The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-05-25
Missing Granville Farmer.
Who was at First Thought
Murder Victim
JAMES E. 3AY' SUB
SCRIP 2 TO TIMES
That Is Nsle Signed BY
Man Lea,y g Vermont for
Canass Last Friday

n pOssluic clue W Tie WHsitubouto
of William E. Gay, Granville farmer,
whose bullet pierced and blood smeared
Ford car and puncturcd shirt and vest,
also blood stained, we're found il field
near Montpelier Junction last Friday
| morning, leading at first to the theory
OF murder, may be furnished by the re-
ceipt of a letter by The Times to-day
from Detroit, Mich, subscribing to the
paper and stating that the writer was
| 'instered in your real estate The lei
ter is signed James Z. Gray" the
same name which was signed to an i'm
migration inspection blank by man
leaving the state by train for Cauada
early Friday morning and who il
| thought by the officials to be the miss;
| ing William e. Gay.
| Sheriff Frank L. Tracy went 70 Mont
real Saturday afternoon to seek infor-
nation concerning the identity of this
flames 4. Gray and although failing
to find the man learned that james +
Gray" had registered at one Of the ho-
tells in that city. Sheriff Tracy is said
to have gone en- the search, not with
any idea Of bringing Gay back to Yer
mont but to give positive proof of the
correctness Of the officials theory that
Gay had simply become tired of the
struggle on his Granville farm ard
wanted to get out and start life anew
again, taking the clumsy ruse of sup
posed murder in order to ccser up his
tracks.
| Cav is said to have resided for q
| time in Detroit, where he was engaged
| in the electrical engineering business
an occupation which he followed for
some time while residing in Barre and
montpelier and when employed by the
old Consolidated Lighting company.
James r. Gray" in filing his immi-
grafton inspection blank, stated that
he was an electrician.
1t is known that on making his spec.
tacular departure from the state last
week Cav left some financial obli.a
tions, chiefly mortgage on his hcm
| farm in Granville. One evidence Of
such obligation is furnished by the
fling of suit for $500 against Say
bv Sardine f. Hubbard of Rochester 70
recover on promissory note dated
Sept. 5, 1914, which was abort The
| time that Gay went to farming IN
Granville In connection with the s'it.
an attachment has been placed on the
bullet pierced automobile, which has
been kept in Montpelier garage since
the discovery of it at the Bailey farrt
Montpelier Junction, early Frida
morning. Money in Barre bank has
also been trusteed under the writ.
Gays wife, who was Blanche Austin
and to whom he was married II years
ago, went back to their little home IN
Granville after submitting to question
| ing bv the officers in their effort to un-
ravel the mystery of the supposed ni'ir.
der. They have one son, Weldon, aged
10 wears. and Mrs. Gays mother lived
with them. Gays mother. Mrs. {. A
Rowe. whose home is in Franklin Cen
ter, +. O., came TO the home of her on
| In response to a message. telling ol
Williams disappearance. AT that tlmr
she expressed the belief that her sou
was alive.
That her conviction is right seems 70
be borne out BY the receipt Of the fol
lowing letter BY The Times to-day;
-Detroit, Mishigan. May 25- p.
"Gentlemen: Herewith please find s.
for which mail me the timse till this
amount expires. | am instered in yow
real estate.
yours very truly,
James +. GRAY.
General Del, Detroit. Mishigan."
The letter looks as il II might have
been written rather laboriouslv. IL Is
written in good form but viii mis-
takes in spelling as noted above. Some
Of the letter formations arc etrikingly
similar to the handwriting of William
+. Cav which was signed for sub.
scription to The Times last April.