The morning times., 1896-09-09
.GRAY-Is HELD. FOR MURDER
Coroner's Jury Says He Killed
Melton Phillips.
BROWN AS AN ACCOMPLISH
Story OF the Tragedy In Philips Court
Told by Witnesses, Who Made
Clear Case Against the Prisoner.
Wife Denies That Her Husband
Had Cause To Suspect Gray.

A coroneI's Jury yesterday afternoon de
I cided that Daniel Gray is responsible for TIE
death OF Melton Phillips III Monday nights
cutting ARRAY in Philips court, and that
| William II. Brown W as un accomplicein the
act. Gray esunder guar ola patrolmana al
| Emergency Hospital. while Bro WI is locked
| up at the Third preciBct station to await the
action of the grand jury.
| Tie inquest was ifid at the New Jersey
| avenue station honse at3 O'Clock yesterday
! afternoon. Over a .Gozen WITNESSES were
| examined, but most OF them were better ahlc
| to give testimony that confused than In
| lightened. The jurors were. Hired >.
| Wilson, l.. A. Latcli.ord, James Lowe, 3ohn
-Holton, j "A. Thrift and William F. Spranzy.
Richard Phillips tue brother OF tie Gead
| man and the rec. pient OF a viRoroustbrusti in
4 the back from the blade OF Gray's big knife,
| wis the first and one of the best witnesses
I to testify. His wife, Layinia. was the cause
| OF all the trouble. Dick Philips Il powerful
fellow and his wife is u small woman. lie
| half admitted that. she was afraid OF him.
HOW THE BEGAN.
Dick went to No. 24S6 Philips court, the
| home of his wife's sister Monday n,gh. in
| order TO bring Lavinia home. He srrniised
| that she had gone there to meet Gray, with
whom she lad been keeping company, and
when he got to the house he saw Gray and
VIC hittifCh
to the women. He called his wife from the
house and asked her to go home with him.
She came out and Gray and Brown followed.
The aggTieved husband was standing at
the back gate and his brother Melton was
in the immediate peigiiborhoo1- Gray Inn
mediately made an Ettack Oh the witness
and hrs brother came to the rescue. AS
Dick turned he saw that Brown and Gray
had his brother down.
All this was done so quickly that the wit
ness was not clear as to everything that
happened. He knew that he had been
stabbed In the back and was positive that
it was Gray who hit him. Eoth Gray
and Brown were striking at Melton while
he was down but the witness sa " no knife
in Browns hand.
Here DR.. Hammett. who presided over
the jury. read a rough note that had been
sent To Dick Phillips by n man WHO signed
his name Holmes. 1t stated that the writer
had seen Gray and another maB walking
down Rhode Island avenue earlier in the
evening. Gray was heard to remark that
he would kill the - - If he fooled
with him."
WOMAN ON THE STAND.
When Lavinia Phillips, the wife, ap-
pearedas a witness, her head was wrapped
in bandages and her face was dotted with
court plaster. She. explained that she
and Maggie Lewis had engaged ina quar-
rel Ain the morning and that Maggie had
cast her against a broken cuspidor. 1t
was all a Friendly quarrel she testified.
While the woman admitted that she had
met Gray several times of late, she denied
She had had intimate relations with him,
as he had saidin a note that wasin evidence.
She saw Gray make lungc at someone in
the da rkness, but she did not know On whom
the attack was made. As soon as She
saw that quarrel was on she ran back
into her sisters house and shut the door.
Lavinia identified the knife as the same
one she had seen Gray have in the house
Monday evening, and the one he used to
cut some court plaster for her She did
not see Brown with knife at any time.
George W. Phillips, the father of the two
men, testified that he saw Brown and Gray
hanging around the gate few minutes
before the affray took place. After the
struggle Gray ran through the alley and
Brown ran back into the house. Dick
Phillips and the officers, who arrived al.
most Immediately, ran into the house and
failed to find Brown. Shortly afterward
Patrick Anderson Was arrested under the
belief that he wasthe man wanted He
was released yesterday afternoon.
THE FATAL WOUND.
Among the other women Xamined was
Maggie Lewis, who was accused of follow
ing after Gray andathrowing a stone at
him. She strenuouxly denied this allega-
ton, though two subsequent witnesses as
serted that they "a " her throw the stone
and saw it hit Gray on the head. These
two witnesses were Rosa Williams and
Lizzie Gaskins.
Jennie Magruder told the coroner that
she saw Gray hanging around the house
and told him that he had better go away
for he had no friends around there. He
drew the knife tlmtwas in evidence from
his pocket and answered that that was
bis rriend.'
DIR. Glazebrook. 'the deputy coroner. who
performed an autopsy over Melton Phillips
body yesterday afternoon, was the last
witness. He testified that the only wound
he found on the body was on the right
leg about midway between the knee and
the thigh. A surface wound only seven
eighths OF an inch in length had been in
flicted. The knife that made 1t, though.
had been twisted underneath the skin until
it made horrible cut tive inches in depth
The femoFai artery had been severed and
the victim bled to death.
Brown was capturedby Patrolman Palmer
yesterday morning and was called upon to
testify. His lawyer was present, however,
and advised him to make no statement and
he was excused.
The Jurors were closeted but q few min
uteS before they returned q verdict az
stated above.
Dan Gray rested comfortably at Emer-
gency Hospital last night. The surgeons
believe that Gray now has q good chance
for recovery. A policeman remains on
duty In the ward with Gray and a. soon
as he 10 sufficiently recovered, he win
be- taken to 3ail to await the action Of
the srand Jury.