The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-22
MEMOIRS OF A MURDERER.
George Graham's Version of His Rela-
tons with Emma Molloy and COraLee.
He Still Maintains that They Are Innocent
of Connection with the Murder-The
Prisoner in Wrathy Mood.
Springfield Special to st. Louis Republican.


Lee-Graham still continue to be produced
with surprising regularity. and now comes Ora
ham with his second statement which has been
placed in the hands of gentleman Of this city.
1t Is exceedingly voluminous, covering about
sixty pages of note paper, closely written in
Graham's elegant hand. Just what use its Gus
todian will make of it is not known but it is
surmised that it will be issued in pamphlet form.
Your correspondent was granted the privilege
of looking it over The narrative in compost
ton would be creditable to the skill of a novel
ist In treating upon matters about which
a question Of veracity could be raised
Graham enters into detail with a minuteness
that leaves no room for doubt. giving dates,
cities, hotels, number of rooms, etc. in which
he INDUCED in improper relations with the
women, and all with a frankness that challenges
investigation. The narrative commences with
his introduction into the Molloy family, after
his discharge from the Indiana penitentiary in
1881, and ends with his arrest in Springfield for
bigamy in january, 1886. In place does he
touch upon either the charge of bigamy or muir
der. avoiding them scrupulously and conining
himself to an expose of the relations that ex-
listed between himself and Mrs. Moloy and her
foster daughter, Cora E. Lee. His reasons for
this are given in the opening paragraph, as fol-
lows:
'To the Public: In putting forth the following
statement make no pretensions of being actu-
ated by that high and holy impulse. a desire to
improve society or raise the tone of public NOR
ais. Having been adjured by Mrs. Emma Mol
low and Mrs. Cora E. Graham to tell the truth
and nothing but the truth in this matter, and
these two ladies having ventilated their opinions
of the writer with freedom that is chagrinning
to contemplate, and shown familiarity with
adjectves that would have delighted Lindley
Murray, have concluded as an addenda to
| their adjuration to tell the whole truth"
He then reproaches his second wife, Cora, for
her desertion in his extremity. and her apparent
determination to save herself and allow hin. 20
be sacrificed. and adds: Whether Mrs. Graham
will really have so very much cause for congrat-
ulation is a question about which there may be
two opinions. When the reader has reached the
conclusion of this overt true tale. he or she may
conclude that. however guilty | may be, Cora
Graham and Emma Molloy are in no position to
join in the general chorus against me.
I must say that if there had been no Emma Mol
10y or Cora Lee. there would be no George E.
Graham in the steel cage of Greene county to-
night"
He then enters into a circumstantal detail of
his life and work after going with Mrs. Molloy
to Chicago, where he was engaged with the pub
fishers of the Morning and Day of Reform, to
which Mrs Molloy was q valued contributor
and associate editor. This was in the early part
of 1882, in April, and about the time Mrs. Molloy
was divorced from her husband. Shortly after
this he engaged Mrs. Molloy TO go to Fort
Wayne to use her power of persuasion upon his
wife, Sarah Graham, to induce her to live with
him again Mrs. Graham was obdurate and re
fused to leave her father, and 10 connection with
his reference to this visit of Mrs Molloy, Graham
writes: ''The women who were calculated to
have such a dire effect upon each others lives
then met for the first time" 1t was then he
went with the d. c. Cock publishing house, on
it's removal to Elgin. In July he went to Fort
Wayne. and brought his wife and two boys to
Elgn. and on the following November Mrs
Molioy was also induced to make her home at
Egin. There they were thrown together great
deal, and Graham records in matter of-fact
way
1--WE had grown very friendly, aud, though
nothing improper had TRANSFERRED between us up
to this time, she frequently sat in my lap and
kissed me-" On the 18th of November Gra-
hams smoldering love forl Mrs. Moloy burst
forth with a flame and he unbosomed himself.
She protested mildly. but on the 10Th, at her
own home in Elgin, he says the first instance Of
criminality between the two occurred. After
that the greater portion OF his evenings were
spent at her house, when she was not away
evangelical work, and their intimacy continued
Cora Lee was an inmate Of the house at the
time, and Graham asserts that ION Christmas
afternoon, 1882, Mrs. Molloy, in confidential
mood, told Cora of the intimacy between myself
and her, and also between herself and minis
ter, who was then deceased, but who in life had
been very prominent member of the l. .. g.
T. in Indiana, and who died at her home in Elk
hart Ind in 1875" He adds that, on Jan. l.
Mrs. Molloy left for Richmond, Ind, to hold a
series of revival meetings, and in this connec-
ton he says: s'She never admitted that she
really loved me till on this trip to Richmond,
when one morning l received a letter from her
which fairly electrified me. She had copied the
most passionate poem from Ella Wheeler's
Poems of Passion, and sent it to me as her
letter.
~ intended to fortify all doubtful positions in
this statement with copious extracts from her
letters, but on the night of the day of which the
body of Sarah Graham was found on the Molloy
farm Mrs Cora Lee Graham burnt the most of
my letters. and an accumulation OF years OF cor
respondence. Still, she did not get all, because
had some with me in the Jail, to which I can
occasionally REFER
On the 4th day of January 1883, at the Mol
10y residence, in Elgin, he writes, the first in
stance of intimacy occurred between himself and
the girl Cora Lee, and from that time until his
unlawful marriage with her, last July, his at
tendance was about equally divided between the
two women. This was all going on while Ora
hams own family were living at Eigln, and the
knowledge of it coming to his wifes ears made
trouble, which finally resulted In her return to
Der father in Indiana
He then gives details of crimes that were COM
mitted in the further development of their uns
lawful relations. He has given frequent dates
OIL dSslkUdblOu udu Will UObu WOIueu AT uOt6lS III
Chicago Kansas City. Crestline. o., Tndepend-
ence, Mo-, and other places. In each instance
the name of the hotel and date of register is
given. When Mrs Molloy removed to Washing
ton, Kan, in 1884, and assumed the publication
of the Morning and Day of Reform, Graham &C
companied her and acted as business manager
while she held reviyals aud conducted temper
ance meetings.
The foregoing makes brief synopsis of the
sensational disclosures, with regard to which
the author says in one place: II am perfectly
we'll aware that much that is said here will seem
improbable and yet on the point blank do not
believe Cora or Mrs. Molloy will deny my state
ment." He refers to certain persons who have
knowledge of the facts recited, among them be-
ing Mrs. Lima ]. Peake. of LaPorte Ind, Mrs.
and Martha Wessher. of Washington, Kan. He
concludes his remarkable statement as follows
ut may be true, as Solomon says, that the
words of women are as sweet as honey and