The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-24
WAS SHE MURDERED
Mrs. Charles W. Graves Found Dead
in Des Moines, and it is Thought
She was Murdered.

She was Murdered.
Last Friday about half past twelve
o'clock, Mrs. Chas. W. Graves was found
at her home, 800 East Seventh street,
Des Moines, lying dead near the stove,
her clothing being burned and at first
it was supposed she had been burned to
death. The woman had been polishing
| the kitchen range, and at first it was
| thought she had been burned by an ex-
plosion of the stove polish, but as the
case was investigated and the body ex-
amined by physicians it was found that
! she had evidently been choked to death
and was dead before her body was
burned, the physicians claiming that
when body is burned during life it in
variably blisters, while in the case of
Mrs. Graves her flesh was burned but
not blistered, and it is said her throat
shows marks that she was choked to
death before being burned.
Mrs. Graves maiden name was Elvina
Il
womanhood in Louisa county, where she
was united in marriage to Rev. Charles
w. Reeder, now resident of Leon, and
a number of years ago visited relatives
in this city. One child was born to
them, Miss Winifred Reeder, now nine
teen years of age, and it was while get
ting the house cleaned upready for her
arrival to spend the holidays that Mrs.
Graves was killed. Miss Winifred is+a
singer of considerable note, being
member of the Grau Opera Co. After
living together for seven years Mr.. and
Mrs. Reeder separated and divorce
was granted Mrs. Reeder in the district
court of Louisa county, an agreement
being entered into with Mr.. Reeder to
this effect.
| Severallyears later she married Chas.
W. Graves, who had also been married
before and had three sons. Their mar
ried life seems to have been stormy
one, only last spring the couple figuring
i'll the police court in Des Moines,
where Mrs. Graves caused the arrest of
her husband charging him with choking
and beating her. She also commenced
action against him for divorce, but the
judge advised them to make up and go
home and try it again. Shortly after
wards she applied again to her attorney
to renew the divorce case, saying
Graves had again choked and beaten
her, but the matter was finally dropped
and they continued living together.
Graves is employed as shipping clerk
at the Peoples Furniture Store in Des
Moines. He left the rstore at five min
utes before twelve o'clock to go home
to dinner, and says that he walked from
the store to the house. Just before he
reached his home he met the milkman
who told him he found no one at home
and there was no pan set out for the
milk. Graves told him to go back with
him and he would get pan. The house
was locked when they reached it, smoke
was pouring from the kitchen and
Il
There was no fire in the stove in the
kitchen but some blankets and cloth
ing werc on fire and after these
were thrown out of the window the
dead body Of Mrs. Graves was found ly-
ing in the dining room.
A neighbor of the murdered woman
says she saw Graves come home shortly
after twelve O'clock and few minutes
later saw him go across the street. She
did not see him again until short time
later when she saw him carrying out
the burning blankets. Graves denies
having been at the house at all after
leaving in the morning to go to work
until he returned in company with the
milkman and found his wife dead.
A coroner's inquest was held at which
the physicians testified that the woman
had been choked to death and her body
;. burned after she was dead. There are
. other suspicious circumstances about
the fire, and the opinion prevails in Des
Moines that she was murdered. The
coroner's jury has not as yet returned
verdict in the case which is being
IT further investigated. Suspicion natur
: ally directs itself toward the husband
!, who stoutly maintains his innocence
He also denies that there was ever an,
s, serious trouble between them, and say
he never struck or choked her in his lif
:. or used violence Of any kind toward he