Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-02-01
4 MYSTERIOUS CASE.

4 MYSTERIOUS CASE.
The case of Mr.. James Ell. Graham,
Il Cranberry township, this county
whose body was recently found upon
he shore Of the James river, near the
,ity Of Richmond, Virginia, turns out
% be a very mysterious one
From what has heretofore been
stated in this paper, it was learned
hat Mr. Graham left his home on the
Id day of December last, to 60 10
Pittsburgh, for the purpose Of seeing
physician and consulting him for q
severe rheumatic affection. AS ne
had gone there for the same purpose
before his family gave themselves no
uneasiness on the subject. He stated
to them that he might bein Pittsburgh
q week or ten days, to see II ne couio
obtain relief for his rheuratism, ana
he took with him about $35 to $4o.
Arriving in Allegheny city he stayed
over night at his usual place, the
Bepler house, a we'll known pubiic
house there. The people at the hotel
noticed nothing unusual about MIN.
On the morning of the Sd he paid bis
hill and said he was going over 10
Pittsburgh. And this is the last trace
his family have Of him, or can obtain
of him there alive.
Shortly afterwards, December 6tn'
. dispatch came from Richmond to . Mr.
Fluke, telegraph operator in Zelle-
NOBLE, this county. The dispatch
stated that the body of q man had
been found in the river there and ON
his person was found an envelope, with
the name of Mr.. Fluke written there
on. and consequently inquiry was
made of Mr.. Fluke as to the body
found. He replied that be had no
knowledge of the person described.
The family Of Mr.. Graham live some
six miles below Zelienople, and this
news coming to their knowledge some
time Afterwards, and hearing nothing
Of Mr., Graham since ne had left home,
they made further inquiry at Rich
mond. The information they received
in reply led SON and Mr. Reriah NJ
Duncan, of Connoquenessing town
shin. q son-in-law of Mr. Graham, to
20 down to Richmond, starting about
the 10th of last month. When they
arrived there they learned that the
body Of man was found on December
9Th, on the rivers edge, but not in the
water-that it had been found by q
Mr.. e. v. Clayton, who stated there
were no marks of violence upon the
body-but that there was no pocket
book or money found on the body,
and be was Of the belief that there
had been foul play Of some kind in the
matter. A coroner, or physician, OF
Richmond, named Taylor, had been
called and made an examination OF the
body 1t the time and his statement to
Mr.. Duncan and young Mr.. Graham
was. that there were no marks OF
violence upon the body-and that after
being kept for several days it had
been duly inferred by the proper
authorities. Mr.. Duncan and the son
concluded to have the body disinterred,
and watch being done they recognized
the remains Of their los. father. TO
make the matter more certain, howev-
or, they retur ned home with some o1
the clothing found upon the body,
which on Mrs. Graham, the widow
seeing, she immediately recognized as
those of her husband. The result was
that the remains were sent for. brought
home and inferred at Plains church,
this county, on last Saturday week,
January 2lst.
The mysteries yet unknown are.
how and what took Mr.. Graham to
Richmond, more than four hundred
miles from Pittsburgh !? He had no
relatives or friends there, or any kind
Of business whatever, known to any OF
his family. 1t was place he had
never been or knew anything about.
Then, when he was there, by what
manner did he come to bis death
He was not drowned, as the body was
found but upon the bank or shore Of
the stream How ell this has come to
pass his family are at a total loss
even to conjecture. He left home in
sound mind-was Of temperate habits
-l farmer wei to do In the world, in
every respect-was q man endeared to
all his family and friends and they ia
him-was p good citizen, living a
peaceful quiet life, an, respected by
I'll his neighbors. Taken altogether
his death is . very singular one and
we hope that something will yet come
to light by which the mystery of il
will be solved.
SUPREME JUDGE
The Pittsburgh Bar held large and
enthusiastic meeting last week in the