Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-12
From the Putsburgh Republican,, dated
Jaiy OF.
BATTLE OF NIAGARA.

A splendid bali was given BY the ofd
|cers Of the 9th regiment, at the military.
hall, in the cantonment, on the S5th in
slant, IN commemoration of the battle Of
Niagara. At o'clock, P. N. salute
was fired from the forts. A very large
and respectable number Of citizens joined
in the festivities Of the evening. The hall
was fancifully decorated in military style,
and handsome display of rockets gave
splendor to the exercises of the evening.
Francis de Alert, who was to have
been executed yesterday, put period
to his life the night before, by hanging
himself with his saspenders, in prison, to-
the great disappointment OF thousands OF
spectators, who assembled to witness his
execution.
The circumstances attending the mur-
der. Of Peter Miller, of Champiain, as
appeared on the trial Of Alert, were as
| follows:
Peter Miller and his wife had been liy-
ing with Francis de Alert and his father,
but in consequence of some dissatisiac-
ticn, moved to ueighboring house a
short time before Miller was murdered.
Francis Alert frequently lmportured the
wife Of Miller, as appeared by her'testi
mJny, to return and keep house for them
and asked her If Peer should die, whe-
Their she would live with him; to which
she replied, * if the Lord should take
Peter away aud her brother John y, I'D
accommodate her, she would 60 u keep
IEouse for him." At two different times
Alert called upon Miller to go with him
in boat on the lakc-on his return each
time he had sickness similar to shat OF
poison, Alert came ia, one of the morn
ings after their return, and asked miller
to go to his house and take some. Differs
- Miller declined, saying, The 'bitters
| drank yesterday made me sick. In
!, the monte of July, 1915, Francis le Alert
came into the house OF Miller Ia the morn-
t. ING, and told his wife that he had found
Peter dead in the lot---aDd asked her" if
} she would be as good as her word. "
!, Alert directed her to the spot where she
found her husband lying with his head on
: fiat rock and large Iirlb Of a tree On
t his head. -.
The Deishbors we're caIied-AEert gent
home and feigned himself sick---he and
his father expressed much anxiety to have
the body inferred without waiting for a
jury Of inquest, &c.
!, Suspicion rested on tie Alerts & they
/ were raken before a magistrate, examin-
ed and committed TO gaol in th;s place
From their achnow!ed gments, and other
{ circumstances, it appears that as Miller
: was passing near their house at evening,
the old man seized him by the throat,
the mark of whose fingers were distinct
on the neck, and that Francis gave him
/. two or three wounds with Ratchet. on
j his head, which produced his death.-they
) then took him On a bard barrow, carried
him into the lot a:d laid the limb upon
his head, to make it appear that on his
! return from work he attempted TO carry
home some wood that he fell with the
f limb upon his head, and that this occa-
stoned his death.
! The AIerts were released by the Br-
I fish in their excursion in 1915. Francis
married in Canada; where he resided
! till last winter, when Tor some reason, ne
came this side of the lines, where he was
taken, committed to gaol, and tried and
: condemned 1T the June circuit. y
1 The oil nIan, if living, still resides i'll
j Canada.