The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-23
SHOCKING DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
AWronxed Husband Kills the Invader o.
tho Sanctity of His Home Together w1'n'
tho Partner of the Guilty Liason-A""
Families Plunged in Mourning

I u " fO0&SO huSDUn0 NILE thO
the Sanctity of His Home Together w"H'
tho Partner of the Guilty Liason-A""
Families Plunged in Mourning.
COLUMBIA. III. May L.
A terrible tragedy occurred atthe resi-
derce of Monroe Gray, ten miles soutneas'
of this place, yesterday morning, which
has plunged two families into deep
mourning. An erring wife and al ~
principled husband have been hurried to
untimely graves
Monroe Gray, with his wife and two
children, q girl of ten aud j boy of twelve
lived on a farm which he rented from
VIM. Ditch, Il wealty farmer VINO
lived on the eastern outskirts of the
village. Until i few months ago Gray
lived in this town. His eyes
had been diseased and he had used up
nearly all of his money in having them
, treated in East st. Louis. He finally de-
ended to 90 to farming again and as he
had little or no money he applied to Ditch,
who advanced him funds and let him 90
on the farm where the tragedy occurred
Thursday Gray drove to Ditch'S house
anu asked him to 90 with him to nv
(Gray's) farm to see about repairing q
dixie a few miles to the east. Ditch ac-
companied Gray back TO his home aud re-
manned there all night. 1t was arranged
that yesterday morning they should soover
to the house of 4 contractor named Axsyr
u few miles east of GrLy'S, TO engage him
to do some work.
About eight O'Clock Gray went QUITO
his barn to hitch up his team ard left
Ditch sitting with Mrs. Gray in the sit
ting-room of the small tliree-room house
Gray had been in the barn but L short
time, when, in reaching up 10 take down
some harness, some timothy seed fell in
one of his eyes. lie placed his hand over
the optic and started back to the house
to have his wife get the seed out. ASH
! opened the sitting-room door he saw that
the room was empty, AMI Instantly his
suspicions were aroused. He hld heard
that Ditch had been Ill questionable rela-
tions with the wives OF other men, but
never suspected that his home circle
would be invaded
He stealthily entered the room, crossed
it TO the east side, pushed open the doGt
OF his wife'S bedroom and there Witnessed
O sight that aroused ali his manhood to
tine highest pitch. He closed the door of
the bedroom and crossed To the we>tSide
Of the ~Sittin9-roOm 10 u stand, IN the
drawer of which were two large navy re-
volyerS. AS he graSped the weapons the
doOr of the bedroom opened, and Ditch
| appeared. The latter immediately graSptd
Il chair with which to defend himself, and
as ne did So Mrs. Grsy also came out anG
begged her husband not to shoot.
cray, however, took deliberate aim
with one OF the weapons and fired two
shots, both of which took effect in the
body of Ditch. AS the latter fell to the
fioor Mrs. Gray again appealed to her
husband to spare her Ift, but nc refuSsd
to listen to her. He fired and the ball
from the large 44-calibre weapon passed
through her bdomen and she fell by the
side of her paramount. The first bullet
fired ut Ditch entered his right side Just
below the nipple, and the econd pdSSpd
through his abdomen
Gray left his wife aud Ditch lying or
the floor dying, and started with his twQt
children to the house of u n~elghbor, to
whom he told the details of the tragedy.
w men lie TtllIlrt I'LL nDuT ldJtI,D Otu III
Tins were lying dead in almost the same
position in which Gray had left them
Then the news OF thu affair spread over
the country like wildiire and before noon
the little cottage was filled with farmers,
and in the yard outside stood little knoSs
OF people discussing in subdued tonee
the details of the horrible drama that had
been enacted.
Mrs. Ditch, the wife of the murdered
man, was informed by Il messenger OF the
death of her husband, and not being adj
yi,ed of the particulars visited the house
OF Grav, where u most touching scene
was enacted. 20 one had told her of the
cause of the shootIng; she had simply
been told that Gray had shot her hus-
band; but when she reached the house
the nature Oh the tragedy dawned upon
her and she burst into u violent 1T OF
weeping. She embraced the body of her
husband and seemed to have forgotten
everything but that he had been ruthless
ly taken from her, anu - have forgiven
MIN for his inldelIty to her. Friends !
toOk her away and soon after she accom-
panied the dead body oi her husband back
to their now desolale home in the viii
lage.
The Coroner was not in the county and
his Deputy held an inquest, which was
rather an impromptu affair and developed
nothing beyond what has been given
above. He decided to require Gray
to give bond in $1,000 for his anpear-
ance before the Grand Jury, but this
did not seem to be necessary a.
Cray SHOWED no inclination t.
make his escape. He seems TO
feel fully the nature of his hct
aud displays no grief over it. He acts a.
if he was convinced that he had GeaIt
Justly with those who had 50 deeply
wrougrd him. He is willing to take al
the legitimate consequences, and viii
Stay here until wanted.
Sheriff Wilson went down to Gray's
farm As soon as he was notified, but did
not offer TO make LII arrest, rs he felt
confident t.,at Gray would not attempt to
leave the country.
He Was Wanted.