Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-28
COMMITTED SUICIDE
CORONER NEvITT'S VIEW OF
CAPT. GRAHAM'S DEATH.
The Deceased Had Made His Will and
Left Directions for Disposition
Of His Body.

Before leaping from an upper moor at the
Chaplin apartment house and being instant
/ ly killed yesterday afternoon. as stated In
yesterday STAR Capt. Robert D. Graham
wrote his will and messages which con-
WINGED Coroner hewitt that he made the
leap with suicidal intent
Have not taken one cent, but cannot
stand the great disappointment which their
deception has given me; also given my
friends" the captain scrubbed on more
than one piece of paper.
In his will he directed that Joseph F..
Weber, who has an Office at 631 Pennsyl-
vania avenue northwest, be made executor,
and that he turn over to Mrs. E. c. Ora
ham of 2oo0 H street $50 he had left among
his effects. His money in bank, about $500,
he directed should be held in trust for his
sister. the wife of Judge Walter Clark of
Raleigh. N. c. On another slip of paper
he wrote request that telegr4ms be sent
to Judge Clark in Raleigh and Judge Gra-
ham at oxford. N. c.. notifying them Of
his death. He also directed that his BODY
be turned over to Undertaken Speare Rel
atives had Undertaken Gawler take charge
of the body and it was shipped to Hills
boro, n c., for interment.
Represented Chaplin House Owners.
capt. Graham was the local representative
of the owners of the Chaplin apartment
house, and was very much interested In the
conduct of the house. Recently he had COM
planned of feeling unwell and friends
thought he had shown signs of dependency
during the past few days. Yesterday morn
Ing he told the manager of the house that
he was not feeling well and thought a few
Gays rest would do him good. He remained
away from his office during the day and
spent much of his time in his room writing
his will and other messages
Two days ago. when he visited his BROTH
erS house at 20O0 II street northwest he
appeared nervous. and his conversation
caused the belief that there was something
wrong with him. Yesterday afternoon
shortly after O'Clock the captain left his
room, on the second floor of the Chapin and
went to the fifth floor in the elevator He
seemed to be nervous and excited at that
time, but those who saw him had no idea
that he contemplated taking his life. Re-
turning to the elevator the captain went to
the sixth floor and jumped from a small
landing to the ground, a distance of about
sixty feet. The force of the fall was broken
by his body striking the covering of bal
cony, but the break was not sufficient to
prevent the fracturing of the captains skull
and the breaking of many bones in his body.
Coroner Notified
DR.. Weaver. who happened to be in the
neighborhood at the time, was called to the
house. He that life was extinct and
prompt action of the coroner avoided the
necessity of removing the body to the
morgue and enabled the undertaken to get
the body on train last night to be taken
to North Carolina. A brother and nephew
of the deceased accompanied the body.
The tragic death of Capt. Graham proved
a shock to a host of friends in North Car
DINA and this city. Important positions of
trust had been held by him and he had
practiced law before the courts in this city
and in several states. He served in the
confederate army throughout the war and
captain of a North Carolina company
at the close of the war.
Shortly after the war ne studied law at
the University of North Carolina. and was
regarded a man of legal ability and a
fine orator. He held positions in the civil
service commission and land Office during
the two administra tons of President Cleve-
land, and has since devoted his time to the
practice of his profession. His father, the
late w. A. Graham, was the candidate of
the WING party for Vice President in 1852,
was governor of North Carolina about
1874. and Secretary of the Navy during
the administration of President Pierce he
sent the first expedition from this country
to Japan.