them.
VIM. K. Boynton testified that year ago
last June the prisoner was cOnversng about
Ray and his wife qusrleing. and Read said it
he was in my place Il am Mrs Ray IS brother)
be would "give him whaling" and said ii
hay gave him any of his lip he wonld lick him
to DEATH At his (Reed's) fathers house after
wards, prisoner said he Understood Mrs Ray
was gong to live with her husband again; that
ne would rather have her die than do that, and
mat ne loved Mrs. Ray, and couldn't help it.
have had some other conversation with pris-
o! o. perhaps, than what I've stated. He said
II ne was in my place he would "knock HI
OUT OF hay. Never saw Reed and Ray togeth-
er any length OF time; they we're not on speak
ing terms
Cross examined-My sister (Mrs. Raw. came
to my house after she and her husband separ-
ated; she did not b. ing her children She went
PACK to live with Ray the last Of August
warren Butler testified that he had seen
heea aud Mrs. Ray together several times at
Mr.. Cushing's and Mr.. Boynton's. In Nav
last saw them sitting together in VIM. Boyn-
TONS pasture about O'Clock p. m. Crept up
behind them and heard their Conversation.
This was IL or miles above Reeds. Saw
Mrs. Ray start half mile ahead, and in a lit.
his team and followed. 1 followed on foot to
see what could see. Saw the team in the
road and crept into the pasture to hear what
they said. First heard she wanted him to
call evenings: He said something about living
in the end of the woodpile TO watch for i,ass
She said the best way would be for her 70 ,;ye
the cow on to the island or hey ond Sadv brooL
aud that would be the time to watch for Ron'
Reed asked why, and she said that wonld ~
ms u time to make way with Ray or kill him
nave since ADVISED hay to leave the country.
In the cross examination witness was nnahIe
TO give the date of the conversation: said Le
did not remember il he left them si,tina q.
gether in the pasture, did not remember WHEN
Reed got home; was over a rod from tbam in
tne Pas,ufe, and they sat with their backs TO.
wards him. Was not a witness at the coro.
ner's inquest; first made the statement ahnu,
the conversation to William York and wife and
Mrs. Boynton. 0 anu
The balance of the testimony is corroborat;vs
OF the improper intimacy between Reed and
Mrs. Ray.
The inquest in the case of James Renf,rtb
was commenced iB St. John, Thursday. Mr.
a warm personal friend of ps.,