Officer Joseph Graus
Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Nov 1898, page 8
Constable Joseph Graus succeeded yesterday in recovering the race horse, Nannie D, which had been spirited away by its owner, Rodger McKee, in an effort to avoid the payment of a claim of $10 lodged by Clause, the tailor, for making a jockey's suite. The officer found the horse in Covington and will sell it to satisfy the claim.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 April 1903, page 9
NEWPORT BRIEFS
Constable Joseph Graus last night tendered his resignation as Constable
of the First Magisterial District to take effect at once. Graus has made an
efficient officer, having served three terms, and his friends will regret to
learn that he has decided to give up the office.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 November 1911, page 12
TWO MEN WOUNDED
One man was shot and killed and two seriously wounded in a
conflict yesterday afternoon at Fourth and Central avenue in Newport.
Before the fighting had ended at least 25 shots were fired, and Officer Joseph
Graus, of the Newport Police Department, had a revolver and his mace shot out of
his hands. So fierce was the fighting that the fusillade of shots sounded
like a minie warfare, and within a few minutes crowds of people swarmed the
streets in the vicinity of where the shooting occurred.
The man who lost his life in the conflict is Joseph Vonderhaar, 25, unmarried, whose permanent residence is at 984 East Third street, but who has been living with James Redmond, saloon keeper, at Fourth and Central avenue in Newport. John Brady, a cement worker, residing at 341 Patterson street, who came to the aid of Patrolman Graus, was shot in the right arm and Herman Moore, colored, who shot Vonderhaar, was shot in the right leg by Patrolman Graus in trying to escape.
The shooting was the result of a race prejudice. Washington Lee Moore, William Moore and Herman Moore, three brothers, and Henry Woods, all colored, had spent the afternoon at the home of a colored friend on Central avenue between Third and Fourth. Shortly after 5 o'clock they visited Redmond's saloon for a drink, but were told they could not drink in the saloon. They then purchased 10 cents worth of whisky that was given them in a bottle.
As they were leaving the saloon one of the colored men replied to a remark made by Vonderhaar to the effect that colored men were not wanted around the saloon and as Lee and Herman Moore reached the sidewalk a fight started.
Officer Graus was standing near the corner at Fourth and Central avenue when Vonderhaar came out of the saloon and struck at Wash Moore. Moore struck back and then Henry Woods was struck with a pair of "knucks" by some white man. Officer Graus attempted to keep the combatants separated and was endeavoring to keep the colored men over toward the south side of the southwest corner of Fourth and Central avenue, drawing a revolver from his pocket as he walked. Vonderhaar came across the street to strike Willie Moore, and as he did so Herman Moore warned him that if he did he would shoot. Vanderhaar struck Willie Moore and knocked him across the curb on the south side of the street.
Before he could regain his feet Herman Moore pointed his gun at Vonderhaar's forehead and with the muzzle almost touching his head, pulled the trigger. Vonderhaar crumpled up and fell with a gaping wound in his head, from which the brains oozed. Officer Graus grappled with the gun user and was just in the act of wrenching his revolver out of his hands when a man, said to be O'Brien, who had procured a revolver, rushed up and fired twice at Herman Moore. Both shots went wild one hitting the cylinder of the gun and the other tore a big piece out of Officer Graus' mace. O'Brien fired the other four shots out of his revolver at the colored men after they started to run away but none of his bullets hit.
After Officer Graus had wrenched the revolver from Herman Moore's possession, the latter with his brother, Lee Moore, ran south on Central avenue. They went through James Alley, Officer Graus firing as he ran. One of his bullets took effect in Herman Moore's right leg and the wound caused the latter to pull up lane.
He surrendered to Graus. Lee Moore continued through the alley to Monmouth street, pursued by a big crowd of people, whose cries of "catch the nigger: lynch him." caused fresh recruits to take up the chase at every square. At Ninth and Monmouth streets Private Officer Charles Knecht grabbed Lee Moore and placed him under arrest. He brought him to police headquarters where the brothers were locked up.
Vonderhaar's body was left lying the in the street until friends carried him to Redmond's saloon and laid him on the floor. From there he was sent to Speers Hospital where he died later in the evening. Herman, Lee and Willie Moore reside at the corner of Eleventh and Saratoga streets and are employed by the C and O Railroad as section hands.