Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-01-30
Famous Trials
DIR. THATCHER GRAVES

please dc not hold any autopsy on my
remains. The cause of death may be
rendered as follows: Died from perse-
cntion; wornout; exhausted
This was the death message left by DR..
T. Thatcher Graves who committed SUI
icide In his cell Of the Jail ct Denver, Col,
on Sept. S, 1893.
DR.. Graves had been accused of killing
Mrs. Baxnaby in Denver and his trial
forms one Of the most interesting chapters
of the criminal history of the Rocky Noun
tain regions. The prosecution of Graves
was one of the most brilliant and yigor-
Gus of anything ever witnessed in Col
orado, chiefly through the efforts of
John Conrad, a son-in-law of the murder
ed woman q millionaire mine owner ana
one of the most prominent men of the state
Of Montana.
The defense Of DR.. Graves was under
taken by strong friends from the East,
who employed eminent legal talent. The
news of Mrs. Barnabyis death by poison
was presented to the Denver people one
morning in April, 1891. There was deep
mystery as to VINO was responsible for
having placed the poisonous substance in
the bottle from which Mrs. Barnaby had
drunk.
Dr. T. Thatcher Graves had been a close
friend of Mrs. Dafhaby and upon him
business affairs. When her death was
announced. DR.. Graves, who at the time
was in Providence, r. /, sent word that
he would so to Denver to take charge of
| the body. When ne arrived there q large
crowd met him at the station, for there
| were already rumorS afoat duplicating
| him In the tragedy.
The writing on the bottle of the alleged
whiskey, from which Mrs. Barna6y had
drank the fatal dose stated that it was
! from Friends in the Woods" The poison
was drank at the home OF the Worrals, in
denver, and they took the precaution to
preserve the writing on the bottle. Upon
Graves arrival in Denver, he registered at
| the leading hotel and the ink had hardly
dried before an enterprising news gather
! err had deity cut it out and compared
i it with the specimen Of penmanship ir
the hands of the district attorney. Strons
points of resemblance were noted 1t
was plain that TIE writing on the bottle
had been done in disguised hand
| Reports began to be circulated after
| the murder to the effect that DR.. GRAVES
| had not been able to account for the
funds with which he had been intrusted
by Mrs. Barnaby, and therefore he had
Slammed the death of one who had been
his benefactor. The grand jury of Arap-
hoe county. on the strength Of the grave
suspicion, indicted Graves for the mudrer
of Mrs. BaTnaby but he was allowed bail
and the triad did net take place until late
in the fab of 1891. In the mean time
the prisoner became a noted figure on the
streets Of Denver and to a slight extent
moved in the society opened to him by the
standing Of his attorneys, Judge Furmar
and Judge Mayeon. He was a handsome
man, more than feet in height, Away:
well dressed and looked the personifica.
ton Of prosperous professional man.
After the lawyers had settled the pre-
liminaries of the great legal battle tina
was to come, the chemists had their day
, 1t was definitely determined that tn
supposed whiskey was a tpoorly made de
, coction, IN which port wine, arsenate o
potassium and water were the ingredients
Had Mrs. Barnaby tasted it instead o
swallowing the drink poured out, her lif
would not have been in danger. The per
: sonality Of the attorneys employed o
Q both sides was remarkable in many way!
i Nothing was left undone to free the Ne,
n England physician. John Conrade, tn
: son-in-law, opened palatial headquarters
| in Denver at one Of the leading hotels an
q spent thousands Of dollars before an
i during the trial to make Graves oscar
d from a death sentence impossible f
: the New England states, hired detective
j. by the dozen and had all the machinery
the law at his command.
Graves during the early days of ii
trial was self-poSsessed. When the we
!. of terrible facts became stronger he bega
% to lose his nerve. He finally insistt
= against the advice Of his lawyers on g
:" ing on the witness stand in his own d
. Tense. He broke down and contradict
= himself in damaging way when und4
70 the fire of cross-examination.
Fl After the verdict finding him guilty WI
returned, he felt confident that the sta
supreme court would grant him ne
trial. While his lawyers were befo
that tribunal with the case he was
IN the state penitentiary at Canon Cit
S. cheerful and hopeful. But the stra
Ia proved even too much for his robu
-, physique, He thought that after a ne
trial had been granted the Colorado al
In thorities would not again go to the b
B. expense of prosecuting him. In this
was mistaken. The approach Of hi sse
A. ond trial formed his determination 20 k
Of himself He succeeded in spite Of t
fact that he was prisoner by TAXI
10 eeison.