The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-05-22
Officials Having Convinced
Themselves That "Mur-
der Was a F Sc
THINK HE WA ED
TO START Ii s ANEW
And Took Las 'ious and
Clumsy Ms iod To
Cover Up Tracks

County and state officials are. now
engaged in piecing out their theory
that William Il. Gay, Granville farm
er, staged the appearance Of his having
been murdered Thursday night near
the Montpelier Junction railroad sta
tion so that he could board the north
bound train early Friday morning for
Canada and, perhaps, for destination
further west
The theory of murder was definitely
abandoned Saturday afternoon when
the original immigration blank filed
BY James h Gray on leaving Var-
mont Friday morning at the Canadian
border was received in Montpelier Com
parison of the handwriting on the in
scription blank with the handwriting
Of William r. Gay AZ written on checks
used by Gay satisfied the Investigators
that James r. Gray and William f.
Cav were one and the same man. The
Il" was practically identical with the
same letter written by Gay on his
checks, while the first three letters sf
the name "Gray" on the inspection
blank were very similar to the man
ner of writing by Gay when he wrote
the name Of his home town, Granville.
The description, including place of birth
and other data, which James +. Gray"
gave on his immigration blank were
such as to add strength to the theory
IS he "a &1..+ = ~.
quietly slipped out of Vernon. Friday
morning after abandoning his Ford au-
tomobile and outer clothing in field
beside the Central Vermont railroad
track and only short walk TO the
Montpelier Junction station.
Eve are satisfied beyond a reasons
able Doubt announced the invcsti
gators Saturday evening, "that Gay
was not killed but went north on the
|2:l5 train Friday morning.
Sheriff Tracy went to Montreal Sat
urday afternoon to see if he could To-
cate Gay.
While the state officials do not agree
in detail in their conclusions as to
Gays actions, they apparently believe
that he nvcr-staged the drama of his
own demise at the hands of an assassin
and robber, or, at least. was rather
clumsy in carrying out the details. In
order to get additional light on the
holes in the lavender shirt and the
brown checked vest of GAY found in
the abandoned automobile, the officers
put the articles on the person OF
Charles Drury. Boston newspaper
man, who was reporting the supposed
crime. Drury is of about the same size
as Gay. II was found that the holes in
the shirt and the vest did not come to-
gether when both articles of clothing
were on a mans body. In other words.
bullet would have had TO take a very
crooked course in order to have made
the holes
Furthermore, the analysis of the
blood found on the garments was not
in the quantity nor of. the consistency
which one would expect had it come
from bullet wound near the heart II
was human blood, how drawn is not
known. 1t had been smeared on the
shirt. The wisps of hair found on vari- :.
Gus parts of the automobile are be-s
ness. An insurance policy ON Gays life
hair shipped of to make the evidence
Of murder more conclusive.
Just why Gay should have desired to
leave home and go TO such labors to
make il appear he was murdered is
something which the officials have not
fully satisfied themselves about. So
far as the officials were able TO learn
from their interrogations of various
persons, Gays home life was not unus
ual.
GAYS relatives say that his financial
matters should NOT have caused him
eny great annoyance. There was
mortgage. said to be $1,000. hut il was
not thought that the mortgage would
have caused him any marked uneasi-
ness. An insurance policy on GAYS life
was delivered At about the time he was
reported missing.
Officials Of the state believe that Cav
merely wanted 60 get new start in
some far distant point and that ne
took laborious means to cover up HE
departure. He formerly was an elec-
trician. having resided in Barre and in
Montpelier while working for the old
Consolidated Lighting company. He lat
rr lived in North Yakima, Wash. com
ing back TO Vermont and buying tho
farm, in Granville, near the Hancock
line. He also formerly lived in Clinton
vic. y. Y. James Z. Gray in giving
~ Identification in the immigration
blank. stated that he was an elec-
fricisn. whose home was in Chateau
gay. y. Y. "a town not far from Clin-
tonvillel.
Cav had been twice married, his first
wife having died Of Bright's disease
six months after the marriage He was
married u wears ago 20 Blanche Aus
tin. and they lived in Barre for time.
later going to Montpelier. They have
son. Weldon. aged 10. who ! living
AZ home. a. is Mrs. Gays mother. u
u understood that Mrs. GAY wanted
20 20 on the automobile ride with her
husband THURSDAY but was dissusded
bv her mother.
Gavs movements after be ~ent to a
Rethel hank and csshcd checks shid to
amount % $40 are still somewhat dark.
Before he left home ~ j. aid % have
drawn : check for $40 on the Peoples
National bank Of Barre in favor q his
wife
Included in tho property nov heid by
fhe officials At Montpelier. as left hv
cav-the automobiie and articles ~
elofhinR-is loadei 72-cslibrs re-
,olver. shirh as founi under the ssss