Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-03
4 TERRIBLE CONFESSION.
KtIItug Ilis First VIE on ~" Threshold OF
LII. A,,nnh " L.. Iinme.

K,Ifug Ilis Tirst VIE on the Threshold OF
,ho second Nif,'s Eom'.
A Springfield MOI special says;
Cora Lee and Mrs. Malloy were arrested
Yesterday on warrants charging them
with completely in the murder OF Mrs.
Graham. As soon as arrested they
broke down. bursting into tears and
stating that now they believed in era
hams guilt. They declared them
selves innocent, and said they never sus-
pected Graham until the body
vas found. They were not COM
mittrd to Jail, bat placed 50 they
could not communicate with Ora
ham. who was busily writing
all the afternoon and until late into
The night. The document on which he
Va, epryySc,dl orc,,e1 ~ be full and
complete confession Of the murder OF
his wife, and is addressed to the Cir
cult. Court Judge and prosecuting attor-
nev. 1t covers several pages of fools
cap. closely written. lie starts out by
saying that the confession is made in
order TO save innocent persons and to
cuItail the inquest and save further eX-
pense TO the county. For himself,
he says he has no excuse or
apology TO offer. lie then exon
crates Mrs. MallOy and Cora Lee
from all completely in or know
ledge of the crime. lie says he told
them that he had never been remarked
10 his first wife after she obtained a
divorce from him, and that they had
implicit confidence in him, aud believed
that there was no impeachment to the
marriage. His first wife wrote him
from Fort Wayne, saying that she
knew of his second marriage and vas
coming TO Springfield. He wrote in re-
ply denying it, and tried to persuade
her not to come. She would not listen
to him, however. and started for this
place. lie met her in st. Louis, and
again used every endeayor TO have
her leave him, but to no purpose,
and she came on to Springfield with
him and the children. At the depot
here he again tried to induce her to so
to Kansas City, but to no purpose.
/ Finally, they left the children at res
taurant and started to walk to the fGIm,
five miles distant, arriving there about
d; 1870 in the morning. At the farm gate
Graham entreated his wife not to ruin
him by going TO the house, but she said
she would 60 there and clear things
out. lie says he was whiting a stick
with penknife, and she had a small
stick in her hand. Angry words passed,
and she struck at him with the limb.
lie threw up his hand to ward
off the blow and the PEN
knife struck her in the neck. She
screamed that he had killed her, and he
caught hold Of her and threw her vio'
lently from him. STOPPING over he saw
blood squirting from her neck, and says
he knew then that it was all over will
him. so he showed the knife into the
wound the full length and finished her
He then undressed the body and car
ried it to the well, where he threw it il
and dropped the clothing after it. liz
saws no one but himself had any know
ledge Of the deed, and speaks in endear
ing terms Of Cora Lee, his second wife
To her he leaves the care Of his tvs,
children. His past life, he says, ha
been blank, and his future is but lea
in the dark. Intense excitement pre-
walls, and it is thought that Graham
will be lynched.