People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-09-08

r DENVER, COL, Sept. 5.-Dr. T.
Thatcher Graves, the convicted pois-
oner of Mrs. Josephine Barnaby, COM
mitted suicide in his cell at the county
Jail Saturday night, presumably by
taking poison. lie was found stiff
and cold in death Sunday morning by
the "trusty" who has been caring for
him. On his person was found the
following letter:
To the Coroner Of Denver:
DENVER, Col, Aug. 9-Dear Sir: Please do
not hold an autopsy on my remains. The
cause Of death may be rendered as follows:
died from persecution Worn out Ex-
hausted" Yours respectfully
T. THATCHER GRAVES, NJ d.
Morphine is believed to be the means
by which the doctor committed suicide.
The corpse was quite cold when
found. No direct evidence of suicide
was visible, but the above letter tells
the story. There were also letters to
Mrs. Graves, wife of the doctor; to
Jailer Crews and an address to the
public. That the prisoner had long
contemplated taking his own life is
evident from the date of the letter,
August 9, last.
His Letter to thes Public.
The letter which DR.. II. Thatcher
Graves wished given to the public is
lengthy, and is as follows:
To the Public:
COUNTY JAIL, DENVER, Col, Aug. Gin the
spring of 1891 made the trip to Denver, act
uated by desire TO appear before the grand
jury to do all in my power to assist in solving
the Barnaby murder mystery Arriving in
Denver, my lawyers refused to allow me to 90
before the grand jury soon found myself in
dicted for murder. Surprised, aStonished,
said to my lawyers: OF course it can not
amount to anything, for truly l had nothing TO
do with the death of Mrs Barnaby"
little dreamed what was in store for me.
did not know what can be accomplished by pc.
litical influence, with money and man to
play the prince with his wife's money. The
district attorney at that time was key Ste
vens, a young and leadin, politician, ambi-
tious full of devilish schemes and cunning, a
man who never has hesitated to do any
kind of dirty work to advance himself,
and who was surrounded by the vilest
men in the west At the trial which followed
We found everything completely and absO-
lutely under his contrOl-the reporters, the
bailiffs, the court officials-except the clerk Of
the court t. the deputies, the honorable"
judge and the jury Since the trial We have
learned that no man was put on the jury I'M
less he had first agreed TO favor Stevens
Promises of political preferment and value re-
ceived were freely offered and taken.
nFfn ,,a1 ~, l.,
Connecticut and my father had some trouble
over some land The son worked himself into
the jury, and paid the old debt in full after
the usual manner Of such men. This we did
not know until long after the trial. l am in
formed since the trial some Of the Jurors have
received political appointments from Stevens,
and some are professional jurors, gettin upon
the jury in cases where he always wins his
case. These things are well known in Denver.
What possible chance did stranger stand
against Stevens, backed by such Judge and
purchasable jury? Conrad boosted that he ex-
pended S65000 among detectives, witnesses,
judge and jury. He always omitted to remark
that the money belonged to his wife and that
he was playing for 100000 stake
The supreme court Of Colorado in the most
emphatic Scathing and bitter words pro-
nOunced the trial unfair, unjust and illegal,
and ordered q new trial My lawyers have
found proof that at the trial $500 was paid
out to only one witness. They have the aft
davits OF numerous men that they were
sounded" as to whether, in case of their be-
ing summoned on the jury, they would favor
Stevens, and this was done by Stevens bail
IFS The jury was under charge of one OF the
worst Williams on earth; boarded at hotel
Kept by one OF the jury; went TO the theater
and around town pretty much as they pleased
For months and months / have languished in
jail clamOring for trial until have, little by
little, learned all of the villainous things
which appertained to the former trial and l
have told not half
Stevens, in the meantime had advanced to
be acknowledged as the supreme political boss
and controls to-day most of the judges They
dare not decide against him. and so my motion
for new trial was deferred and impossible
bail demanded, which the hard times rendered
impossible 10 furnish bond, ana l have been
forced to remain in Jail all throu!h this hot
sultry summer, until l must confess that my
spirit is broken down.
A new district attorney has, meanwhile,
been appointed but he does not count Stevens
rules the more, and the new one hobs up Sc
renely as he is ordered, the same as the Judge
The people are indignant, but what can
they do with this octopus. At the pres
ert writing Stevens has gone east to
him. He will return TO Denver with trunk
full OF lies after having properly worked the
papers He will then calOle and deceive the
commissioners and probably induce them TO
furnish him funds TO commence again his ne
farous prosecution.
Now, / am tired OF this whole business
They have exhausted me Is it strange that I
think it useless to continue the fight? II il
was fair, stand-up legal fight l
should have some chance and would
stand up 10 it. But it is not fair II is
as foul, dirty an affair as ever disgraced a
court The whole power Of the courts is in the
hands Of Stevens, and his nature never allows
him 10 deal fair He is an underhand sneak,
and always works by methods which gentle.
men abhor and despiSe.
/ am informed that the case may be contin-
ued for an indefinite period. that might be
dragged through mud and mire, tossed here
and there among the lawyers, who keep it up
for the newspaper notoriety which they crave.
Now am tired of it. have freely expended
o fortune in fighting them. But the courts
will compel me to expend more. But do not
propose TO give them any more What have
left will go 10 my noble little wife and my
poor, suffering mother. There Is one way that
| can stop the expenditure.
Allow me to repeat that which I have
always said. publicly and privately. Upon nv
solemn, Masonic oath, ]. T. Thatcher Graves,
did not have anything TO do in any way shape,
manner, or deed with the death Of Mrs ';ar.
naby. / write this KNOWN; what the future
will soon have in store for me.
The people will believe, pity and sympathize
with me. They viii know that even the
strongest man can be beaten down by cy-
clone Of filth. mud and persecution
leave little key Stevens TO the people Of
Colorado. Please take care OF him.
T. THATCHER GRAVES. NJ D,
Harvard University.
Jailer Crews, in an interview, indig-
nantly denies that Graves committed
suicide. He says that the doctor died
Of broken heart, and to use the jail
er's words, Twas murdered by the
attorneys for the state, who have har-
raised the old man to death"
Although the letter to Mrs Graves
has not been given to the public its
contents are known. In it the doctor
said that the new trial would con-
sumo the little money he had, and
probably without any good result to
him. He therefore decided to end his
life and leave his wife and old mother
what he was possessed of in order
that they might live in comfort.