Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-05
Suicide Preferable TO Trial.

4
-----------------
Suicide Preferable TO Trial.
ct. HArcdER GRAVES. NJ. d." who
stood accused of tho murder of Mrs.
JOSEPHINE BARNABY, and who had had
one trial therefor, and was held in jail
at Denver awaiting another. committed
suicide Saturday night by taking poison,
and his body was found Sunday morning
when the doors OF his cell were opened.
Mrs. BAgNA8Y was widow and was a
resident OF Providence, II. l., but was at
Denver in April, 1891. when she re-
ceived a bottle OF whiskey that had
come by mail from Boston, and which
was labelled, "Wish You a Happy New
Year. Please accept this fine old
whiskey from your friend in the woods"
GRAVES was the business agent OF the
deceased woman, and she had made
will bequeathing MIN $4,000, and be
had great pecuniary motives for com
passing her death. Chemical experts
who analysed samples Of whiskey from
the bottle from which Mira BaRyABY
had drunk found it charged with arsen-
ito of potassium. drug that cannot be
bought. but must be manufactured, and
that, too, by a skilled chemist. This
poison was traced to the hand OF
GRAVES, for whom it had been made, we
believe, 10y Boston druggist.
GRAvEss eflrontery was well-shown
by his presenting himself before the
grand jury at Denver to testify as a
witness, but when he got there accord
ing to his acc0uaD his'counsel refused to
allow him to appear as a witness. Thus
( II would seem that his guilt, which he
imagined was well concealed, was ''stick-
ing out plain enough to he observed by
his lawyers. The grand jury. however,
I did not need him. 1t brought in an in
dictment against him. Conviction fol-
lowed, but the Supreme Court of Colo
RADIO set aside the verdict and DR..
GRAVES preferred death to another
trial.
lie left an address to the public in
which he roundly denounced the prose-
cutting attorney, Judge, jury, news
papers, ETC., and declaring-as he had
declared before upon his "solemn Ma
sonic oath that he did not have anything
to do in any way, shape, manner, nor
deed with the death Of Mrs. BARNABY. "
Ina letter addressed to the coroner
GRAVES requested that no autopsy
be made on his remains, as it
should be clear that he had died from
persecution. Worn out. Exhausted. "
When a mans life has been life OF
falsehooi, as GRAvEs's was, it is too much
to expect his deathbed statement to be
received as true where he has an interest
to make it untrue. He has only him
self to blame for this, and the records
Of crime furnish but too many evidences
Of undoubted murderers going to death
with declarations of innocence upon
their lips Rascally as he was, this man
GRAVES seems to have had much affection
for his wife and from her, if guilty, he had
doubtless kept the secret Of his crime
and wished so TO keep it forever.
Telegraphic dispatches report that DR..
GRAyEss widow is left quite penniless
unless the courts award to her the legacy
of So, 600 which Mrs. BARNABYs will
made to DIR. GRAVES. This is a sum of
money well worth fighting for in the
courts, and in this litigious age it can
scarcely be doubted that Mrs. GRAVES
will prosecute her husbands claim to it.
Then, indeed, will the case be re-
opened under peculiar conditions. Dr.
GRAVES conviction had been set aside
by the Supreme Court Of Colorado, and
though held a close prisoner awaiting
another trial, he was in the eyes OF the
law an innocent man; that is to say,
there was only probable cause to be-
lieye him guilty. However, we suppose
that there Is much evidence to show that
the Doctor exercised an "undue infu-
ence' over the widow. He began his
intimate acquaintance with her as her
medical attendant and soon had the
mauagementof nearly all of her property
and had become the recipient OF large
gifts of money from her. Upon this
ground it may be that Mrs. BARNEBY's
will can be set aside in whole or in part.
Tho Tory members of the House OF