Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-13
A HIDDEN CRIME,

Il Murderer Dying In the Wslds of Arkan-
sas on the Very EUe of Detection
Pocahontas, Ark, Cor. st Louis Globe DEM
Ocrat
This county, Randolph, is very thinly
settled and it is not rare thing to find fam
lilies living ten and twelve miles apart, and
who see no human faces except the MEM
bers of their own home circle from one
months end to another. Hence ever and
anon many thrilling events occur in these
issolated regions that never reach the out
side world. One of these strange and sim
gular life histories has recently been re.
ported to your correspondent, together with
facts which form feast of horror, and
would afford material for dime novel of
the most blood-curdling character. We
shall give these briefly. Three years
ago a man and his wife settled on piece of
land in desolate stretch of country
some eighteen or twenty miles from here.
He said he came from Montgomery county,
Missouri, and that his name was Thomas
Graham. Living In a little cabin, tendinga
patch of corn and cotton, he neither sought
nor declined companionship, and so the few
neighbors around him left him to himself.
Thus things went on for nearly two years,
at the end of which time no one knew any
thing more about Graham than when he
first located in the neighborhood. Silently
he went about his work; he asked no ques-
tions, he answered none if he could help it,
and, in short, was living enigma to his
neighbors, who by this time had begun to
feel deep interest in him. His wife was
spiritualist, medium, and upon any other
subject but spiritualism would not, or could
not converse. Presently it was
limited, then said boldly, that Graham had
murdered man in Missouri, and that there
was a big reward offered for his capture.
The greed of gain is strong everywhere, and
ii found no exception in this isolate section.
Three of his neighbors, arming themselves
with double barrelled shotguns, laid plan
to take him, and went to the cabin ostensi-
bly, to invite him to hunt deer with them, but
in reality intending to seize him whenever
good opportunity presented itself. They
put their plan into effect ten days since.
Quietly surrounding the hut, they called for
Graham to come ont. His wife opened the
door. She took in the situation at glance,
and her sallow features lighted up with
strange smile as she beckoned the meu to-
ward her. When they somewhat reluctantly
drew nearer she very significantly remarked,
"Men, yer too late!'' Asked for an explain
alton, she pointed over her shoulder, and,
peering into the house, the men discovered
Graham stretched upon a bed, apparently
asleep. A closer examination disclosed the
fact that he was dead. He had evidently
been corpse for many hours.
The woman related the manner of his
death IN matter-of fact way. She said he
had for years heen trouhIed with baart die
ease, and that on the night previous, while
pulling off his boots, he had suddenly drop
ped on the floor. She lifted him up, but
found life extinct. She remained alone in
the cabin with the dead body all night, and
was getting ready to go after some neigh
bors when the men hallooed. She added
that she would now reveal the mystery of
his life, ooncealment 10 longer being neces-