Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-07
Errors i'm Murder Trials.

Upon the trial of DR.. L. THATCHER
GRAVES at Denver. for the murder OF
Mrs. BARvABY, experts in handwriting
swore that the inscription on the bottle
of poisoned whiskey was the work OF
| the accused.
This was a strong point against
GRAVES. Without that link in the chain
| of evidence conviction would have been
impossible. Now, however. Mr.. JOSEPH
NJ. BREsLYY, Of Canton, Mass, comes
forward and declares that he wrote the
inscription; wrote it at the trequest OF
DR.. GRAVES.
Mr.. BREs1.YN states that he was in the
smoking-room of the Park-Square sta
ton of the Old Colony railroad IN Bos-
ton when he met the Doctor (who was
an entire stranger TO HIM and having
given his (BREsLYN's) consent to adj
dress the package TO Mrs. BARNARD, he
also wrote at GRAvEs's dictation the fol-
lowing
"Wish YOU happy NewYear. Please
accept this fine old whiskey from your
friend in the woods.
In the presence OF reporter OF the
Providence journal BREsLYN, who has
kept silent SO long, few days ago was
able to reproduce from memory the eX-
act words and tolerable fac-simile OF
the note in question. This is rather
singular, particularly as BREsLYN is
local newspaper correspondent. Itshows
that he either has pfodigiously imper-
feet memory or is On unusually incapa-
bic newspaper manor else that he IS
fraud.
But it is certain that in the trial of
capital cases facts are proved which
are wholly fictitious. IN a great muir
der trial which absorbed public atten-
ton here twenty-five years ago, az much
as the CLUyERIUs case did in 16S5-lSS7,
the Commonwealth showed that the ac-
cused had taken his victim (his wife) to
the place where the murder was com
mitted in a covered wagon. The toll
gate keeper T. membered such wagon.
Tracks of wheels on the ground near the
unfrequcnted spot in question seemed to
cinch the matter. But the prisoner
made full confession on the scaffold
acknowledging that be killed his wife,
and stating that on q Sunday afternoon
he and she walked " from the city to
the place where the shooting was done
and the body was afterwards found.
If, however, it positively appears that
BRGsIYN did write the inscription in
question at the request of a man whom
he now 10y the aid Of photographs identi-
fes as GRAVES, there will never be any
more doubt as to the Doctors guilt. But
it Will be blow at the credibility-or at
least at the skill-of experts in hand
writing. They have had many such blows,
but this will prove to be a particularly
stunning one.
Every great murder trial exemplifes
AMI emphasizes the fallibility OF human
memory and human sagacity. owe are
all poor critters" and never more so than
when we undertake to sit in judgment
upon our fellows. Often we blunder to
right conclusions from wrong premises.
and if it be true that very few innocent
men are hanged it must be that special
Providence watches over judges and jul
rics. 1t happens. however, that in this
particular case the prisoner was con-
victed on his first trial and escaped
second one by taking his own life, and
that the latest revelation in the case, if
verified, would increase rather than di-
minish the proof of his guilt.
Dispatches from Denver say that
GRAvEs's body has been embalmed.
This settles the question of an autopsy.
None could be successful now, since the
poison in the embalming fluid might be
mistaken for the poison that the Doctor
used to kill himself With. The case at
Denver seems ended. Next will come
Mrs. GRAvEs's suit to recover the S25,OOO
legacy left by Mrs. BARNABY to DR..
GRAVES.