Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-10-05
COURT READY FOR !
MACILL CASE
Husband and Second Wife
Accused of Numbering
First Wife.

Is ready for an early trial of the Fred
Magill-Fay Graham murder case.
whlch has been brought to Macon
county on a change of venue from De-
witt county. The case is the seconn
on the criminal docket, which will be
the first to be taken up when court
meets next Monday. The attorneys for
the defense say the accused are ready
TO face the bar of justice, and are con-
fident that the result of the trial will
be complete vindication. on the
other hand, Prosecuting Attorney Mil
Ter of Dewitt county, who is in active
charge of the prosecution, believes
that he has strong case, particular
ly against Magill. The trial will at
tract great attention.
Fred Magill and his Wife, formerly
Fay Graham, come from two of the
most prominent families in the state.
Magill and his first wife had never
been able to get along and it was COM
mon talk that he was paying attention
to other women of Clinton, especially
MISS Fay Graham, who had acted as
his stenographer On May 81 of this
year Mrs. Magill, who was Familiarity
known as Pet Magin, was found
dead at her home in Clinton, and it,
was at first supposed that she had
committed suicide.
The circumstances surrounding the
case were of a strange nature, but the
authorities paid no attention to it un-
til news came to Clinton that Fred
Magill and Fay Graham had been
married in Denver, and this but little
over four weeks after his first wife's
death. 1t developed that a few DAYS
after the death of his wife Magill had
disposed of his property drew his
money from his fathers estate and
with Miss Graham and his daughter,
Marguerite, aged II, left Clinton. Miss
Graham, who is the daughter of w. w.
Graham, well-known resident of
Clinton, led her parents to believe that
she was going to Chicago to secure
work as a stenographer, and might
also visit relatives in Kankakee
When word was received that the
couple had been married in Denver on
July an active investigation was
started by the Clinton authorities, and
the result was that MagiI and his
bride were arrested in San Diego, Cal,
on July 10 and brought back to Clinton
and indicted by the grand jury The
charge was frst-degree murder. The
investigation, it is said, showed that
Mrs. Magill had been poisoned by
When brought back to clinton Ma
gill brought forth letters which he
claimed had been written by his wife
before her death, in which she lauded
him to the skies as the best of hus-
bands, and in the final letters, which
he claims were written just before her
death, she spoke in glowing terms of
Fay Graham and even went so far as
to advise him to marry her.
In contradiction to the statements of
Magill the friends of. the dead woman
declare that she was of cheerful dis |
position and a woman extremely I'M
likely to kill herself. On the night be-
fore her death she had been riding
with her husband and appeared in a |
cheerful frame of mind. 1t was Ma
gill who found her dead body next
morning, when he said he had found
he notes pinned to her nightdress.
o prove forgeries. The coroner's in
luest, at the behest of Magfll, was con-
lucted with secrecy, the coroker re-
using to make any of the details pub
ic.
The Magill family is one of the
yealthiest in Clinton, and prominent
n the social and financial world. Fred
Iagill inherited 100000 in 1892, but
Don got away with it. Before he went
Vest with Miss Graham he raised
bout $4,000 on prospective legacy.
Since their return to Clinton Magin
nd his bride, with the 17-year-old
aughter have been staying at the
ome of W. w Graham, and have APP
cared on the streets but little The
aughter, Marguerite, stoutly main
aims that her father is innocent and
ne is expected to be one of the most
Important witnesses in the case. The
efense will be conducted by staff Of
tx prominent attorneys. The prose-
ution will also be we'll fortified at the
rial. having engaged one of the most
rominent attorneys in Illinois to as
list the regular prosecuting attorney
+ Dewitt county.