The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-05
THE GRAHAM tragedy.


The Inquest Over the Remains of the MUIR
deFed Mrs. Graham Damaging Testf-
mony In Regard to Graham's Movements
Followed by Confession by the Latter
of the Crime and its Entire Responsibility
--Lynching Talk.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo, Feb. 28.-The in.
quest over the remains of Mrs. Sarah
Graham was resumed at the courthouse
at nine O'Clock yesterday morning and
the proceeding were watched with in.
creased interest by large throng of peo-
pie.
The first witness examined was Peter
Hawkins, a cOlored man who worked on
the Molloy farm from last July till Octo-
Der 8. Among other things he testified
that when Graham returned home from
st. Louis, where he had been after his
two boys, he arrived alone at the house
after midnight and that two hours before
that time he heard two pistol shots fired,
apparently near the well where the body
was found; that some days after he re-
marked to Graham that something smell
ed bad at the well, to which the latter re-
piled that he guessed it was a hog and
that he was going to fill the well up.
Hawkins testimony, however, is not con-
sidered very reliable, as his mind is not
altogether sound.
Roy Graham, the bright little six-year-
old boy of the dead woman, was placed
on the stand and recognized some of the
clothing and other articles found with the
body as belonging to his mother. The
trunk that Mrs. Graham took with her
away from Ft. Wayne, Ind, having been
Al,
and Rev. J. G. Plumb, pastor of the Con-
gregational Church at North Springfield,
testified that George E. Graham had left
it at his house, having asked permission
to do so.
Roy Graham, on being recalled, said he
knew the trunk and that it was his moth
er's.
Charlie Graham was also recalled and
recognized the trunk as belonging to his
mother, and said that the last time he
saw it was at Fay's restaurant, in North
Springfield, when his father unpacked it
and took out some clothing for him and
Roy. Then he fastened up the trunk and
left it at the restaurant. Graham
stated that his wife took the trunk with
her when, as he alleges, she went on to
Kansas City the night of the 30th
of last September. He was seen by your
correspondent last night, and when asked
it at Rev. J. c. Plumb's some time last
November, and said he made the former
statement because he did not want to in
lure his case; that the night he and his
wife separated here they were both some
what excited and forgot about the trunk
at the restaurant, and it being left he con-
cluded it was best to leave it at Rev.
Mr.. Plumb's until he could send it to his
former wife He said that he had not
bo ! bu
her and did not know what was in it.
The last witness examined last evening
WY Miss Ettie MOlloy, who said she was
nineteen years old and had lived with
Mrs. MOllOy ever since she was six. She
first met Mrs. MOllOy at Chicago, and had
lived at various places since that time.
Nothing of any special Importance was
elected from this witness, who evidently
manifested a disposition not to tell all
she knew of Mrs. MolIoy and her associa-
tiOn with George E. Graham.
At the close of the examination the in.
quest adjourned until Monday morning.
Mr.. T. L. Breeze and his wife, who is
sister of the dead woman, arrived here
from Fort Wayne last night, and viii re-
main until after the inquest and eXamina-
tiOns are concluded. 1t having been an
nOunccd that they were coming a crowd
of people, estimated at not less than one
thousand persons, was at the North
Springfield depot to IN eet them.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, Feb. 28.-Mr
Breese went out to the Molloy farm to
see the old we'll or cave in which Mrs
Graham's body was thrown. A strange
circumstance in relation to the horrible
crime has come to light. When, on the
occasion of T. L. Breese's former visit
to this city officers went out to the Mol
10y farm on a tour of investigation.
Mrs. Molloy took her Bible to have fam
lily worship, and read the fourth chapter
of John, where there is an ac-
count of Christ's conversation with the
woman of Samaria at the well, in which
he told her, "The man thou hast is not
thy husband" An impression was made
on the mind of John Potter, of BrOOkline,
and he afterward dreamed that the miss.
ing woman was in the bottom of a we'll.
The dream had part in urging him to the
search which resulted in the finding of
the body.
GRAHAM's CONFESSION.
Tonight Graham made a lengthy con.
fersiOn which, trimmed of all verbiage, is
that he alone is responsible for the death
of Sarah Graham. He says that most OF
the statements he has heretofore made
are true up to the period of the night of
the both. Using his own language, he
then says:
"On that night Mrs. Sarah Graham and
myself walked from Springfield to the
Malloy farm, five miles southwest of
town For the death of Sarah Graham, l
am alone responsible No one else was
concerned with me in any way in the
matter. Mrs. Malloy and Mrs. Cora f.
Graham are wholly and entirely in
uocent of any completely whatever
a..
Kansas for ten days before and did not
return until two and half months after
ward. Mrs. Cora f. Graham never knew
or had the slightest idea that Sarah Gra-
ham was ever within three hundred miles
of the farm. Neither of them ever would
have in any degree abetted or tolerated
any such thing.
LYNCHING TALK.
The talk of lynching Graham con-
tinues as common as ever. Men
openly express their readiness to
join mob and argue that a trial might
cost the State several thousand dollars,
whereas a lynching would not cost over
five dollars for rope and repairs to the
door of the county Jail.
How They VIII Evade the Law.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Feb. 2s.-The Ohio
Valley Telephone Company, which con-
trolls the lines IN Kentucky and Floyd
and Clarke Counties, Ind, announced
Yesterday that they would take out thci1
exchanges in New Albany and Jeff feTson-
vile by April ]. They do this because
the Supreme Court of Indiana has decid.
ed chat the law fixing the rental of tele-
phones at three dollars month is consti-
tutionaI, and they say this would be op-
Grating at loss. They propose to evade
the law by putting in private lines
connected with the Louisville exchange.