The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1908-06-18


lay near his feet pointing toward the
house. Mrs. Ray was sitting ON the
porch, covering her face with her hands.
A shot gun lay on the porch near her.
He saw no one else on the .plsce. lie
asked Mrs. Ray no questions, not wish.
ing to disturb her. He went out Ia
the road, but returned when other
parties came.
r P. Lane, another neighbor OF the
Rays, offered testimony that did not DIFF.
fer materially from that Of Winters.
Mr.. Lane was working 10 the field Mon.
day afternoon, when his daughter came
out and told him Ray was dead. He
went to the Ray place and saw Charley
as described by Winters, dead. John
Lee, Mrs. Ray and Earl Ray were there
when he arrived. lie saw Rays gun,
but saw no other weapon until later
when the sheriff brought gun out OF
the house. He saw where charge OF
shot had struck the corner Of the
smokehouse, and noted that the shot
seemed to have come from above. An
upstairs window was in range OF per-
son standing where Ray had fallen.
The window was open at top and bot
tom and pane was broken out. He
did not talk to Mrs. Ray.
Earl Ray, the 10 year.old son Of Mr..
and Mrs. Ray. was the third witness
called. He testified that Ray had
been about their place all day Monday
except for a short time when he drove
sway with his wagon and team. He
came up to the house, gun in hand,
and called out: "You c. d. cow
ardiy devil-you'll come out to work
tonight, end then III get YOU" Ray
spent most of tho time at the wagon,
at the binder, in the yard, and continu-
ally passed back and forth from one
Of these laces to the other, gun in
hand. Not long after the return of
Earl and his mother from the Winters
place, Charley came charging over ths
fence from the wagon, across the yard
toward the house, crying as he came,
"Now, Cd you, I'll get YOU"
Earl and his mother ran upstairs, the
latter taking the shot gun with her.
Earl hid behind the head OF the bed,
and Immediately beard shot, which
seemed to be fired from within the
room. He did not see his mother fire
the gun. After the shooting he and
his mother went down stairs and she
sent him to tell some Of the neighbors
10 come.
Claud Boyer's testimony was to the
effect that he was Mt the Ray place
shortly after the shooting and saw Ray
lying dead with shot gun lying near
that he identified as one he had loaned
Ray on the Saturday previous. Ray
asked for the gun on Friday, saying he
wanted to shoot some young squirrels.
Claud told him where to find the gun
and on Saturday evening it was gone.
He had not seen it again until he saw
it lying beside the dead man.
John Lee, neighbor OF the Rays, tes-
titled practically the same as did r. P.
Lane, and Geo. Vincent's story did not
vary from theirs except that the atten.
ton OF each was called to the trouble In
different manner. No testimony of val.
ne was added by them to the fund al.
ready obtained. All saw the body With
the gun beside it apd saw where the
scattering shot had hit the smokehouse.
Sheriff Barney Parker stated that he
first heard Of the trouble at Rays at
about 1890 Monday afternoon. At
that time Mrs. Ray phoned him, stat.
ing that Ray was on the place with a
gun. threatening her life, and asking
him to come out and arrest him. Mr..
Parker replied that so long as Ray was
committing no crime he could not so
act until she swore out warrant for
her husbands arrest. He further told
her to talk to Assistant Prosecuting At
torney II. l.. Bright and she said she
would do so. About two hours later
the news was phoned to him that Ray
was dead. He at once left with MIR.
Bright for the scene OF trouble. Ar.
irving there he found Ray at the corner
OF the smokehouse, dead, a shot gun
lying beside him, the stock partly un.
der his right leg, the muzzle toward
the main house. The gun was loaded,
both barrels, and he took possession of
the two shells; also searched the body