Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-13
DEATH OF GOV. McGRAW.
A Maine Boy Who Became Chief Elk.
ecutive Of Washington.

Seattle papers bring details of the
death of Gov. McGraw who was a
Maine boy. The governor died June
% and the news dispatches briefly told
Maine friends of his death. Gov
McGraW was native of eastern Maine
who, like many Others from all over
the State, have made their mark in
the West. He had many friends in
Bangor and in that section. He had
been i'll for several weeks with typhoid
fever and the disease finally proved
too strong for even his vigorous con-
stitution to withstand.
John Harte McGraw was born at
Badger plantation. as it was then
called. in Penobscot county on Oct. 4.
1850. When little over two years
old his father was drowned. Later on
his mother married again. Young
John and his stepfather could never
seem to hit it off together, however
and when the boy was Ia years old he
left home because of particularly
violent quarrel
In 1S16-the year of the Custer
massacre at Little Big Horn-young
McGraw decided to follow the advice
of Horace Greeley and go West. He
ldIutu Ill San TIdHClSco III July VI
that year with an indomitable courage
and but little else. That was the sort
of capital needed in the West in those
days, however and it stood the young
man from Maine in good stead before
many years had passed.
On reaching San Francisco McGraw
looked about him for employment and
finally took a job as a horse-car
driver. This didn't prove altogether
to his liking and in December of that
year he threw up his position and
went north to Seattle. then little more
than busting village on the shores
of Puget sound. For several months
after his arrival there he was a clerk
i'm a small hotel. He finally purchased
a small business establishment with
his savings. He conducted it with
fair success until 1879 when the build
ing was burned and he decided to
abandon the venture
1t was not long after that McGraw
went on the Seattle police force The
town was then one of the most laWless
on the continent and it took a man of
courage and nerve to preserve order
among the crowd Of gun fighters and
bad men who congregated there from
all over the West. The youngster
from Maine proved himself fully
equal to the task and soon acquired
reputation for fearlessness and judg-
ment which caused him to be elected
town marshal and chief of police
They tell story of young McGraw
in those days which shows the sort of
nerve he had. A drunken desperate
had killed man who was dealing faro
in gambling hell. He had then re-
tired to an adjoining ROOM swearing
he would shoot the first man who
came through the door. The hall was
filled with men, many OF them wore
six shooters strapped to their sides.
But not one of them cared about pass
ing through the doorway and trying TO
subdue the whiskey crazed brute
within.
1t was at this juncture that McGraw
arrived upon the scene Wlthout an
instant's hesitation he entered the
room.
Put down that gum" he said
sternly.
To the utter surprise of the specta-
tors the man complied and before ne
realized what had happened, McGraw
had a pair of handouts on his Wrists.
The down east Yankee had played a
hundred to one shot against death ana
had won.
In 1882 he was elected sheriff OF
Kings county in which seattle Is STU
ated He was twice elected to sue
coed himself In 1892 he was eiecteo
governor of the state of washington
serving from 1898 to 1897. AL the
expration Of his term he retired 10
private life, dividing his attention De :
tween his law practice. banking ar
r.;... and l,ncinaSS in Alaska.