Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-30
JURI'SV[RD|CI seated
Findings Of the Coroner's Jury in.
the Williams Murder Not
Made Public.
Gray and Dunn Will Be Held to the
Grand Jury, Which Convenes
Next Week.
Witnesses Testify That Both Had
Revolvers and Two Say Dunn
Did the Shooting.

The coroner's Investigations of the
murder of Joseph Williams, the colored
man. were concluded at $50 O'clock
"Wednesday evening. but it was decided
by the jury to return sealed verdict
and this will not be made public until
after the grand jury convenes, next
week. Gray, Pat Dunn and the tramp
umbrella mender who was at the scene
of the murder are being held, however,
the two first named as aecomplices in
the crime and the latter as witness.
{ The jury and coroner concluded to-
keep the findings of the jury secret for
the present for several reasons. One is
owing to the intense feeling Of the peo-
pie and quiet threats that are being
made to lynch the murderer Another is
because the jury desired a fair and i'm
partial Investigation on the part Of the
grand jury and did not wish itss verdict.
to have any effect on the
probable actions of the court
jury. 1t is presumed, however,
that the coroner's jury deemed the
evidence sufficient to warrant the hold
ing OF both Gray and Dunn. especially
as the latter has told conflicting stories
I in an apparent effort to clear both him
self and Gray, and as Witnesses have
identified both Gray and Dunn as the
man who did the shooting.
Before the inquest was concluded
I eight of8the witnesses and the jury Wis
Lifted the county Jail. A number of the
tramps arrested on suspicion were
ranged in a row and the witnesses asked
TO pick out the man who fired the fatal
shot. Six named the man known as
Gray, while two Unidentified Dunn as
the one. The two prisoners are both
large and bull; much the same, both
wear soft, round hats Very much alike,
but Gray is taller, is smooth faced ex-
licept for week s, growth of beard, While
Dunn ia of florid complexion and has
a sandy mustache. A majority of the
witnesses insist that the man who did
the shooting Wore a black shirt, and
| this is what Gray is wearing.
| II is not improbohle that TWO of the
tramps had revolvers and that both
| fired their weapons at the colored man
On this point the evidence before the
coroner Vas somewhat conflicting.
| Charles Stepan, who witnessed the
shooting, testified that both Gray and
Dunn had revolverss in their hands, but
that Gray did the shooting Frank Sol
lomon saw the fatal shot fired and den-
titled Dunn as the man who did it, DIR.
| MighelIs evidence also shows there is
some conflict as to the facts, and that if
Williams had a revolver prior to the
! shooting 1t was not the one from which
the fatal shot was fired. Dr. Mighel
said the bullet he extracted from the
4 wound was from a center fire cartridge
while the cartridges found in Williams
1 home We're of the rim fire variety
Whether or not these discrepancies in
4 the testimony Will have an effect on the
final soutcomes of the case. or whether
Dunn or Gray or both can be. proven as
responsible for. the colored mans death
remains to be seen.
1 The old umbrella mender ia known I'd
\ BE- coHvers'ant With the circumstances
1 and may be compelled to clear himself
OF completely, to divulge the facts and
tell which Of the prisoners, if either
4 fired the fatal shot
a total of forty-nine prisoners we're in
4 the county Jail Wednesday night. but a
/ dozen or more of the tramps arrested on
! the night of the murder and held since
then We're discharged this morning. ON
4 ling to the outcome of the coroner's III.
4 vestigations.