Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-27
From the Lewsburg (Greenbrier) Era, Aug. IL.
Family OF Fiends.

DuTEJ lives a nuIleu James Ofalam. lie
has three or four grown up sons living beneath
his root, and until the eth ultimo) one I'M
married daughier-Miss Jane Graham-aged
about As. The daughter had an illegitimate
daughter by man who recently died, leaving
the sum OF $4,000 to this child, who is now
married to Mr.. Miller, of Nicholas county.
Quarrels OF the most violent character are
represented to have been common in this
family. recent quarrel had taken place.
and one OF the brothers sought to injure the
character OF his sister by leaving anonymous
and defamatory letters upon the highway, and
also by writing to Mr.. Miller, Of Nicholas, Civ
ing the mother his wife character as "black
as hell, and rotten as carbon" and asserting
that her daughter Mier's wife) was no better.
Without any knowledge of this, Miss Jane
Graham few weeks ago went to Nicholas
county to visit her daughter; found that she
and her husband had separated, were living
apart, and learned that the cause was the anony.
nous letter which Miller had received. Miss
Graham full Of the violence and determination
which characterized her, Immediately returned
home. A violent quarrel ensued between her
and the brother who wrote the letter, into which
the old man and woman were drawn-they
siding with the son-the upshot of which was
the forcibe ejectment of Miss Graham from the
house. She went then to the house of brother
in-law, one Mr.. Nolan, who lives hard by, who
gave her shelter and protection. On the night
of the 9th of July, Nolan and his wife went TO
visit a neighbor, leaving Miss Graham to take
care of the children. After they were gone,
(about o'clock, as the children of Nolan say,
one or two Of whom are competent witnesses,l
Miss Graham dressed herself and went out.
She took a bonnet belonging to her nice, and
pair of stockings belonging either to her niece
or her sister. Remember this.) Nolan and
his wife soon returned, and were surprised to
find Miss Graham gone At little past 10
o'clock they were aroused by the cry of FIRE,
caused by the burning Of the barn OF Mr.. Jo-
seph Graham. From her wellknown vindic-
tive temper, 1t was at once suspected that she
burned the barn, and hence her absence was
not noted as anything remarkable after such an
act.
The Grahams made no effort to learn any
thing of the absent member of their family
never even suggested pursuit or revenge for the
injury done them.
Their conduct in this respect added strength
to rumor that was beginning to find tongues
a.rumor charging the family with putting Miss
Graham out of the way" This rumor grew SO
strong, that on Friday last, 4th instant, party
of neighbors gathered together for The purpose
of searching ioI the body of the absent woman.
They went TO the house of Graham to ask his
permission to search for the body On the pre-
misses, his answer was 60 look in the ashes
of the barn-if her bones amt there they are
In help The party went forward on their
search A few rods below the barn they found
indications of scuffle, in which person APP
peared to have been thrown down. The ground
was imprinted thickly with footmarks of human
beings and dog. From this place they de-
tected such signs as indicated the drawing of a
human body along the ground towards a creek,
where it was lost, but on the other side they re-
discovered it. Here dark stains, which ap-
peared to be Of blood, covered over with fresh
ashes, were occasionally detected. This train
was followed with tolerable ease until they
reached the bank Of another creek or brooklet
beyond.
Here there were such appearances as in
duced the searching party TO think the body,
before dragged, had been rested moment,
and then shouldered. The print of the persons
knees, and the toes of two booted feet were
seen plainly imprinted in the soft earth, exactly
as they would have been had a person got
down upon his knees. From this point blood
was occasionally detected on the leaves, two or
BODY bd bad bad been a shoaIdeTed. Ashes were still
occasionally 10 be seen scattered along the path
But about a haltdozen rods from the pla
where the body was supposed to be shouldered
all traces Of the trail we're lost. One Of the
party looking in the direction Of the sun, saw
an unusual number Of blue or carrion flies hy.
ing about. He took il as an indication, aud
by using a switch succeeded in establishing a
line Of buzzing flies toward a blowndown tree,
below, or on the bank of the creek. The in
stinct of the flies was superior to that Of man,
aud enabled them TO detect signs which might
otherwise have escaped them. Coming to the
tree, they found footsteps leading into the water
aud by going into the wafer and following down
SO as TO get q view into the thick top Of the
tree and surrounding hedge they discovered
the dead body of Miss Jane Graham.
The body was extricated from the bushes
after much difficulty. 1t was considerably pu.
crescent. The dress she wore had been taken
of and lay beside her, having the appearance
Of having been washed and thrown up with the
body without being wrung. Some signs Of
blood were still detected upon it, and it was
much torn as by dog. Her shoes were also
taken of, and thrown up after the body, as was
also the bonnet before spoken Of The stock.
ings before mentioned were upon the feet.
There were signs Of violence about the neck,
as though the body had been dragged by a
rope. A rope about eight feet long was after
Whfuo IOuDu near bne pace Vi COnceaimenl.
Some signs Of her having been worried by
dog were also upon her person, but the blood
is supposed TO have como from her nose or
mouth.
The family Of Grahams showed no signs Of
favor or affection for the murdered, and looked
with an eye that BODIED no good upon the
searchers, whom they deemed meddling with a
matter that was none Of their business"
An inquest was held upon the body last Mon.
day, the 9TH instant. The evidence then given
in on the part Of the searching party, was in
accordance with the above recital. One wit
ness spoke Of being on the ground early next
morning, aud saw large negro, who belongs
10 the family, coming from the direction where
the body was found, with bucket on his arm
made him return TO search for tracks Of the
incendiary--saw where some one (supposed TO
be the negro) had scattered fresh ashes along,
but saw nothing then Of the body. After
hearing all the evidence, the jury came to the
conclusion that Miss Jane Graham fired the
barn; that in SO doing, she reused the fierce
dog belonging TO the family that the dog fol.