Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-02
Grand Jury Holds Clinton
Banker and Spouse
for Murder
OF MRS. "PE1" MAGILL
Strychnlne, Arsenic, Smother
ing and Conspiracy
Alleged.

Clinton, H., Aug. 2.-The grand jury
today returned an Indictment against
Fred Magill and AN indictment against
Mrs. Fay Graham Magill, charging
them with having caused the death OF
Mrs. Pet Magill. former wife of Fred
Magill. The indictments are exactly
alike. and each contains six distinct
counts
The six counts are as follows: That
Mrs. Pet Magill was murdered by ad-
ministration of strychnine poison; that
tie murder was done by arsenic; that
she was smothered with quilt: that
she committed suicide as a result of =
compact with defendants by their ad-
vice and counsel: that her death was
caused by some means unknown 10 the
jury. Magill and his wife We're in the
crowded court room when the indict-
mentS were returned
The grand jury did not deliberate
long over the evidence After the last
witness had retired States Attorney
Miller was excluded from the room.
Mr.. Miller was recalled and told the
verdict, but he was sworn to secrecy
, and would give no inkling of the vote
to the crowd that hung around the
sun blistered court house square all
day.
Ready for Trial.
The word was carried to Magill and
his wife in Jail, bur they did not breai
down. They declared they were ready
for trial and had expected this. The
Indictment of Mrs. Magill, the 22-year
old bride. was a matter of the greatest
surprise. Her relatives haunted the
court house all day, expecting she
would be free. When her father.
stopped weather tanned old farme"
who mortgaged all his 40 acres to hell
his daughter, heard the verdict. hC
ragged
1T is a terrible mistake" he erie,
to Attorney r. A. Lemon. My gir
is as innocent as you. know her in
ost heart"
Magills aged mother sent word f
the jail she would like to see him
but not Faye. Tell her to stay away,
said Magill, unless she will see both.
No Direct Evidence of Murder.
It may be stated authoritatively tha
the grand jury i'll all of the four day;
session found no direct evidence {
murder against either the man or tn
girl. There was plenty of evidence {
IN
stantial. That which turned the It'd
against Magill and his wife and put tn
murder vote in the realm of certaint
was the testimony of Chicago phys
clans that they could give no adequat
pathological reason for the woman
death. This gave an opportunity
play up new and startling theor
that Magil had smothered his wifi
The states attorney took full adva
tagG of this opportunity to inject
greater amount of reasonable doub
ia the minds of the jurors.
The jurors did not accept the hu
bands theory that his wife killed he
self by inhaling chloroform. nor d
they accept the belief of the local dc
tors that Mrs. Magill died of heart ia
ure aggravated by chloroform. II
suspicious actions of the husband al
the abundant evidence that he want
his wife ont of the way in order
marry his new love were of weight
their thoughts.
Then at the last moment the evidn
as TO the blackcned appearance of t
woman's body. indicating death
smothering, was raked up by Mr.. N
lers detective.
DO Not Identify Writing.
Added to these facts was the ad
tional one, which has leaked ont, Il
the friends of Magill, who were rel
upon to testify as to the authentic
of the letters, backed down before
jury.
The constant hammering of
49, 80 -~~ ~~~Hs