People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-01-14
Anderson GRAY Pardoned.

a pardon for Anderson Gray, the Con-
way Springs accomplice 10 the mur-
der OF Thos. Patton in the spring OF
1894. The noted Anderson Gray trial
is too familiar to Sumner county
people to need recounting. 1t gained
national notoriety as the Sumner
county hypuotic case" In April,
1894, few weeks previous to the
homicide, Gray met Thomas McDon-
aid, a young man just married, in the
city OF Wichita and employed him to
work on his farm, near the town OF
Conway Springs In the northwestern
part Of this county. Gray also had
a man named Thomas Patton employ
ed in some capacity on his extensive
farming estates near Conway Springs
Patton had lease on a piece OF land
belonging to Gray. and it is said that
Gray's desire to get Patton out of the
way in order that he Gray could re-
gain possession of the land, was the
real cause Of the murder of Patton,
A few DAYS after Mcdonald had begun
work at Gray's place Gray began to
tell him that Patton was making
slanderous remarks concerning his
wife, and thus created an enmlty be-
tween Mcdonald and Patton. 1t
seemed that Patton was bad man,
and had killed several men in his
time, and Gray, oy circulating ad-
verse stories to Patton which were
purpOrted to have come from Melon
AIDS lips, succeeded in working Pat
ton into a terrible anger, when he
threatened to kill Mcdonald on sight,
After the threat Patton went to his
home with the intention Of returning
to settle his difficulties with McDon-
aid. While he was gone Gray loaded
a gun and stationed Mcdonald along
side the road behind a fence where be
would likely see Patton upon his re
turn. Patton came down the roaC
soon after and Mcdonald fired upor
him, killing him instantly. Melon
aid was arrested for the murder a
once and Anderson Gray was subse
quently locked up on the charge o
being an accompliCe. A preliminar.
hearing was had before Squire Coz
in this city and both parties wer'
bound over to the district court il
the sum of $4,000 to await the charg
of murder. The case was one OF tn
most noted and interesting ever hell
10 Sumner county.
Gray was first arraigned before tn
bar of justice. He was represented
by Attorney W. E. Stanley of Wich
tia, W. W. Schwinn and James Law
renee. The prosecution was made b.
County Attorney c. ]. Carver, assisted
by c. E. Elliott and H. L. Woods
The trial lasted two or three week
and resulted in Gray's life sentence t,
the penitentiary. The attorneys 70
the state let up in their argumen
before the jury that Gray was the red
murderer; that he had exerted undu
influence over Mcdonald to seCur
Patton's assassination. They con
Quoted the prosecution along this lin
aud dwelt at length upon Gray'S pas
record. In this way the case becam
known as the hypnotic" case. Ora.
exhausted his fortune In the defens'
and went to the penitentiary a poo
man. He appealed the case to tn
supreme court and the decision OF tn
lower court was sustained. He wa
taken to the penitentiary early II
| 1895. His friends at once began Cir
culating petitions for his pardon, ou
were unsuccessful until yesterday
Strong protests were filed against hi
pardon and his enemies have beef
diligent in their opposition to hin
from the day he was convicted. L
has often been said that Anderson
Gray was convicted solely upon hi
reputation in the neighbOrhood wher'
he lived, and there is probably a grea
deal of truth in the saying.
Mcdonald, the man who killed Pat
ton, was tried shortly after tray
conviction. His trial was brief ant
resulted in his acquittal. He wa
defended by Judge John 6. Wood
of this city and ]. V. Beekman O
Arkansas City. The prosecution
made no attempt to convict him. Fl
was acquitted on the first ballot. il
left the county aud went to Arkansa
City for awhile. The last heard 0
him he was in Wichita. 1t is sal
that Gray's pardon is partly due 7
mlnuiAn nunrn IN hu McDnnald affn