Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-09-05
81 TElEGRhPH.


II neeasr csaniiasd ssies1s ~ ma1 lsss
csai-sptaas1 y.
DENVER. Sept A--Dr. + Thacher
Graves, the convicted poisoar Of Mrs
Josephine BarHahy. committed suicide in
his c<si a1 the couaty Jail. presumably By
taking poison. He WAS found dead ut 3
o'clock yesterday morains. On his person
was rne following letter
DgSvEs. Aug. 3 ls9A
70 the Coroner Of Denver.
pxAs SIX. Please don't hold an autopsy On
my remains The cause OF death may be
rendered As follows. Died of persecution:
wern out: exhausted Yours respectfully,
r. THAeHkR GRAVES, NJ d
The corpse MAS quite crld when found
No direct evidence Of suicide was yisiile.
but the above etter tells the story. There
were also letters TO Mrs Graves, wife Of
the doctor, To Jailer 1rews and an address
To the public. That Sae prisoner had Ions
contemplated taking his own life is eyi.
dent from tine date Of the letters-Aug.
last.
whisky and Arsenic.
As 10 we'll known, DR.. Graves WIS
awaiting his second trial for the alleged
murder of Mrs. Josephine Barnaby Il
Providence. who at the time OF her death
was visiting friends in Denver She died
April 10, 1891. On April Q she drank frum
bottle of whisky that had come by mail
from Boston. and that was labelled wish
you happy New Year. Please accept
this fine old whisky from your friends in
the woods"
The whisky Contained a solution Cf ar
Eenic- DIR. Graves was accused of sending
the bottle After one Of the most famous
trials in the criminal annals of this coun-
try, Dr. Graves WAS convicted of murder
in the first degree and was sentenced To no
hanged. The supreme court granted him
a new trial, which was to have begun tie
latter part Of this month.
The letter addressed to Captain Crews,
the iailer, il as follows:
DENVER, Aug. Q. lsal
Ii would keep man busy To follow Stevens
and answer the lies which he unblushingly
peidles out to the ralers. One or two, how
ever, need attentioh and they are easily
proven to be lies. | was d member OF the
Massachusetts State Medical society, also the
Connecticut State Medical society. l never
made application To the Rhode Island State
Medical society for admission. My lawyers
have thcraii reports showing that l never
wronged the estate Of Mrs Barnaby, and that
the estate now ewes me outside uf the legacy
by viii. The public sees what have 10 eI.
isct from the viliisnous, cowardly falsehoo IS
uf Stevens. | cannot expend more money
fighting him | must take the only means u
provide for my wife AMI dear, honor, l.,
AGED mother. L. THACHER GRAVES
A Case of suicide.
ATS clear case OF suicide" said
-. "a = Il. H..
cell Of the dead man. Deputy Wardea
Shire nodded and the coroner opened a
letter addressed to him by the doctor.
The letter was found with half dozen
others addressed 10 various persons in II
bundle of manuscript under the doctor .
satchel, which stood near the head Of bis
cot One of the letters was addressed te
John W. Bridges, the ''trusty" who dis
covered the doctor dead in his cell
A thorough search OF the cell had bee N
made before the letters were brought Ia
light. pile Of books aud magazines that
stood ON the little table were examined
and his clothing was searched, but nothing
was found that would explain matters
until the satcliei was lifted aside and tie
letters found under it,
The doctor lett everything In order ee
fore he died. When he was found he WIS
clothed in his trousers and "A dress shin 6.
He lay on his right side in aposture lie
usually assumed after retiring The q
were paper sacks of fresh peaches al u
pears on his table. the gift OF his wife on
her last visit Saturday. Captain Crews,
the jailer, was the last person to see Dr.
Graves alive, according to the statements
made to the coroner. He passed the C, II
al 3 o'clock yesterday morning and the
unfortunate man appeared To be all right
No; Well Man.
For some time past, however, he has been
looking pale, but he did not complain of
being i'll. About a week ago DIR. Dalin.
the county physician, remarked about his
paleness and ask ed him if he did not think
that IA little iron would do HIM good. He
replied: ITO the dogs with physic."
A "trusty" prisoner named Bridge,
who waited on the doctor, said that DR..
Graves had not complained to him recent y
nor had he appeared to be cast down ly
the action Of the county commissioner :
Saturday in granting the appropriation To
bay the expeuse- of the eastern witnesses
for the prosecution.
He, however, must have been troubled
by this action, and this is supposed to he
one of the reasons why he decided to k i'll
himself 1t was stated In the proceedings
of the county commissioners Saturday
that no action was taken on the doctors
request that the county pay the expenses
of his eastern witnesses. 1t is now learned
that no formal request was ever made for
such assistance TO the county board
The coroner WAS notified of the doctors
death shortly after he was found. Coroner
Chiyington did not arrive at the Jail, how
ever, until about noon. He was ACCOM-
panied by his deputy, Mr. Nichols. Dep
uty Warden Shire opened the corridor i'll
which the doctors cell is situated. Tho
cell had been closed since the CHASTITY dis
,overy was made When the coroner and
his assistant stepped in, the latter imme-
diately wiped the froth oss the dead mans
mouth and then, under the direction If
the coroner. began search Of the cell
with the result already mentioned.
Mrs Graves, wife of the doctor. was in
formed OF her husbands death shortly be
fore noon. She was at the house of At
torn Y Thomas Macon, who has ably de-
Tended her husband, where she has been
staying for sometime past She WAC
deeply affected by the news, and for II
time nobody could comfort her.
Accompanied by Mrs. Macon. Mrs.
Graves visited the Jail. only to fiud that the
body had been taken TO MT coruner 5 oiiic'.
The news Of the removal of the remains
caused another affecting scene, and the
poor woman sat in daze for some time.
Then she was led to the apartments OF
,Iailer Crews, where she remained for some
lime moaning and crying