The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-07-28
MURDER IS A MYSTERY
Frederick NJ. Smith Visits Graham
Home and Finds Children S0rely
Grieved--Fdther Still Missing

/
Grieved--Fdther Still Missing
The following letter to the Lamont
Chronicle from Fred'k NJ. Smith, gives
more details of the Graham murder in
North Dakota than heretofore made
public.
BEMlDJl, MIMI, July II, 1904.
EDITORS OF CHRoNICLE:-As many Of
your readers, especially in and around
Lamont, are acquainted with William
Graham and family, who about two or
near Shree years ago moved from La
moni to North Dakota to take up claims,
they will be interested and grieved to
learn something of the details of the
sad tragedy which deprived the child
ren of mother and possibly father few
days ago.
f. A. Smith and were, during the
closing days Of June and till the third
of July attending reunion of the L. D.
S. at Duluth, North Dakota. Mrs. Gra-
ham and daughter Birdie were expected
at the reunion, but did not come. We
wondered why, and the explanation
came about the middle of the reunion in
a letter from neighbor who wrote that
Mrs. Graham had been murdered and
that Mr.. Graham was missing. The sad
news grieved us much, and. as we were
SO we'll acquainted and so long ac-
quainted with the family, f. A. and I
decided that at the close of the reunion
we would make visit to the stricken.
home, feeling that a visit from home
folks would be welcome to the children
and possibly of some comfort.
So on the morning of July 5 we left
Dunseith, driving twenty miles to Bot
tineau. Thence we went by rail to
West Hope where we We're met by John
Gordon and driven to his home, ten
miles west. On the morning of the 9th.
he took us by wagon to the home of
VIM. Sparkling, eleven or twelve miles
still farther west, the home of "Jim"
Sparkling, a Graceland boy. Jim hitched
up his team and drove us south to
Mohall about ten or eleven miles, to the
home of Martin Spaulding, father of the.
Spaulding boys who have for the past
two years been in Graceland. After
dinner, in company with Mr.. and Mrs.
Spaulding, we went by team to Lans-
ford, twelve miles south and east of
NIohall, thence about nine miles south
and a little west, and reached the Gra-
ham residence about the time Morgan
and Charles were doing the chores. We
were heartily welcomed to the sad
home. We staid with them over night
and learned from them as much of the
details of the tragedy as are known,
which we will give briefly.
Up until the time of the sad day of
June "A, everything had been going
smoothly and we'll with the Grahams.
Charles, Morgan, Birdie and Mr.. Gra-
ham had all taken claims, three of them
being contiguous, thus giving them in
all section of fine Dakota prairie land.
Good improvements had been put upon
them, three hundred and fifty acres
were in cultivation, the crops promised
much, and the farm was we'll stocked
and we'll equipped with good machinery.
The outlook was indeed bright. But out
Of the clear sky came the fateful bolt.
On the evening Of June "a the school
teacher Of that district gave dance,
and the Graham children responded to
the urgent invitation to be present, and
about ten o'clock in the evening, twi-
light in that far northern country,
Morgan, Birdie and Ella started for the
home of Mr.. Riley, where the dance
was to be held. They left their mother
happy and we'll at the house, and their
father was a half a mile or so west of
the home watering some cabbage plants
which had been set out in the morning.
Everything seemed so pleasant and the
prospect SO good, the Grahams were
happy.
About two o'clock in the morning the
young people returned, and while the
girls went into the house Morgan be-
gan putting up the team. Before his
task was done, screams from the girls
at the house took him to their side. On
going up stairs they had found their
mother, whom they had SO shortly be-
fore left happy and we'll, dead, with a
bullet hole clear through her head.
The father was gone. A near neighbor
was called in to stay with the girls who
were frantic with grief, while Morgan
aroused the neighborhood. Every as
sistance possible was given by kind
hearted neighbors. Scores of men vol
unteered their services, and for days
the search lasted, and for miles it ex-
tended from the home. Men on horse
back secured the countrv. pidinr