Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-10-08
From the Stamford (con. ) Sentinel.

gicuS Phrenz4-Ihe following melancholy occurrence from fanaticism, which has re- cently taken place in an adjoining town, has been related to us by q person who learnt the particulars from the wife of the unfortunate man, and from persons residing in the yici- nty of the bloody scene:
 A MT Stephen J. Miller, of New Canaan, fer many years past very respectable mem Der of the Congregational church, in North Stamford, under the pastorial charge of the Rev MT Fuller, on Thursday night last, kill cd histwo children, and nearly killed his wife, while in a state of alteration of mind. The circumstances which led to the act are as fol- lows:-Not flong since the church at North Stamford held a ''four days meeting" Mir M. was constant in his attendance, and was apparently much exercised in his mind with the religious services of the meeting. On Friday, the 2d inst. he attended a similar meeting at New Canaan, conducted by the Methodist persuasion; on his return home he told his wife heshould do no more work, and that he intended to leave all his temporal con cerns to Providence, and prepare himself for death. From That moment he commenced fasting, declaring that he should in future live on faith-he then occupied most of his time, during the hours of labor, in reading the Scrip lures or prayer. On Tuesday morning last he told his wife she must not cook any victuals but that she and the children must also fast. With this request Mrs M. complied, suspect ing his mind was not altogether rational.- The neighbors during this time had not disco vered any thing in the conduct of MT M. to excite suspicion of his insanity. On Thurs day night he retired to bed at his usual hour with his family, consisting of his wife and two children one and the other year of age. A bout midnight thunder shower rose and the noise of the thunder awoke them from sleep Mrs M. observed to her husband that the shower was very heavy, to which he replied, ''yes, the day of Judgement is at hand and we must get up and prepare forit." He im- mediately left his bed, took his eldestchild and comm,nced beating it in terrible man ner, to keep Gas he remarked at the time, ) "the Devils off. ''-Mrs Miller sprang out of bed and interfered-Miller let go of the child and seized her by the hair of her head, and before she could extricate herself from his grasp, he tore all her night clothes off, and bruzed, bit and scratched her flesh most shockingly; on making her escape she fled be-
 low stairs, and he followed close after-in her attempt to pass the outer door he caught her by the ance, she fell outside, the door at the same time closing against her leg; in this con uieioH obc lay hSdtly all HOul, lldket, anu eHc rain pouring down in torrents, he during the time holding her by the ance inside the door. He finally, and of his own accord, let go his hold, and she fled to the nearest ncighbor al- most lifeless. The neighbois being alarmed, repaired to Miler's house and found him ranging about it; the windows was mostly broken to pieces; the younger child was found lying in the weeds, about two rods from the house, awfully wounded in several parts of the body by blows apparently inflicted upon it with hoe, ,-it fingered few hours and died. The other child was found a corpse in the cellar wretchedly mangled.
 From traces of blood, and other appear ances, it is supposed the last mentioned child was killed by beating its head against the cas- ings of the window in the chamber in which the tragedy was commenced, and that the bo- dy was then hove out of the window and af- forwards taken up and thrown through ano- ther window into the cellar. Mrs Miller remained at the house where she first gave the alarm, and where she yet remains unable to leave her bed, in consequence of the injury she received.
 MT Miller was taken before a magistrate on Saturday, and after an inquiry had, was committed to Fairfield Jail to await legal in- vestigation of this unhappy circumstance, at the next term of the Superior Court for this county, which commences at Danbury, on the last Tuesday in this month.
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