Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-04
OF MURDER
Brought Against Edward Graf.
fam and William Hands.
Inc Coroner's Jury Reports on the
Corham Murder Case.
zee" Kelley Says Graham Planned Crime
While in Prison.

fo'tl"hu. Me. Feb. AT just 1854
saturday the county attorney with
drew from the jury room and at T. the
jury called by Coroner fcben n Perry
to investigate the C;orham murder case
returned verdict of willful murder
| against William Hands and Edward
GRAHAM.
For days the jury listened to the evil
dence presented by County Attorney
Whitehouse on the part of the state
and then fixed the responsibility for the
death of Clifford Mo5her on William
Hands and Edward Graflam, both re-
Gently of Hopedale, Mass.
omitting the leSal prelimnarics the
verdict was as follows: The said
jurors 2foreSa id. upon their cath do saw
that the said Clifford Moshcr Of Cor
ham. on the 18th day of January. 1901
| in said Gorham. came to his death by
| reason of Il blow on his head inflicted
by certain blunt instrument in the
hands of William Hands and Edward
GRAHAM. both of said Gorham. then
and there held and welded. and the
jurors aforesaid, do say that the said
William Hands and Edward Graft
am. on the said 18th day Of January.
in and upon the body of said Clifford
Mosher fe!onously, wiIfully. and Of
| malice aforethousht, did Kill ana muir.
der. against the peace of said State.
and against the form of said statute
in such case made and prescribed"
Saturday morning the evidence pre-
scnted to the jury was of very pri-
70 mat md .,1l a,
against Edward Graffam.
Joe" Kelley was there and told in Il
very direct way the story told in the
state prison. Graffam told him about
Tie Moshers nd asked him to join with
him when both got out in robbng the
place. Deputy Plummer was, called
ana told how he patiently and success
fully followed GRAHAM and Hands
frCm IIopedale to Boston, how he dis
proved bit by bit the alibi GRAHAM
set up in his statement made to Sheriff
Pearson and County Attorney White
house after he was brought here. how
he discovered that Hands and GRAHAM
We're together Thursday. Jan. 10. at the
Salvation Army hotel in Boston. and
how he discovered that GRAHAM did
not go 20 the ElmWood house until
sunday morning, hours after the mar
der OF Clifford Mosher.
The final examination of Deputy
Plummer had to do very largely with
his last visit to Portsmouth, Boston,
Gloucester and Hopedale.
Mrs. Harmon of Biddeford was the
last witness. Before she went to the
jury room, she was taken to the Jail,
where in the most positive way she
identified Edward GRAHAM as the man
Clark who was brought to her house by
T.. w. Kelley, Friday. January II. She
added a bit of rather important CVi-
dence to that already accumulated
against GRAHAM. She said, He had
on stiff hat"
Are you positive on that point?"
was asked by a jail official.
"Of course I am" she replied, he
kept it on his head all the time ne was
in the house.
Report had it that GRAHAM and
Hands called at Middle street store
together Saturday, Jan. II, and that
GRAHAM bought a cap.
While very little of what passed in
the jury room has leaked out, it is
known that the evidence given by Mrs.
Moshier was very dramatically told.
| and that her story of the thrilling mo-
ment when she cried to God for help
was especially strong and telling.
Coroner Perry said after the finding
of the verdict: THE evidence. especial
" on the question of Identification. was
very direct and applied to Graffam as
we'll as to Hands. I consider that the
evidence presented implicatcs GRAHAM
in the murder fully as strongly as it
| does Hands"
County Attorney Whitehouse said be-
| fore the verdict was given out: Il do
not see how any reasonable man, with
the evidence of the state before MN,
| could doubt the guilt of both Graham
and Hands,
The county attorney is confident that
! when the mass of evidence is presented
To- Judge Hill Monday. GRAHAM will he
| held for the grand jury. The state
claims that il has followed Graham
step bv step from Hopedale to Port
! land and that it has evidence to SHOW
| that the evening of Jan. II he was with
| ..BilI' Hands. well on the way to the
Moshcr house.
The key to the situation is still heio
BY Bill Hands. who has the power 70
add directly to the great mass ol CIR
| cumStantial evidence in the possession
| OF the state. dra matte ending OF th'
case is looked for when he taxes '"e
|