The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-13
EMMA MOLLOY AND CORA LEE
Judge James Baker Reviews the Cir
cumstances of the Graham Murder,
And Reaches the Conclusion that the Women
Are Guiltless Of Completely in the Crime,
and Innocent of Immoralities Charged.

The mystery that hung for several months over
the disappearance of Sarah Graham, and the md
ing of her body at the bottom of abandoned well
on the farm where Mrs. Molloy and her family
resided. under circumstances that left no doubt
but that she had been foully murdered, created
In the public mind wild excitement Shortly
after the body found, and while the coroner
was holding an inquest over it, Mrs Molloy,
who had been laboring as an evangelist at Elm
wood, Ill, returned Her first knowledge of the
sad affair was obtained through the papers pur-
chased on the train, in which she read the re-
voting story. When she arrived in Springfield
public excitement was at its highest point
George e. Graham, the husband of the muir
iered woman, was regarded by the public as the
murderer, and Mrs. Molloy and Cora Lee Ora
ham were believed to be his accomplices. con-
fdently believed the ladies to be innocent and
and from sense of duty and Christian phian-
throphy, met Mrs. Molloy at the depot For
this act of humanity, and because of my render
ing to her and Cora needed acts of friendship
during the preliminary examination before the
magistrate through which they have just passed,
I have been censured by many of our citizens,
and highly commended by others, and by scores
of prominent people in Indiana, Illinois, Kansas
and other States, by letters in which confidence
is expressed in the innocence of Mrs Molloy and
sympathy for her in her Affections
It is alike due to those who have censured and
those who have approved of my course, that
should give to the public the reasons why am
confident that they are not only innocent of any
completely in the murder or any knowledge OF 1t
until after the discovery of the body, but also OF
the immoralities as charged
first met and became acquainted with Mrs.
Molloy in May last, while she was conducting
very successful revival service at the First Con-
gregational Church in North Springfield. After
wards, in the month of a)une, George Graham
came. was introduced to him by Mrs. Moiloy.
who gave me outlines of the history of his life
and his prison experiences. knowing her many
years OF faithful labor in this line through her
newspaper accounts Of the Jerry McAuley and
Mike Dunn missions In New York, and her Ell
forts in behalf of this class, especially in lndl
ana I became interested in the case. He, as
has been discovered, is adroit in the art of de-
ception, and by letter from Concordia. Kan,
had made a confession to these women
that he had been imposing Sarah
Graham upon them and the public
as his wife, when really they were divorced in
1873 and had never been remarked He ex-
pressed the deepest contrition. and said this was
she reason Sarah and he had never lived happily.
The separation, which occurred in Washington.
represented
on the part of both to be final, and she had re-
turned to her father, in Indiana. Mrs. Molloy
sought my advice in the matter. for he was pro-
posing TO take charge of the farm, which they
were about to settle upon. and marry Cora, and
my opinion was asked as to whether the cohablta-
ton subsequent to the divorce amounted to re-
marriage. / informed them that such cohabita-
tion would render the child born after legitimate,
but did not constitute new marriage The
conversation about the proposed marriage took
place while Mrs. Molloy and family were moving
to their place in the country Her duties and
engagements compelled her to spend large por-
ticp of her time away from home and prudence
required that the marriage should take place be-
fore she left to engage in her work in Kansas If
at all. The family consisted OF three girls and
himself while Mrs. nj. absent
Myself and other friends were consulted as to
the propriety of the marriage, and advised that
it would be justifable under the circumstances.
Subsequent developments show that Graham
and his wife were re married in 1878, at Fort
Wayne, Ind In determining whether these
ladies participated in or had knowledge of
the murder of Sarah Graham it is important to
ascertain whether they knew of the second mar
rage Or not The only reasonable theory for the
/ murder is that it was tc conceal from them the
fact of that marriage. 1t thcy knew of it at the
time of the marriage with Cora, they became
willing parties to the higamy. and of course the
motive just stated did not exist The in
innate and free correspondence between the
three from the time Mrs. NJ. went to Peoria,
about the Goth of January last to the time of the
finding of the body of Sarah, conclusively proves
to me that they were entirely ignorant of the
second marriage. and Of the murder, and there
fore innocent OF both bigamy and any completely
In the murder. These letters were placed in the
hands of Mr.. Howell Immediately after Mrs.
Molloy arrived here, and before she was per-
mitted to see Cora, or any other person con-
nected with the family.
On the 10th day of january LAST, three months
and ten days after the murder was committed,
Graham wrote to Mrs Molloy, at Dunlap, Kan,
by which che learned for the first time that
Sarah was missing from Fort Wayne. l quote
from 1t as follows:
II am in, or about to be in, the very greatest
trouble of my life and like all my trouble 1t is
the one cause Sarah. hardly know how to be-
Sarah has not been heard from since have had
the children, and they do me the credit to sup
pose have put her out of the world They have
been writing to all the officials they find in
reference to it, and tho / knew this for two
months, paid no attention to it, not deeming it
worthy of any"
He then states that he is going away to look
for work on the railroad. and desired Mrs. M. to
Gil Grove. was present when the letter was re-
ceived Mrs. Molloy handed it to him to read,
and at once wrote Graham:
You must go home Immediately, If any such
suspicious are being aroused. for knowing your
innocence, you have nothing to fear from inyes-
LEGATION"
Mrs Molloy at this time believed Sarah to be
In Fort Wayne. This was at the time he had
committed the forgeries, and when she was en-
route for Peoria Graham, by telegraphing, as
certained she was the train with her little
daughter Emma. He met her in Kansas City and
confessed the forgeres and gave this as
reason why he could not come back to Spring
field excusing his crime of forgery on the ground
that he wanted the money to go and search for
Sarah. Here she learned first that Sarah came
to ST. Louis Graham expressed to Mrs. Monoy
the belief that Breese had her hidden away in
st Louis in order to make trouble for him. In
letter written Jan. "a expressing great con
triton for his weakness and crime of forgery, he
closes By saying: Il hope the ST. Louis search
will be successful" On the Goth of January he
was arrested for bigamy. and in letter to Mrs.
Molloy dated Feb he writes her implorng her
&c get bail for him, and he SAYS:
II had been inclined to think the Breese and