Grabez, (pronounced, Grah-bej) was the son of a Serb-Orthodox priest. Grabez was the only one of the seven young assassins who had a police record (excepting Cabrinovic's expulsion from Sarajevo). Grabez was sentenced to two weeks in prison for striking his high-school teacher.
He traveled to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to finish his education. While in Belgrade, he became friends with Gavrilo Princip and Nedjelko Cabrinovic. The three had much in common. They were all militant nationalist Bosnian-Serbs, all about the same age and all suffering from tuberculosis. Grabez was the third man chosen by Major Tankosvic, of the Black Hand, to participate in a plot to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Stationed last in the chain of assassins that lined the Appel Quay, Grabez failed to use either his pistol or his bomb as the unhurt Archduke drove past. He went home afterwards and hid his bomb and gun. He was arrested a few days later, based on information provided by another member of their group, Danilo Ilic.
Unlike Princip, who stoically maintained that he was not a criminal, Grabez admitted his guilt. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He died in February of 1916 of tuberculosis.
Related Articles in World War I Document Archive
The Black Hand
Constitution of the Black Hand
Sarajevo, June 28, 1914
Biography of Colonel Dimitrijvic, the mastermind.
Biography of Franz Ferdinand, the slain Archduke.
Biography of Princip, the gunman.
Biography of Cabrinovic, the bomber.