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In the matter of the application of Ray Raymond for a writ of habeas corpus

June 26, 1886 - June 4, 1887

Petitioned on July 5, 1886

Filed before the Fourth Judicial District Court of Washington Territory, Spokane County (Cheney, Washington)

Case ID: hc.case.wa.0162

Case Summary

On the morning of June 26th, 1886, Ray Raymond shot James Finch in her home, which also served as an alleged brothel known as the "Bay Windows." County Coroner C.S. Penfield held an inquisition later that day. The defendant stated she was in her parlor with her roommate, Ruby Stanley, and two other gentlemen, when James Finch forcefully entered her home. Raymond ordered Finch to leave, he refused and struck her. Defendant pulled out her revolver and asked him to leave for the second time, upon refusal, Raymond fatally shot Finch. Raymond stated she did not intend to shoot Finch as she believed there were blanks in the revolver. Ruby Stanley's testimony aligns with Raymond's telling of events. The transcript stated, "witness refused to answer the question of her business was not that of having sexual intercourse with men at that house." Sheriff W.D. Gillespie arrived one minute after the shooting and stated he saw Raymond visibly shaken, wringing her hands, trying to give relief to Finch. Raymond made no attempt to escape and gave up the revolver when asked. In addition, Gillespie testified he knew the house was one of "public character" and "gentleman frequent at all times of the night." James B. Barnes testified he was the keeper of the saloon Finch went to prior, and detailed Finch to be quite drunk but "more pleasant than quarrelsome." Francis Snitzinger, a neighbor of Raymond's, testified that Finch entered her house that same night, under the impression his friend was there. Finch, seemingly intoxicated, called her a number of expletives and threatened violence. After the shooting, Raymond was under medical treatment for nervous prostration and could not appear in court. An affidavit from the defense alleged a crowd formed outside the defendant's home, and she was a prisoner therein. Prosecuting Attorney S.C. Hyde moved to discharge Pearl Worthington and Ruby Stanley, Raymond's roommates, as witnesses, and both were dismissed despite objections from the defense. From testimony, the court found probable cause to charge the defendant and Raymond was committed to jail without bail. An affidavit from the defense stated the courtroom was filled with spectators and the crowd stomped their feet in approval of the decision. On July 5th, 1886, Raymond's attorney Thomas C. Griffits petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus on account of Raymond being unlawfully restrained of her liberty by E.J. Whittier, Sheriff of Spokane County. The petition stated Raymond is entitled to bail on said charge and that Raymond's physician, J.M. Morgan had advised that further confinement would greatly endanger her life and render her open to insanity and even death. Three days later the defendant was admitted to bail in the amount of $5,000, an affidavit from the defense alleged that citizens threatened to burn or hang the judge in effigy as a result of this decision. In December of 1886 as the trial approached, the defense motioned for a change of venue and a continuance, one of the reasons being prejudice against the defendant by citizens in Spokane Falls. An affidavit from the defense alleged that the citizens of Spokane Falls attempted to employ special counsel to assist her prosecution, George M. Forster. The affidavit further alleged that the crowd that formed outside Raymond's home after the shooting stated "she should be hung" and demanded that Raymond be placed in the city jail, "a nasty, dirty, filthy place." Citing further prejudice, the affidavit alleged that a rumor was brewing that Raymond murdered her previous husbands and was a "dangerous and quarrelsome woman of her kind." Griffits alleged that during trial prosecuting attorney S.C. Hyde denounced the defendant and the "class of women she belonged" and stated she shot Finch only because he was wearing blue overalls, which enraged many of the working men in the courtroom as many were engaged in railroad building and wore blue overalls. The defense alleged further prejudice was exacerbated by the current election of prohibition. Advocates of prohibition had a public meeting addressed by temperance worker Narcissa Edith White Kinney, who pointed to the guilt of defendant and killing of Finch as an example of the evils of saloons. Affidavits from prosecuting attorney S.C. Hyde and multiple other Spokane Falls residents refute this and state they had no knowledge of prejudice against the defendant, and she would be able to have a fair trial in Spokane Falls. Another reason for continuance cited by the defense was to acquire a key witness, Charles Wilson. In a December affidavit, Raymond stated she did not know Wilson was at the house but was later informed that said witness was there and in a position to see and hear all that occurred. Defendant stated that Wilson was the only other eyewitness to the transaction except Ruby Stanley. This was refuted by testimony from Geroge Wycoff and T. Donaldson who both stated they were present at the time of the shooting. An affidavit from the defense stated they had a conversation with Donaldson in August who told them he was present at the time of the house but did not know Wycoff was present. In addition, they stated Donaldson did not tell the defense he had witnessed the shooting. The third reason for continuance cited by the defense was to acquire witnesses to prove the defendant was insane at the time of the killing. A counsel statement from December alleged that the defendant for many years had been affiliated with a species of "insanity and mental disorder," "same is hereditary in her family." Defense expected to prove this by W.J. Woods, the former spouse of Raymond. A letter from Woods revealed that he was married to defendant, Josie Woods, 14 years prior and had two children. Woods stated defendant was afflicted with the "disease of emotional and nervous hereditary insanity." Defense stated they could also prove this with a deposition from Willian McDermott, brother-in-law of defendant, but needed continuance as all of the said witnesses did not reside in the territory. On March 20th, 1887, an indictment against Raymond was returned to Court by the Grand Jury, and the defense filed a motion to quash in May 1887. It is likely a continuance was granted as there are a number of subpoenas dating from May 1887 to June 1887, yet the outcome of the proceedings and the fate of Ray Raymond/Josie Woods is unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

  • Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

  • First degree murder

Sites of significance

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

Spokane County Government, Clerk, Territorial Case Files, 1879-1889, No. 1886

Source material(s)

Case File | Digitized Record

Case document transcriptions

Length of case file

201 or more pages

Repository(s)

State

  • Washington

Tag(s)

  • Brothel
  • Prostitution
  • Politics

People

  • Raymond, Ray (Josie Wood) (bound party)
  • Raymond, Ray (Josie Wood) (petitioner)
  • Griffits , Thomas C. (petitioner attorney)
  • Stout, J. Kennedy (petitioner attorney)
  • Caton, N.T. (Nathan Thomas Caton) (petitioner attorney)
  • Parks , J.F. (petitioner attorney)
  • Stanford, Frederick (petitioner attorney)
  • Whittier, E.J. (respondent)
  • Whittier, E.J. (holding party)
  • Whittier, E.J. (responding party)
  • Hyde, S.C. (respondent attorney)
  • Forster, George M. (respondent attorney)
  • Turner, George M. (judge)
  • Booge, L. (justice of the peace)
  • Booge, L. (authority ordering detention)
  • Peel, J. J. L. (Paul) (justice of the peace)
  • Peel, J. J. L. (Paul) (authority ordering detention)

  • Additional parties

    Stanley, Ruby (Witness)

    Worthington, Pearl (Witness)

    Wilson, Charles (Witness)

    Lynch, J. (Witness)

    Anslinger, Frankie (Witness)

    Hill, C.S. (Witness)

    Barune, J.B. (Witness)

    Morgan, Dr. J. Morgan. (Witness for Defendant, personal physician), Allison, Dr. (Witness for Territory)

    Clement, S.A. (Clerk)

    Sargfilden, John (Witness)

    Shevarite, Thomas (Witness)

    Glispin, James (Sheriff)

    Duncan, A.J. (Deputy Sheriff)

    Peel, J.J.L. (Witness)

    Whittier, E.J. (Sheriff, Witness)

    Shea, J. (Witness)

    Gillepsie, W.D. (Witness)

    Bolster, Herbet (Witness)

    Clark, Ralph L. (Witness)

    Vagrue, Charles T. (Witness)

    Hemenway, John H. (Witness)

    Prufield, C.S. (Witness for Territory)

    Webb, W.D. (Witness for Defendant)

    Painsley, George D. (Witness)

    Hoidd, Kennedy J. (Witness)

    Gray, Samuel (Witness)

    Packwood, S.J. (Sheriff of Kittitas County)

    Shaser, F. W. (Deputy Sheriff of Kittitas County)

    Rinna, Rufus (Witness for Territory)

    Wycoff, George (Witness and affiant for Defendant)

    Donaldson, Siberius (Witness for Territory)

    Whitehouse, L.H. (Witness for Defendant)

    Bradshaw, Joseph (Witness for Territory)

    Packwood, S.J. (Sheriff of Kittitas County)

    Finch, John W. (Alleged murder victim)

    Bigham, William (Foreman of Grand Jury)

    Cahen, N.J. (Notary Public)

    Lockhart, Dr. (Witness for territory)

    Misner, Arthur (Witness for defendant)

    Hyde, S.C. (Prosecuting attorney, Affiant)

    Penfield, C.S. (County Coroner)

    Leinhinger, J.B. (Constable)

    Jefferson, Thomas (Witness)

    Hanna, J.C. (Member of Coroner’s Jury)

    Boyd, H.J. (Member of Coroner’s Jury)

    Stanley, Ruby (Witness)

    Snitzinger, Francis (Witness)

    Vanhouten, B.C. (Auditor)

    Schorr, George F. (Affiant for defendant)

    Aldrich, Charles (Affiant for defendant)

    Forster, George M. (Retained by prosecuting attorney)

    Piper, J.J. (Affiant for territory)

    Gibbons, W.A. (Affiant for territory)

    Hallett, Stanley (Affiant for territory)

    Jennings, T.E. (Affiant for territory)

    Sprange, Henry (Affiant for territory)

    Blakely, John (Affiant for territory)

    Sanders, W.A. (Affiant for territory)

    Murphy, W.S. (Affiant for territory)

    Botham, Thomas (Affiant for territory)

    Jones, W.C. (Prosecuting attorney and affiant for territory)

    Woods, W.J. (Former husband of defendant)

    McDermott, William (Brother-in-law of defendant)

    Lewis, Frank H (Notary public)

    White Kinney, Narcissa Edith (Temperance worker)

    Hashogen, Henry (Subpoenaed)

    Bolden, G.J. (Subpoenaed)

    Wouch, Eli (Subpoenaed)

    Robinson, George W. (Subpoenaed)

    Murphy, W.S. (Subpoenaed)

    Black, W.H. (Subpoenaed)

    Ansley, George W. (Subpoenaed)

    Spangle, William (Subpoenaed)

    McLaughlin, W.H. (Subpoenaed)

    Chapman, M (Subpoenaed)

    Hickman, William (Subpoenaed)

    Bruch, B.F. (Subpoenaed)

    Belden, G.T. (Subpoenaed)

    Eickmeyer, Andrew (Subpoenaed)

    Wonch, Eli (Subpoenaed)

    Downer, William (Subpoenaed)

    Inbody, J.J. (Subpoenaed)

    Bruce, J.L. (Subpoenaed)

    Riman, Ezra (Subpoenaed)

    Shay, Jerry (Subpoenaed)

    Dixon, Matt (Subpoenaed)

    Thayes, A.D. (Subpoenaed)

    Keysley, R.H. (Subpoenaed)

    Morris, N.S. (Subpoenaed)

    Loomis, A.J. (Subpoenaed)

    Lanny, Lark (Subpoenaed)

    Coff, Warner (Subpoenaed)

    Largent, J.B. (Subpoenaed)

    Wagner, J.L. (Subpoenaed)

    Porock, George (Subpoenaed)

    Sherman, William (Subpoenaed)

    McLindy, William (Subpoenaed)

    Swarts, C.L. (Subpoenaed)

    Stans, A.J. (Subpoenaed)

    Lynch, J. (Subpoenaed)

Citation

Katrina Jagodinsky, Cory Young, Andrew Varsanyi, Laura Weakly, Karin Dalziel, William Dewey, Erin Chambers, Greg Tunink. “In the matter of the application of Ray Raymond for a writ of habeas corpus.” Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West, 1812-1924, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://petitioningforfreedom.unl.edu/cases/item/hc.case.wa.0162

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