Evening star., 1901-07-29
MERELY AN IDLE BOAST.
Statement of William l.. Gray
planning Admission of Murder.

Statement of William l.. Gray En-
planning Admission of Murder.
William Lewis Gray, whose name was
mentioned in an affidavit made by a wo-
man in New York as being the possible
murderer Of Miss May Fosburgh, at Pitts
field, Mass, entered the office Of Capt.
Titus In New York Saturday for the pur-
poses Of making an explanation. he de-
MED that he knew anything OF the muir
der except what he had read In the pa
pers He admitted he had told the woman,
Olive Gray, or Handaside, substantially
what she had said in her affidavit. but he
did So he said, because he wanted her TO
believe he was a desperate man..
Gray made an affidavit for the benefit OF
the New York police, in which he gave
information as follows:
'.My name is William Lewis Gray. l am
thirty years of age. and was born IN
Brewer, Me. February 10, 1871. My occu-
patton is that of a sailor, and l was en-
ployed by the Ocean Steamship Company
of Savannah, and was aboard the Ialia-
hassee, which Is now lying in Hoboken, n
]. I arrived in New York on the Tallahas-
see on Monday last, sailing from Savan-
nah on the Goth Of this month. This morn
ing was In Flynn's saloon, 119 Bowery.
had a glass Of beer and started to read
one Of yesterday mornings newspapers.
When I saw the story that I was wanted
in connection with the Fosburgh case In
Pittsfield, Mass, l came over to the de-
tective bureau and reported to Capt. Titus.
and make this statement of my own free
will, as it is absolutely true In every re-
spect:
Olive Gray, l first met In Springfield,
Mass, when was employed on the steam
boat Mascot I have heard the statement
made by this woman to Capt. Titus and
the truth is this: The statements she made
that I told her are partly true. was
'stringing' her and fooling with her. I did
tell her that I committed a robbery and
had to get away. She loaned me her watch
to wear. In jumping on freight train I
smashed the case, and not wishing to show
It to her in q damaged condition told her
that I had hid it under rock near the
river that runs through Warren subse-
quently lost the watch.
and year In which the Fosburgh case oc-
CURED, I left her In company with Al
Foye. We intended going to Europe. We
that murder had been committed at
Pittsdeld, and the farmers were all scour-
ing the country. we started the other way
toward Boston. 1t started to rain and we
turned back, arriving in West Springfield
the early part of the evening. ! having
been away from Olive over night. I saw
her shortly after. and she asked me where
I was I did not wish to tell her and put
her of abruptly with the remark that
had been away and done a job, fired a shot
and hid some property under a rock. am
not positive as to the exact words, but be-
lieve this to be true. ! had damaged her
watch and told her this story.
'.She was a woman who worshipped q
man who appeared to be desperate, and as
/ was getting money from her, I wanted
to appear to be desperate and strung her
along. wanted to be desperate in her
eyes, and told her that had committed
robbery and fired a shot. There is abso-
lutely no truth in the statements that I
made to her."
While Capt. Titus was satisfied that the
man had no connection with the Pittsfield
crime, he directed that he be held until
the authorities could be heard from. Gray
is not the man who was arrested in this
city last week and afterward released.