The herald., 1893-09-04
Dr. Thatcher Graves Takes a
Change Of Venue.
His Case Beyond the Courts Of
Human Justice.
The Alleged Slayer of Mrs. Barnaby
Suicides.
Found Dead in His Cell In the Jail ae
Denver on the Eve of His Second
Triai-He Denies His Guilt
to the End,
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
DENVER, Sept. 3.-Dr. I. Thatcher
Graves, formerly of Providence, r. l.,
was found dead in his cell at the county
JAIL about 9 o'clock this morning, where
ne was awaiting q rehearing on the
charge OF having poisoned Mrs. jose.
phine Barnaby, wealthy widow, also
OF Providence. The poisoning is said to
have been done to cover up DIR. Graves'
defslcations as manager OF Mrs. Bar
naby's estate. The doctor took his own
lie, using morphine. In a satchel in
hls cell were found five letters, the first
one having been written August 9th
last, showing that his suicide was con-
templated since then. Following ia the
first letter opened:
To the Coroner Of Denver, Colo:
DEAR SIR: Please do not hold an
autopsy on my remains. The cause of
my death may be rendered as follows
Dleo from persecution, worn out, ex-
| hausted." Yours respectfully,
I. THATCHER GRAVES, MD.
The last letter is directed to Captain
Crews, jailer of the county Jail. and ia
full OF bitterness to the county attorney.
j. N. Stevens, who secured DR.. Graves;
conviction in the first trial and has been
working hard to again have the doctor
convicted.
In the second letter, which is dated
August 25th, Graves denounces Stevens
as liar and adde: my lawyers have
full receipts showing that 1 never
wronged the estate of Mrs, Barnaby.
and that the estate now owes me out.
side of the legacy by will. The public
sees what l have to expect from the
villainous, cowardly falsehoods of
Stevens. | cannot expend more money
lighting him. | must take the only
means to prove it, for my wife and
dear, honored, aged mother"
Notwithstanding the above letters
Captain Crews, in an interview, indig-
nantly denies that DR.. Graves COM
mitted suicide. He says the doctor
died of broken heart and, to use the
captains words, was murdered by the
attorneys for the state, who have har-
rassed the old man to DEATH"
The three other letters are to Mrs.
Graves, the county commissioners and
q lengthy one addressed to the public.
The one addressed to Mrs. Graves and
the commissioners have not yet been
given out.
Mrs. DR.. Graves was informed of her
husbands death shortly before noon,
ana Tor time was almost crazed with
grief
Notwithstanding DR.. Graves request
that no autopsy be held upon his body,
q rigid investigat on into the cause Of
his death will take place tonight.
DIR. Graves before his death said he
| Waa Danpiloaa and fbnunht
than right if the county paid the cost of
his prosecution, it should also be will
ing to appropriate enough to enable him
to defend himself. The decision of the
county to try him again undoubtedly
prompted Graves to put into effect his
idea of suicide, which it is plain he had
been contemplating for some time.
DR.. Graves letter to the public Ia q
long document in which he reviews the
history of his remarkable case. He de-
MED that he ever committed the crime
with which he is charged, and declared
his prosecution was accomplished with
money and political influence. In his
letter be says:
| "The district attorney at that time
was Isaac Stevens, q young leading
politician, ambitious, full of devil
ish schemes and cunning, q man
who never hesitated to do any
kind OF dirty work to advance himself,
and who was surrounded by the vilest
men in the west as his tools. At the
trial which followed we found every-
thing completely and absolutely under
his control-reporters, bailiffs, court
officials, except the clerk of the court.
deputies, the honorable Judge and the
jury. Since the trial we have learned
that no man was put on the jury unlesn
he agreed to favor Stevens. Promises OF
political preferment and bribes were
freely offered and taken. Forty years
ago man named Perrin in Connecti-
cut, and my father had some trouble
over some land. His son worked him
self on the jury and paid the old debt in
full, after the usual manner of such a
man. This we did not know until long
after the trial. l am informed since the
trial that some of the jurors have re-
ceived political appointments from
Stevens, and some professional Jurors
are getting on the jury in cases here
he always wins his case. These things
are we'll known in Denver. What pos
sible chance did a stranger stand against
Stevens, backed by such a Judge and
purchasable jury? Conrad boasted that
ne spent S6UU,UOU among witnesses, de-
tectives, judges and jury. He always
omitted to remark that the money be-
longed to his wife and that he was play
ing for 100000 stake. The supreme
court of Colorado in most
emphatic, scathing and bitter words
pronounced the trial unfair. My law
yers have found proof that at the trial
$2500 was paid out to only one witness.
They have affdavits of numert ~ M n
that they were sounded" as to whether
in case of their being summoned on the
jury they would favor Stevens,
and this was done by Stevsns' baiIiff.
The jury were under the charge of
one Of the worst villains 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 l have languished
ia jeil, claInoring for new trial, until I