The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-06
DIR. E. E. GRAY, MURDERER
TRIAL OF THE BLOOMFIELD PHYsI-
GA TO BEGIN MONDAY.
Comes from a Prominent Family
Killed Malissa skinner After Both
Had Deserted Their Families.
to the Indianapolis Journal.

or DIR. r.. +. Gray, the slayer or MallSSa
Skinner last December. will, be called In the
Greene Circuit Court Monday morning.
Judge W. W. Moffett, of this district. being
Gray's uncle, has appointed Hon. John s.
Bays, Of Sullivan, as trial judge. He has
ordered Sheriff Mclaughlin to bring the
prisoner from the Jacksonville Reform
atory, where he has been confined since the
commission Of his crime, and have him in
court. Judge Bays has ruled that the at
torneys for the state shall turn over to the
defense all the letters In their possession
that passed between DR.. Gray and Mrs.
Skinner The greatest legal battle ever
fought in this county is expected and the
greatest interest is manifested in the case
by all classes. Gray will be defended by
Hon. Cyrus E. Davis, Emerson Short, Will
liam L. Slinkard and Thomas Van Buskirk,
while the state will be represented by Prose-
cutting Attorney Charles d. Hunt. of Sui
livan, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John A.
Riddle, Seymour Riddle, Webster ". Mof-
felt, of Bloomfield, and ex-Judge Buff, of
Sullivan. The plea of the defense is thought
to be insanity, although 1t is barely possible
that it may plead justification Owing to
the large number OF murders In the county
recently, there is a strong feeling among the
ClllLcIlO VI a 6Oi ia thS
law. TIC that end a number of leading cit
liens Of the county have called on Governor
Mount and Attorney General Taylor and
asked that the state provide for a strong
prosecution In the case Of DR.. Gray.
For three years prior to the murder Dug
Gray (as he was commonly called) and
Malissa Skinner had been fast friends. He
deserted wife and child for the woman and
- -a A.h,~a aoA ~hua Tor hin,
Gray first met her wheel on a professional
visit to her home. In her youth the woman
had married Richard Spears and w to the
time that DR.. Gray came into her life had
escaped scandal. She was divorced from
her husband and then lived with Gray. Gray
boarded at q hotel and seldom visited his
home. DR.. Gray became Jealous and on the
day of the murder he had learned that Mrs.
Skinner was going away on the ILLS o'clock
east-bound Monon train and presuming that
she was going to see a lover at Bedford,
he determined to stop her. Concealing HIM
self in a sawmil near the station he waited
her coming. Malissa Skinner told her sis
ter-in-law she was going to the depot TO
mail a letter and would be back in a
minute. When within fifty feet of the depot
Gray met her. After a few words the wom-
an tried to pass him, but drawing a ply
sician's sealpel from his coat struck her
four blows in the breast. She died almost
Immediately. The Monon train had just
pulled in and a number of the trainmen
and passengers were witnesses TO the
tragedy.
After the murder Gray came to town and
gave himself up. He was taken to jail at
afternoon and taken to the Reformatory
at Jacksonville for safety. During the thir-
ty-mile drive to Bloomington Gray spoke
but once, saying: "Oh. how loved her."
DR.. Ephriam Ellsworth Gray Is thirty-six
years old and a son of DR.. j. w. Gray,
one of the Oldest and best practitioners in
the State. He ven to the st. Louis Med
zeal College and graduated in 1892. He prac-
ticed in his fathers otficd but soon opened
an office Of his own. He gave little atten-
ton to his practice, living a rather reckless
life. In 1852 he married Miss Lou Newsom
and has a daughter twelve years old.
Malissa Skinner. his victim, was a good
looking woman. of humble parentage, and
was twenty-three years old. She was edu-
Gated here in the public schools. 1t was
common talk that there was to be a recon
band, Richard Spears. who at the time of
the murder was working in Tennessee, but
who came here Immediately upon hearing
of the tragedy and has since been an inter-
ested party in all the proceedings.
MURDERS IN GREENE COUNTY.
Nine murders have been committed In
Greene county within a period of three
years. Out of this number two have re-
suited in convictions, manslaughter being
the verdict. Three emain to be tried.
Readers are doubtless familiar with the
murder of Robert r. Taylor, a wealthy
Bloomfield lawyer, in September. 1896. HI
was killed by Grief Hill, who was a tenant
on Taylor's farm in the north part Of the
county,. They had some dispute about shar-
ing the crop, and Hill sent Taylor word to
come up; that he wanted TO settle with
him. Taylor drove up TO the farm, and
the two men were alone in a little log hut
on the place, when some dispute arose and
Hill blew out Taylor's brains with a shot
gun. After killing Taylor Hill buried the
and then tied it in Taylor's buggy and
turned the horse loose in the road. The
horse wandered twelve miles across the
through the village of Johnstown about
midnight, when a number of people saw the
rig, but, noticing the dead body Keeling
from one side OF the buggy TO the other,
thought the occupant drunk instead of dead
The horse and buggy halted In front of a
farm house, where 1t was found at day.
break next morning. Hill had In the mean
time made his escape. but was subsequently
captured in Iowa and brought here for tria
and given a sentence of eight years.
Another recent murder in the county was
the killing Of Lewis Rusher by Gilbert Wag-
goner, at Lyons, Nov. Is, 1895. The tive
men quarreled in a restaurant, when Wag'
death. He was allowed to walk out Of
town that night, but was afterward ar
rested in Texas and brought here. He was
indicted for murder in the first degree anC
| is now ont on bond.
Four men under Indictment In this county
for murder in the first degree are now a
large on bail. Melvin Heaton shot EC
Walls to death on the Worthington bridge
| last March. Heaton claims he took Wall:
for a burglar. but the coroner found a yer
dict Of murder In the first degree.
The only other conviction for murder II
this county recently was that OF Jesse Nav
ity, of Linton, for killing Henry Mcdonald
Mavity, who was a young miner. beat Nc
Donald TO death with a pick handle Nc
Donald was an old man, but bore a bad rep
utation. Mavity was given an indeter
inmate sentence for m~anslaughter.
The only hanging that ever took place II
or u Z. 1851. Bland killed his brother-in
with a tobacco knife out in the field. TIL,
murder was committed In the fall OF
1850, and Bland was arrested and placed
in Jail in Bloomfield. He escaped il
q few days. and no trace Of him could b.
learned anywhere. 1t developed that Blanc
had made a large hole under his house AM
secreted himself there. his wife feeding hin
and caring for him. He threatened 10 xii
her If she divulged his whereabouts. A play
mate OF Bland's little boy one day founs
the place and saw the old man under tn,
house In hiding and gave the news TO tn
officers. he was again brought TO Jail AM
was tried and sentenced to death In May
1851. Bland was on the scaffold and tn,
rope around his neck when the 0overno
granted a respite OF thirty days. Bland wa