The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-05
FREEDOM OF MARTIN FREEZE
1T Is IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE HIS
WIFE KILLED A MAN.
Freeze Is Charged with Being an Ac-
ccssory-Wife in COurt-Oth-
er Court Cases.


terday, on change of venue from Shelby
county. Myra Freeze. the defendants wife.
shot and killed William L. Gray last July.
She first shot Gray in the breast, and when
he fell stood over his body and shot him
just below the neck. Freeze purchased the
revolver with which his wife did the shoot
ing, drove her from Franklin-their home
TO the scene of the murder, stood by her
side when she shot, and then drove her
back home. Mrs. Freeze was sentenced to
life imprisonment, and the case OF the nus
band was venued TO this county.
The case was presented to the jury yes
terday morning by Alonzo Blair, prose-
cutor Of Shelby county. Earl Gray, son Of
the dead contractor, the first witness
He was helping his father raise mill on
the day of the murder and testified that
he saw him about twenty minutes before
he was shot. Five minutes after the shoot
ing, he said. he called to his ia
Their, who was then dead.
John Rasp, owner of the Red mills, who
was a friend OF Freeze, was the next wit
ness. lie said Freeze and his wife drove
To his house OH the day of the murder.
Freeze got out OF the buggy first and asked
if Clay had the contract for putting a new
founda ton under the mill. Rasp told him
witness said he told him he was under the
mill. Mrs. Freeze then got out of the bug
gy Rasp said, and he asked her TO come
into the house. She replied: mo, I'll go
with my husband" They then started
toward the mill, Freeze taking hold of his
wife's hand and leading her down the en-
bankmeut. That was the last he saw Of
them until after the shooting. When they
came back to the buggy Rasp asked:
What means dot?" They did not answer
and drove away.
FREEZE HELD HER HAND.
Ashley and Andrew Ferguson, brothers
who had the contract for the mill work,
testified that they saw Freeze and his wife
coming down the embankment Gray had
been sent for block of wood to be used
in lacking up the building. The Fergusons
testified that Freeze was standing by the
side OF his wife and holding her by the
hand when she fired the first shot. The
shot struck Gray in the breast. He stag
gerod back a few feet and fell. Witnesses
testified that Mrs. Freeze then followed him
Up, stood aStride of him and pointing the
revolver just below his neck, fired second
time. Freeze and his wife then walked
away.
The star witness for the State was May
Dean, seventeen years old, of Franklin.
She was visiting her uncle John Camp
Del, about two and u half miles west OF
! the mills and on the road to Franklin. Late
In the afternoon ON the day Of the murder
sne said Freeze came to her uncle's house.
I
/ carried there and she asked Freeze IL he
! knew anything about IL. Witness testified
/ that Freeze said: My wife did ii. We have
been thinking about 1t for weeks" Miss
/ DEAN said he repeated this several times.
| Attorney J.. e. Richie, of Franklin, who
l. defending Freeze, put the witness
! through 4 severe crOSS-eXaminatiOn, but
| Gid not shake her testimony.
The State then introduced witnesses to
J show that the murder had been premedi-
4 tated and that Freeze purchased the
/ weapon for his wife to be used i'm killing
/ Gray Joseph w. McKane, "a hardware
merchant of Franklin, testified that about
I fifteen days before the murder, Freeze
I came to his store and purchased a revolver
\ saying he wanted it for his wife to shoot
/ rats with. He said Freeze brought the
/ weapon back and exchanged It for another
/ saying the first was not satisfactory to
/ his wife. The second weapon was later ex-
/ changed for 32-caliber revolver. the
weapon with which Mrs Freeze did the
/ shooting. On the day before the murder
/ Mckane said Freeze again came to his
/ store and wanted to buy another revolver,
/ saying he and his wife were going to the
/ Red hills and wanted the revolvers to
/ shoot fish.
Frank Ray, coroner of Shelby county.
/ testified as 10 the nature of the wounds
James Rouse, employed in the work Of
| raising the mills, testified TO seeing Freeze
/ lead his wife down the embankment. He
/ said Mrs. Freeze was looking under the
| mill. Witness said Il passed them and
/ noticed that Mrs Freeze had a revolver
! in her hand No words were spoken.
Rouse said he walked by and later heard
| the shots and Gray fall and Mrs.
! Freeze stand over him and fire second
shot
POINTED OUT THE WEAPON.
! Theodore Luther. sheriff of Shelby coun-
ty, said that when he went to Franklin
to arrest Freeze and his wife Freeze told
him the weapon with which his wife did
the shooting was OF the cupboard, and he
! sof
merchant of Franklin, testified that Freeze
] purchased a revolver at his store the day
/ before the murder. He said to Freeze,
IF / thought this revolver would get you
/ into trouble | would not sell it TO you" to
| which Freeze replied: That's all right,
\ You need not worry about getting me into
/ trouble With this testimony the State
/ rested, and at o'clock in the afternoon
/ Mr.. Richie outlined the defense TO the
/ jury lie said the defense would show
that Freeze knew nothing of the intention
| OF his vie TO Kill Gray and that when the
two went TO the Red mills Freeze was
| looking for work.
The first witnesses for the defense were
/ character witnesses. Frank Smith who
| had been on the stand for the State said
/ that all he ever know against Freeze was
/ that he drank occasionally. John Ross.
1 of Shelbyville. and Frank Vonnegut OF
this city, testified that Freezes character
The defense then introduced Mrs. Freeze.
| She brought from the Reformatory
I in carriage. She is a large woman, was
dressed in black with a golf cape and
neat hat She was composed and walked
/ slowly into the courtroom. As she passed
her husband he stood up. She was taken
/ directly into the private office of Judge
/ Afford, where Attorney Ritchie held con-
sultaton with her. Then she was placed
ON the stand. She admitted that she fired
the bullets into Grays body, and said the
/ weapon in court looked like the one with
/ which she old the shooting. She said her
/ husband went 10 the Red mills to look for
( work and knew nothing of her intention to
Kill Gray, although she told him she was
going with him 10 see Gray She wore a
/ light shawl and held the revolver cooked,
/ under t. all the way TO the mills she said,
f. but her husband did not know it,
There We're no other witnesses for the
defense present, and at 4:l5 court adj
/ Journod. The case will likely reach the
/ jury to-day Prosecutor Ruckelshaus " no
/ Is assisting Prosecutor Blair, will open the
. argument for the State. Attorney Ritchie
/ will follow and Prosecutor Blair will close
\ number OF persons from ShelbyvilIe and
/ Franklin are attending the trial
WILLIAM NELSON'S SUIT.