The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1904-04-06
W. N. GRAVES ON
TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE
1t Was Found Upon Examining the Body
That the Wound Which Caused the
Death of Mrs. Graves was Made Be-
low the Co'ar Bone=--Dr. MacCallum
Tells the Story of the Crime

question propounded by Mr.. Sut.
ton as to how he knew that the
bullet found in the body was the
one which caused the woman's
death, answered that had the
bullet been for ed into the body
after death, there would have
been no blood found about it.
DR.. Crokat, the coroner, went
to Portal Wednesday andcaused
the body Of the murdered wo-
man to be taken from its grave
and the examination of the wound
was made. 1t was thought for
some time that the wound which
caused the woman's death was
made through the mouth, but
this idea has been dispelled. The
body was found to be in a very
good state OF preservation and
the bullet was easily located.
Mark Murphy then took the
stand. He corroborated the
testimony Of DR.. Mae NAHUM as
to going to the Graves house and
as to the doctors conversation
with defendant. Continuing Mr..
Murphy testified. 81 asked
Graves where the gun was. He
said it was in his pocket. l
searched his overcoat pocket and
found the revolver"
At this iuncture Judge Murray
was requested to produce the re-
volver which had been delivered
to him at the preliminary hearing.
Mr.. Murphy identified the revol-
yer he having made someprivate
marks on the same. Continuing
the witness told the Jury the To-
cation Of the different pieces of
furniture in the house and point
ed out on a rough sketch OF the
floor plan of the house where the
body lay and where the defend
ant stated he stood at the time
of the shooting.
The folding bed was in one cor
ner of the room and the cot in
the other. The body of Annie
Graves lay stretched at full
length between the two beds.
The three little children, Jennie,
five years old, Florence, three
years old and Pansy, two years
old, were in the folding bed wide
awake.
Defendant told the witness that
he was sorry that he had done
the shooting. That he and his
wife had quarrelled and that al
though he had no inten ton OF
shooting her, he did the deed.
The witness then took the de.
fendant prisoner and removed
him to his Office. where he kept
him until the next train going to
Minot, which he boarded with the
prisoner and delivered him at 2
O'Clock the same afternoon to
the sheriff of Ward county at
Minot.
w. n. Dickinson, the next wit.
ness for the state, testified that
between 3 and 4 O'Clock defend
ant came to his house. Told him
"there's trouble at my house.
Witness asked what the trouble
was and defendant said trouble
enough-Ive shot my wife.
Defendant then left the Dickinson
house and witness could not tel
which way he went. Witness i'm
mediately dressed and went tc
Mark Murphy's office and then
to the scene OF the tragedy. He
detailed the appearance ofthings
there about as the witness Muir
ply had.
liver Simness, the next witness
for the state, testified to about
the same happening at his house
and the same talk with the de
fendant that Mr.. Dickinson had
Further that he and Jack Rom
baugh and Billy Coyne took thu
three little children to witness
house.