The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-28
THE LAW ANTICIPATED.
GEORGE GRAHAM, THE WlFE-MUR-
DERER, STRUNG UP TO A TREE.

a Mob Of 200 Overpower the Sheriff and
Take the Prisoner from the Jail-He
Dies Gamc-The Obituary Notice
Warning the Sheriff.
SPRINGFIELD Mo, April 2S-George E
Graham, the wife murderer, was hanged by
mob at 2,;0 O'Clock Tuesday morning. He
made no entreaties for mercy, but went to
his death stoicalv, and died apparently
without struggle.
The lynchers numbered about 100 armed
and masked men. They surrounded the
county jail at 30 A. m and demanded the
surrender of the prisoner, The sheriff re-
fused to comply Then the angry men
overpowered him, battered down the prison
doors, and secured their victim AT 2
O'Clock they moved down Bonneville street
with Graham in their midst People who
saw the weird procession fancied that the
lynchers would take Graham to the Molloy
farm, there hang him, and throw his body
into the well where his murdered wife's de
caying corpse was found. But the leaders
of the avengers had other plans.
They started in the direction of the
Molloy place as ruse for their followers.
Suddenly changing their oourse they gave
their followers the slip and while yet in the
city limits hanged Graham to tree, Just
one hour after the attack had been made on
the Jail The mob then quietly dispersed in
all directions n t5raham's dangling body
an obituary notice, written in characteristic
western style, was pinned. 1t was plea
that justice had been done, and
warning to ex-convicts and muir
derers We also give warming" it
said, that any person Or persons of
any rank or station who dare to discover
the actors in this trage ly will be surely
and speedily dispatched to hell, where all
things are revealed to the curious In jus
tice to the memory of Sarah Graham, a
loving wife and tender mother, whose life
was sacriti e at the altar Of Hecate, we
subs ribe ourselves citizens of Green county,
Missouri" .
''To SHERIFF DoNNELL:-keep your
mouth shut If you recognize any of II;
you will die the death of dog"
Sheriff Donnells wife says the crowd
after securing the keys AMI locking the
sheriff in his room, proceeded straight te
Grahams cell III were cool and col
lected, but not .ier than the prisoner him
| self When they unlocked his cell door be
said: You cen hang ne, but, by -, yot
can't scare me" They tied his hands be
hind him and marched him out with tht
| rope about his neck. He was white as mar
| bic, but never fIinched Graham's cell-mat.
says it was the coolest piece of work he evel
saw. Graham exclaimed; by -, | AIM
| scared"
George F. Graham formerly lived at For
| Wayne Ind, ami had twice served in th'
| penitentiary at Mi, higan City. While
there Mrs. Emma Moiloy, the temperanc,
evangelist became interested in him, anG
tried to reform him when his last term has
| expired. Thus he became acquainted witt
and married Cora Lee, Mrs Molloy's adopted
| daughter Prior to his marriage he assure,
| Mrs Molloy that his first wife Sarah Gra
| ham, had secured a divorce while he wa
in prison. This she had done, but they
were aftcrward remarked Graham, t.
| free himself from a prosecution for bigamy
then induced his first wife to meet hin
| in st Louis, whence he was to take her 4
Springfield and enjeavor to settle til
trouble After leaving St Louis with he
| husband Mrs Sarah Graham was neve
seen alive 10y any one who knew her He
relatives agitatel the matter and a searcI
re ulted in the finding of her body in al
abandoned well ON the Molloy farm nea
| springfield Graham, Cora Lee and Mrs
| Molloy were at once arrested The preim
mary examination resulted in the hollinj
of Graham as principal and the two wome
as accessories He made statements tha
implicated the women, although he wat re
garded as a moral nlonstrosity and a maj
who never told the truth when he coul
| avaid il