The independent-reporter., 1910-07-28
SHERIFF MOOERs ARRESTS WRITER OF
THREATENING LETTER
Boy Says Only Object Was to Have Fun
With Eden Gray

the matter that he told Mooers that
he was innocent, but he would try
ard keep watch on Gray's place and
help him all he could. The night that
Gray asked him to come over he went
and offered to stay with the man, but
Gray told him that he didn't want him
On Sunday morning last he said he
was in Gray's door yard when Sheriff
Nooers arrested him.
Sheriff Mooers' story is that as
soon as he got word of the affair he
Immediately began plans to find out
who was the originator of the letter.
He notified his officers and, thinking
for a time that there might be thugs
that really meant to take Gray's life,
he Instituted a scheme to try to find
out if this opinion was right. He
secretly notified Gray to meet him
at certain place in the vicinity of
Gray's place at midnight on a certain
night. But when he got ready to go
to this place Gray drove into Show
began. This plan was shattered He
then again started to work out an
other plan which was to have his men
stationed near the well where Gray was
requested to leave the money. A dunn
my package was to be placed on the
we'll and the officers we're to await
results. Gray got more or less work
ed up and notified the local officers
at Madison and they came out and
lay in ambush before the time which
tie money was to be left. These
watchers claimed that after they had
been there waiting for sometime
someone came from the woods and
one of the men told him to stop. The
figure retreated into the bushes and
a shot was fired after him.
Sheriff Mooers said that soon after
this he was notified that someone
had been seen about Grays house in
the woods with a gun. 1t proved to
be a boy who was out with a small
gun squirrel hunting.
He said that week after the let
ter had been posted he had a talk
with Merry and the boy denied having
any connection with the affair. He
said that he worked the following
week and at the close of 1t he had
made up his mind by elimination as
he testified that Merry WAS the one
who wrote the letter. He said he
was assisted to great extent by
Constable Mckenney of Madison to-
gether with his deputies, Charles
Chute and Harry Lessor.
Merry is the son of Mr.. and Mrs
Charles Merry of Madison. The fam
lily is respected and looked up to and
are leading citizens of their town
They have sent their son Roy
through the Madison High school anG
the boy was graduated from CobWI
Classical Institute last June and al
plans had been made to send the boy
to college this fall. The boy is pop
ular among his friends and they be
lieve that he was only playing joke
on the old man rather than that there
was any malicousness in the matter
Since the time the letter was dis
covered Sheriff Mooers and Deputies
Harry Lessor of Anson and Charles
Chute have not given up one minute
of time trying to ferret out the writ
er of this letter. They have proved
themselves expert officers and it has
been only by the most careful plans
that the matter was brought to a eli
max.
The State in the case was repre-
sented by County Attorney Folsom
There were four witnesses for The
State. Their story corresponds Will
the boys.