The Forrest City times., 1905-06-16
AN ATROClOUS DEED.
Walter Gray. Merchant and Farm CT on St. Francis River Brain
 ed With an Axe.
Body Loaded With Iron and
 Thrown Into River.
Three N hte Men and Negro in JaIl Charged With Committing
 the lnhuman Decd.

On saturday morning. June To- i9o5, about 4;3e. while employed incatching logs in N. Francis river at Madison. four-miles east of this city. Andy Reed. negro. discovered the body of of man floating down stream. at a point near the box factory. Reed im- mediately caught the gruesome find. tied it up to the bank, and notified the citizens of Madison. some of whom. in turn, notified the coroner and sheriff
 Coroner Alley proceeded to the scene at once. and after empanelling a jury, held an inquest, at which only one witness was examined. that being the said Reed, and his testimony was to the same effect as the facts related in the first paragraph hereof
 The jury was composed of the fol- lowing persons: Wm. Robinson. ! B. Haverstick, G. W. Crippen, F. L. Bor- den, Louis Bryant, Neil McFall. Elm met Brooks, Archie Wallace. Ernest Taylor. sam Maxwell, Dan Johnson and !. l.. Alley. Their verdict was to the effect that the body was uI- known to them and that the man had come to his death from a blow ill the head from sharp rpinstrument. presum- ably an axe. at the hands of unknown party or parties. and that the body had been weighted with piece Of iron and barbed wire weighing 50 pounds and cast into the river.
 Deceased had on an uudershirt. and pair of drawers were eHtaHgled in the barbed wire with which the iron was fastened to the body. The body was so badly swollen and distigured that the features were absolutely un- recognizable, and at first there was no clue to it's identity.
 The officers, and citizens, too, began an investigation. Soon it was learned that Mr. Walter Gray, merchant and farmer doing business nine miles north of Madison on his farm on St. Francis river had been missing since the previous Tuesday, which was June 9th.
 This was scarcely considered as good evidence of the identity of the body, for several reasons, one being that Gray was known to have formerly ab- sented himself from his business for several days at time, and therefore might now be in Memphis or else where on one of his periodical sprees.
 Grays mother, and several other relatives came over from Tennessee, and the investigation proceeded quitly and systematically.
 Peter Covington was informed on Sunday by Ches Osborne that Gray had been missing for several days, and he at once had suspicion that the body was that of Gray, and afterwards identified it.
 Considerable other evidence was found which made it almost certain that the body was that of Walter Cray The premises were closely eX- amined and some evidence of foul play were found there.
 On Sunday undertaken A L. Stevens went to Madison to take charge of the remains. and prepare it for shipment to Collierville. He was assisted by Mir. <. P. Mcdaniel, and others, among whom was Gus Benton, who had beer staying with Gray at his store since January. In the meantime Mrs. Gray | had sworn out a warrant for Benton charging him with the murder of hei son, and Deputy sam Swan placed hin under arrest just as the remains haC been boxed. Benton had nothing tC say when informed of the warrant. \ | few moments later he exclaimed, 'art l you going to arrest me for killing tho best friend ever hadr' The warrant was read to him, and he submitted and was brought to town and lodged ! in jail. Before his arrest, he identified the body as that of Walter Gray. anC others were afterwards convinced o that fact.
 On Monday evening Sheriff Williams sent $. E. Sweet up to the Gray store accompanied by colored deputy sheriff Potts, as he believed some of the negroes were guilty, or at least knew something about the affair and Sweet also believed that Potts would be the better sleuth with his color Sweet anC Potts arrived about l0:30 Monda, night and calling them up ques tioned several negroes in the vi cinity closely, believing that some o them knew something about the affair It was not long until they had tn, thread of a long story. John Davis, negro, and comparatively new conner