Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-16
W. A. Gray Arrested Monday
Charged With Killing His
Niece Is Sentenced at EStan-
cia Yesterday.
PRISONER PLEADS GUILTY
TO AVOID DEATH PENALTY
Every Indication That Miss
Mary Williamson Met Death
in Horrible Manner in Lonely
Cabin on Homestead.

Especial Dispatch 10 shs Morning Journal
Estancia. N. M. Dec. 15-7"If the
court will permit me to do SO, | will
plead guilty to murder in the second
degree, don't want to hang" was
the somewhat remarkable statement
made to Judge John r. McFie in the
first judicial district court here today
by W. A. Gray, arraigned before the
court on the charge of numbering his
niece, Miss May Williamson. at Lucy,
n. NJ, on Monday, December y.
Even while pleading to the court
to be allowed to plead guilty in the
second degree, fearing the result of a
trial on an indictment charging first
degree murder Gray sullenly main
tanned that he was not guilty of the
murder of the girl. but had shot her
in the darkness, believing she was
some one attempting to take his life.
With but little preliminary, Judge
McFie accepted a plea admitting guilt
in the second degree, and pronounced
sentence of from seventy-five to
ninety-nine years in the New Mexico
penitentiary.
Thus was established record for
swift Justice, which it is believed has
not been equalled in New Mexico for
years and never before in the history
Of Torrance county.
Gray is man Of thirty-five years.
Tie has been married and mas
daughter eleven years old. He says
his wife is dead.
just what happened at the time
Gray shot Miss Williamson will prob
ably never be known, Gray maintain
ing that il was an accident, insofar
as he believed she was some other
person.
From facts which have been CLEANED
here and there, and from the testi-
mony rendered before the grand jury,
II Is believed that Gray killed the girl
in fit Of jealous rage. Miss Will
amson was a school teacher and
taught school in Enclno. Gray had
taken homestead claim at Lucy
eighteen miles from Estancia. Miss
williamson, his niece, evidently on
Gray's advice, settled upon the adj
joining 100 acres and each Saturday
night rode horseback from Encino to
Lucy to do the necessary work incl
dent to proving up title. Saturday
evening Miss Williamson went down
to her claim as usual and stayed in
her cabin, some thirty feet away from
that occupied by Gray Monday
morning at noon Miss Williamson was
found dead just few feet outside of
Gray's shack A bullet hole in the
back and a terrible wound in the top
Of the head told the cause of her
death.
Gray never denied that shots from
his gun killed the girl. He claimed,
however, that some one entered his
room at / o'clock in the morning
While he was partially asleep. Believ-
ing it to be some one bent on killing !
or robbing him. Gray pulled gun |
and fired.
Upon his own admission however |
Gray says that he first shot the girl |
in the back. When she fell TO the |
floor on her hands and knees, he fired |
another shot which almost tore the |
top of her head away.
That Gray is guilty of the murder
and that if the deed was not done /
with malice aforethought, it was done |
while he was wideawake and in run |
possession of his senses, is the gen
eral belief of those who know the |
particulars OF the case. This beliei |
is borne out by the demeanor of Gray |
In court today. He feared jury
trial on a first degree charge, and be
heved that he would save his neck by
accepting a prison sentence.
Judge John r. McFie and District
Attorney f. c. Abbott left today for
Santa Fe, where they will attend the
iuneral of Frank w. Shearon, late
clerk Of the first district court.
Court viii probably be resumed
saturday or Monday.