The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-03-02
BROKEN CHAINS.

UllUAHN UullND,
An English lawyer once said that eli
cumstaEtial evidence will hang the Kin
Of England, While that was putting
pretty strong, 1t ia admitted that chat
Of circumstantial evidence has often sen
men to the gallows. II a circumstanc
can be explained away it is but a shadow
Hit can not BIO explained away, It be
comes a menace to the prisoners life
A witness may be bribed, abducted, o
impeached. A circumstance is lion Il
the path demanding blood,
1t has often been asserted that limo
cent men have been hung on circum
stantial evidence. There may have beer
such Instances, but they have been rar'
indeed. In my own experience in laV
and detective work | have seen som'
curious things about Circumstantial eYi
denCe. 1t iG, in one sense, the stronges
chain which can DO forged, In another
the very weakest,
About twenty years ago | was do
tailed on a murder case in Kentucky
town. 1t was not to work up the case
but to save II possible the young mar
arrested for the crime. When got the
facts and details l felt helpless to ac'
Complish anything. He was a young
man OF %, named Graham, and was OIL
respectable family. He had been en-.
gagged to a young lady Of the highest re.
spectability, but they had quarreled
about something. Common friends had
brought about a reconciliation, but a
new sutton had appeared upon tie scene,
aud Graham's jealousy had provoked
another quarrel. He had not visited
her for two weeks, when, on the even
Ing Of Sunday, October 80, one OF Gra'
hams friends met him and said:
"Your rival is up at Lossing's, and
seems bound to cut you out. Adele
seems very sweet on him."
Graham truly loved the girl, and this
speech made him wild. He turned pale,
trembled, and finally, said;
"He is an adyenttrer and an inter
loper. Let him look out for himself"
An hour later he started for Lossing's.
fIe passed several people who saw that
he was excited. The house stood back
from tho road in grove OF trees, and
was approached by two paths or drives
from the front. Graham fully intended
to enter tho house, but when he came
upon the grounds his courage failed
him. He was afraid he might say or do
something rash in his present mood, and
very senslbly decided 10 return to town
and defer his call till the next day.
Next morning his rivals dead body was
found oil ono OF tho drives, about half
way between the house and the fence.
He had been struck down with blud.
geon. Conclusions are always jumped
at in murder Cases. Two OF the negro
were ut once arrested, but be.
fore noon they were set at liberty aud
Graham was taken into custody. The
chain already contained several links.
Others were added the moment he was
lie was dreadfully agitated,
hesitated 10 acknowledge that he had
been near the place, and q blood stain
was found on the right sleeve Of his
coat. Before no had been in Jail one
day even his own father believed him
n murderer. He was examined and
bound over, and it was only after that
event that he began to protest his inno-
Cence. The girl who had been tho cause
Of 1t came nobly to his rescue. While
she truely loved him, she had been viii.
ling to make him jealous, and when
murder had come OF It, as she believed,
she felt terribly ConscienCe.striCken and
anxious to believe in his protestations Of
innocence.
When l came upon the ground, the
State had its case all worked up, and
when went over 1t TO look for flaw /
could find none. / had to acknowledge
that was without hope. Indeed, l be-
lieved Graham guilty. His own oxpla.
nations rather strengthened that belief.
Lossing's house faced tho east. The
highway in front ran north and south.
The lawn was twenty rods wide, and one
dive led in from tho north and the
other from the south end. Graham up.
preached from the north. He would
naturally turn in at the first drive, but
he claimed TO have gone on to tho sec.
ond. He followed tito the house, passed
around 1t, played for two or three min.
utes with tho dogs, and then CirCled
about the fish pond, and took short
cut across tho grove and struck the
road, not hitting tho north path at all.
The dead man had come from the vii.
lage as well, and on foot. lie had come
and attempted 10 return by the north
drive.
II Graham was innocent who was
guilty2
Not the slightest suspicion had been
directed elsewhere. 1t seemed hopeless
10 look. l questioned and Cross.Ques.
toned him, but he could not give me
the slightest foundation for n Clew or a
theory. What got came by accident.
| asked to SEQ the blood.stained cloth.
ing, and found II 10 be n single daub oil
blood on a white vest. II was a curious
mark, such as I Ind never seen before,
and when quietly investigated further
discovered that the murdered man had
been struck OH the back Of the head and
fallen forward oil his face. He had very
thick hair, and, while the blow had
crushed his skull, ho had bled but little
Tho blood would not squirt from such Z
blow. Tho body had not been lifted
and 50 how did Graham got that bloot
stainH Accident gave me the knowledge
| was looking the ground over at Loss
ing'a for the fourth or fifth time, whet
ono Of tho dogs came out and leapet
upon mo In q Carcsslng way. l4ossinl
Observed II and remarked.
"Old Gan was always very fond Of Ora
ham, and believe sho misses him
Here, Fan, lot mo look at your paw
Ali It's about as well as ever, isn'tit2'
HWhat allied her paw" l asked.
"she got terrible cut on apiece o
glass a few weeks ago."
"About tho time Graham was arrest
edi,i
"Thcn II was her bloody paw tina
made tho mark on his vest that night2'
"Good heavens, but 1t must hay
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