I'm posting my transcripts of the newspaper articles I found, for the benefit of anyone researching this couple, with the caveat that I have not proven they pertain to the couple in question.
I've typed them up as they were printed, typos and spelling errors included. I've added italics to make it easier to read.
It's a very sad story.
Daily Columnist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
March 9, 1880
Supposed Suicide at Portland of a Former Victorian.
About 10 o’clock Tuesday night the watchman of the O.S.N. Co.’s lower dock found a coat, vest and hat on one of the slips, and on searching the coat, found a memorandum book belonging to James Grahamslaw, a ship carpenter. On one of the pages was written with a lead pencil in a legible hand the following:
PORTLAND, Oregon, Feb. 27, 1880.
To whoos hands this book should fall into – Please let it be known that I have Parted from my wife and greaves me to destraction. I cant settle to work and I cant live without it. I have sold every thing I had and drank it all. I have made up my mind to comit a deed of self destruction which I hope the Lord will have mercy on my sool – for I am actually crazy.
JAMES GRAHAMSLAW.
Carpenter.
No blame on any one but myself.
Nothing is definitely known as to whether Grahamslaw committed suicide or not, but the facts of his clothes being found, the above letter threatening self-destruction, and his disappearance since Tuesday night, indicate that he put his threats into execution. The probability is that he crawled under the door to the edge of the slip, and dropped silently into the water, the surface of which was only four feet below him. Had he jumped from the edge of the dock the splash caused by his fall would have attracted the attention of the watchman. The river in front of the dock was dragged yesterday, but no traces of the body could be found. It is thought that domestic trouble prompted the deed. The following letter was found in his memorandum book (it evidently had been copied and mailed,) and shows that his wife had left him on account of his inebrity:
SUNDAY, PORTLAND, Jan. 25, 1880.
DEAR VIOLET: – I sit down with an uneasy mind to write you a few lines asking forgiveness for my past unkindness to you, and I ask you as a favor to meet me at postoffice any night before Saturday, between 7 and 8 o’clock, as I have some money to give to you. I will be there every night after this. Hoping you will receive this in time, and I do assure you that I am willing to make reparation for what I have done, and change my ways to your satisfaction, for it grieves me to the hart to think we have lived so long together and then come to this at last. Believe me in earnest, Dear Violet, and I assure you, you will have no cause to complain in the future. I will Join any temperance society you life if you wish me for I am heartily tired of the way I am living and I think you can’t be happy in a strange house.
I now bid you good night hoping to meet you some night next week and I feel ashured everything will come right, as you have my hart and first love. I remain your loving husband.
JAS. GRAHAMSLAW.
I admit it has been all my fault rnd no one to blame but myself.
Grahamslaw was a good-natured, hard-working Scotchman somewhat addicted to drink and worked for the O.S.N. Co. at boat building. He has been before the police court several times and fined for drunkenness, but was not considered a rough character. – Oregonian.
The Oregon Daily Journal
May 12, 1910
DEATHS ... GRAHAMSHAW – Violet Grahamshaw, Good Samaritan hospital, May 10, age 72; old age.
Regards,
Josephine
