B
[?]The examination of Ray Raymond for shooting and killing Jas. Finch in a brothel on Front street last week, continued throughout Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week before Judges Peel and Booge and the Judges pronounced sentence Friday. It was a long and exhaustive examination. Thos. C. Griffitts, one of the most tenacious criminal lawyers in eastern Washington, conducted the defense, assisted by his partners Gen. Bane and J. Kennedy Stout, while the territory was represented by District Attorney Hyde, who brought all of his great reserve force to bear on the case. Quite a number of witnesses were called and they were put through the most trying examination. Every scintilla of evidence that could be collected on the subject was drawn out and it has been a trying ordeal to the witnesses. The case was argued Thursday, Mr. Griffitts in his appeal for his client made an exhaustive and able argument that lingered long upon that part of the testimony that favored the prisoner. He occupied some time in going over the ground, citing cases bearing on the points he desired to make and ending with a strong appeal upon the justifibleness of the act. Mr. Hyde met the masterly play of his opponent at every point and closed the argument Thursday night with a general summing up of the evidence. The judges witheld their decision until the next day at 10 o'clock. During all of the trial a large crowd was attracted by the usual morbid curiosity that drew upon to the court room on such occasions. The room was crowded almost to suffucation, and the atmosphere that the judges, the attorneys and the audience were compelled to breathe was ladened with a poison very apparent to the olfactory nerves of those who stepped into the room from the outside, and the effect made itself felt upon those who were compelled to sit in the room throughout the day. At the hour appointed for rendering their verdict the court room was again crowded. When the attorneys and prisoner were present Judge Peel stated, in the usual form, that they had considered the case on the testimony presented, and held the prisoner on the charge of murder in the first degree. Upon hearing the decision the crowd, is very bad taste, expressed satisfaction by stampling. The demonstration, together with the decision, fell with a faded weight upon the unfortunate fallen woman, and she broke down for the first time during the long and painful strain, and wept bitterly. After the decision, the prisoner was taken to her room, where she has been confined since the shooting, where she completely collapsed, and spent the time since weeping piteously. She was taken to Cheney yesterday afternoon. Her attorney will apply for a writ of habeas corpus before Judge Turner, as soon as that gentleman returns from Olympia.
Spokane Weekly Review July 3, 1886 15
C
Granted Bail.[?]Yesterday morning Judge Turner rendered his decision in the case of Ray Raymond for the killing of Jas. Finch, granting bail in the sum of $5,000, which the prisoner will probably give. Judge Turner based his decision solely upon the testimony bearing upon the act, stating that murder in the first degree required proof that the crime was premeditated and committed from malice aforethought. He would not decide the grade of the crime, but put the amount of bail at the figures above given. Considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed upon the result of the examination and the admission of the prisoner to bail. We have not heard that any intimation has been made that Judge Turner was in any manner governed in his decision by outside pressure, nor would we believe any such nonsense if we had. We believe Judge Turner to be a man while on the bench sitting in judgement upon the life or liberty of a fellow man out of the reach surrounding influences. No one who is acquainted with the man will impugn his motives. He is to render judgment upon the testimony offered before him. He is not moved by sympathy to temper justice, nor he is wearing the ermine for the purpose of punishing enemies. We believe him to be a judge as upright as he is wise, and that he had moral courage to decide a case upon the merits of the evidence. In the case in question, with the same evidence before him, we are satisfied that he would have never faltered in rendering the same decision had there been a thousand men present, everyone of whom were shouting against such a verdict. The crime for which the woman is held is a fearful one. It was an unnecessary sacrifice of life. The full circumstance surrounding the deed, however, is only known to the chief actor in the tragedy. Her admissions have been given, it remains with a jury to decide whether the provocations were sufficient to justify the deed, if not they are to give in a verdict. However, since the farcical trial of the Indian for shooting Officer Rusk, we have little respect for the decision of a Spokane jury. If the enormity of this crime is punished in the same ratio as that of the one committed by the Indian, the Raymond woman will probably get clear on the grounds of excusable accident. But this is speaking lightly of a serious affair. The fact of admission to bail does not fix the status of the crime, and it will remain with the trial before the fall term of the court to decide the nature of the verdict and the full extent of her punishment.
July 3/86
Spokane Falls Review
E
THERE will be some who will use the disgraceful shooting affair of yesterday morning as an argument for prohibition. Without pity for the unfortunate victim they will twist his death for his own prupose. We believe the affair would have happened if this had been a prohibition town, and the saloons are no more responsible than is the man who invented or manufactured the weapon with which the deed was done.
Spokane Daily Review June 27/86
D
That Killing[?]
Further Partitulars of the Meeting[?] of James Finch
In our yesterday's issue we made a brief report of the shooting of a man named James Finch by a woman of the town named Ray Raymond. Very little more is known of the case than was briefly reported. Coroner Penfield summoned a jury yesterday morning and the jury brought in a verdict that the man came to his death from a gunshot wound from a pistol in the hands of Ray Raymond. Officer Gillepsie, who was the first to reach the scene, made the following statement to us: He was standing at the California house when he heard the pistol shot. He ran diagonally across the street to the First National bank building and from there could see into the open door of the brick house at the corner of Front and Mill streets. He saw the arm of a man who seemed to be lying down waving and saw a woman standing over him crying or waving her hands. He ran to the house. A man was lying cramped up in a small entrance at the door breathing heavily, while the woman, Raymond, seemed to be badly frightened. She said she had shot the man. Dr. Morgan was at once summoned and a crowd upon collected, for the report of the shooting spread rapidly. Ray Raymond at the inquest in substance stated that she was attracted to the door by some one opening it. She met the man and ordered him to leave he refused to go, and upon her insisting, he struck at her. She then got her revolver, and returning to the hall again ordered him to leave. He refused and struck her on the shoulder, when she pulled up the pistol and it went off with fatal results. She claims that she had no intention of shooting. When the man exclaimed that he was shot, she dropped the pistol and did what she could to assist him. When she realized the efforts of the shot she fainted, and has been confined to the bed with hysteria ever since. The examination was set for 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon, but on account of the condition of the prisoner it was postponed to 7 o'clock P.M. and she still being unable to appear, it was further postponed to Tuesday morning. It was learned that the dead man's name was Jas. Finch, and not Fitch, as at first reported. We are informed that he has a wife and two or three children at home. He came up to this place some six months ago with a companiom who stopped at Marshall, while Finch engaged in cutting [?] of hers. Friday morning the two met and drank considerable during the day. His friend wanted Finch to go to bed early in the evening, but he insisted on making a night of it. He was undoubtedly full when he was shot, as he was without a hat and by himself. The woman had not been drinkinh. The shooting was the general subject of[?] conversation yesterday on the streets; but it did not create any excitement. The woman is under medical treatment and also under guard.
Spokane Daily Review
June 27/86
Filed Dec. 4, 1886
D.A. Clement
Clerk
