St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-30
He STABBED HIMSELF
PROMINENT DOCTOR SUycIDE9
7HR0UcH JEALOUSY.
WAS A VICTIM OF MORPHINE
Dr.. Harold Graft Sticks a knife
Into His Heart-He Was in q
Fit Of Insanity, to Which He
Was Subject - He Was a Nor.
phine Fiend-The Details of a
Startling Case.

AS "a AhSAAilJs 10 w nICa ne
Was Subject He Was a Nor.
phine Fiend-The Details of a
Startling Case.
DIR. Harold Graf, one of the promi
neht physicians of this city. drew his
life blood last night by plungIng a cat
line into his heart while lying on his
bed i'll an upper room of his residence,
at the corner of Tenth and Canada
streets. The deed was done In fit of
insanity that has been growing
upon him for couple of years.
Last week he was taken before the
probate court at the suggestion of Dr..
Huegh, OF Minneapolis, his friend, who
had examined him at the request of his
wife. 1t was then thought that his con-
dltion was such that no Immediate
necessity of confining him in a hospital
was apparent. But subsequent events
show that it would have been a wise
course. DR.. Graft was Norwegian.
He was married in that country
about eleven years ago, and leaves q
wife and three children. He left his
wife in Norway for year, and came to
this country, and afterwards located in
Eau Claire, where he lived six years and
, became well-knoWn physician. A
little over two years ago he came to this
city and opened an Office in room 4S4
Endicott block. He prospered here.
and had large practice. lis home
was nicely fitted up, and his wife is
handsome and excellent lady.
Shortly before 1 o'clock last night
telephone message was sent to DR.,
Frank G. Landeen, the hospital physi-
clan at Bethesda hospital. stating that
DIR. Graft was quite i'll, and asking
him to go to his residence at
once. DIR. Willis e. HalloweIl, with
DR.. Landeen, was performing an
opperation in the operating room at the
time. DR.. Landeen left almost imme.
diately, and in few minutes was fol-
lowed by Or. Hallowell to the residence
OF DR.. Graft. They found the man lying
on the bed in an upper front room
with his night dress on quite dead.
A wound was found in his breast
about two inches to the right and
slightly above the left nipple, from
which the blood had flowed in large
quantities. saturating the bed and floor.
On the table in the room were found
scalpel with about an inch Of
the point wet with fresh blood,
and catline with the FIVE.
inch blade covered with fresh blood.
There was also bottle of morphine,
d bottle OF cocaine. both partly empty,
and hypodermic syringe case. le
was presumed that use had been made
of the contents of the bottles before
using the knives. Apparently the
scalpel had been first used, as the
wound was nicked. The catline had
evidently been plunged to the hilt and
penetrated the heart with the skill of
surgeon.
Doctors Hallowell and Linden nott-
fed Coroner Whitcomb, who made All
examination of the dead man and
CLEANED such facts as he could from the
wife and the servant girl, the only two
p rsons aside from the small children
in the house. Coroner Whitcomb
decided that the death was one of
suicide and will nut hold all inquest.
Mrs. Graft was seen by GLOBE re-
porter and asked about the circum-
stances. She was very much distressed
and had natural hesitancy in talking
as TO the cause of the deed. She is a
handsome, intelligent Norwegian wom-
an, and was prostrated with grief.
She placed her face in her
hands as she rested her elbows
upon table in the parlor and swayed
to and fro as she answered questions
relative to the facts. She said that she
heard him call as she sat in the library
writing a letter. She took lamp and
went into the room, and found him Tying
on the bed. He was then unconscious,
but still alive. She called the servant
girl and sent her to summon physician.
Asked if the knife was in the breast
when she went into the room, she said ::
81 think it was. tliink l pulled il
out and laid it on the table,"
She stated that he had been at his
Office during the day and early In the
evening had gone to his room. he had
been in the habit of using morphine
for some years. AT times lie had talked
of taking his life during the past two
years.
He left letter written to his wife
with pencil, and which was found on
the table. In this he said that he
thought it better to end his life as he
believed he would become insane, and
he would rather die than be regarded as
a lunatic. In it he said that he wanted
his wife 10 have his property and take
care ot the children.
He asked that he be buried in Oak
land cemetery in this city. lie stated
that he believed it right for surgeon
to let the blood out of his heart with his
own hand rather than become insane.
Mrs. Graft said that they had been
married eleven years and have three
children. Aside from the children
there are no other relatives in this part
of the country. She unwillingly adj
mitted that he had been using morphine
for couple Of years and at
times threatened to take his life.
She said that she asked their friend,
DR.. Huegh, of Minneapolis, to examine
him last week. and they had him ex-
amined in the probate court. He was
apparently better the past few days,a
she hoped he would be better. She ex-
pressed regret that he had not been
committed to hospital. as it might
have led to his recovery and saved his
life.
1t is said By those who knew him that
DIR. Graf was fine physician and
a good surgeon. He was a fine
looking man and very intelligent. He
has been addicted to the use of mor-
phine and cocaine. He is said to have
been insaneiy jealous of his wife. with
out cause. She is spoken of us very
fine woman.
Mrs. Graf objected to en- undertaken