The Portland daily press., 1897-08-12
Her Last Communication From
Murdered Fiancee.
REED TOLD OF HIS INTENTION TO
FORECLOSE MORTGAGE.
A Possible Clue to the North Adams
Murder Mystery-City Offers Reward
of $500 for Apprehension of the
Criminals,


Oakland, August 11.-Even while the
funeral knell is sounding over the re-
mains of Henry Reed and his sister,
Blanche Reed, of the North Adams
tragedy, Miss Jennie Ray. the affianced
wife of Reed is overcome with sickness
which the attending physician has grave
fears will terminate in lung fever. Miss
Ray s constitution has not been strong
one for long time and the great shock
to her system of this horrible double
murder has completely Frustrated her with
the above results.
Miss Jennie Ray is at the home Of her
sister at Oakland some 8 miles west of the
village, her mother and father being in
attendance. 1t was here that she was
found today by representative of the
Associated Press and though unable to
sit up brief interview was given in
which Miss Ray referred to the existing
mystery and expressing hope of the de-
lection of the culprit. She is firm be-
lever that theft was the object which
actuated the deed. In speaking of Mr..
Henry Reed she said that probably the
last communication ever addressed by
him was in her possession. In this she
has previously referred to his arranging
for her return last Monday but until this
time has never given light to the fact that
this letter referred to any business
matters but such proves to be the case.
Extracts from the letter mention the fact
+I,ot IL
her name and due the last of July had
not been paid and the delinquency of the
party would no longer be countenanced
foreclosure being Mr.. Reeds intent at
once.
He also wrote of certain party who
of money large as understood it and
that the request was refused. The
question was asked if Miss Ray had the
least idea that either of these parties
would have taken enough offense to have
perpetrated the double murder and to it
she replied, 81 cannot tell their feel
ings but don't think anyone would have
been enough enraged for this. -
The names of the parties she refused to
divulge giving the inference that they
were of better class than were usually
dealt with and so she did not care to
offend them. Mention was also made of
a mortage of considerable amount having
become due during her absence which she
said was quite likely paid in and this
money might have been on hand at the
time of the murder and been taken. The
physician in attendance is DR.. Scott
Holmes of Oakland who orders absolute
quietness as the only means of saving
this young lady from serious illness. In
the past few days Miss Ray has changed
greatly and looks like shadow of her
former self.
Reward for the Reed Murderers.
North Adams, Mass, August H.
Mayor Houghton has offered reward of
$500 for the arrest and conviction of the
murderer or murderers Of Henry Reed and
his sister Blanche whose mutilated bodies
were fe eund last Saturday in their home.
The inquest was continued today before
Associate Justice Woodhead.
There are no new developments today.
Many old clues have been run down and
the authorities appear to be much in the
dark as ever.
A report of the disappearance last
Saturday of Stamford mountain farmer