Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-02-22
THE DAYTON MURDER.
TRIAL OF ALFRED MILLER.
His Commitment to Jail.

Our rt aderS have already heen informed OF
the arrest o Miller, near Middle,Own, for the
murder of the girl Sarah Frame, on canal
boat, at Dayton. The report Of the eXamina-
ton, for which We are indebted TO the DAYTON
Journal, will give the public vcry poor idea
of the morals Of Canal boats. When Miller
was arrested, he maize the following statement
TO the person who had him in charge:
He said he came on the boat one morning
rather TOO late for breakfast, and Sarah Frame,
the woman he supposed he had killed, Said,-
"Alf you are TOO late Tor your breakfast -
| Miller told her he ha his breakfast. They
then came 10 some pretty hard words. Sarah
told him that no d--n son Of a L-h Sh uld
come in there and jaw her and that no
! d-n- should tattle about her, she then
said if they did-at the same time picking up
n four legged Stool--She would knock their
n brains out Miller then slapped her on
the side Of the head; as lie did so, tie stool
fell out of her hand, and turning over, the
legs stuck up; he then caught her by the arm
and gave her little jerk, and kicked her, she
fell on the soo, After this she got up and
sat on chair and saij calf didn't think
YOU would ever do the like 20 me-" Miller
and called me a d-n son Of a h-h often
enough" Miller then spoke 10 another wo-
man OIL board, and told her 10 clean up the
blood which fell from her nose. Miller then
left the boat, and was gone about an hour, he
was coming back TO the boN', when he was
told that the girl was dying or was dead, some
one told him that he had better leave. lie
said be didn't know what 10 do.
At ONE time he thought he would 20 and
deliver himself to the authorizes, as he had
not the least idea OF killing the time he slap.
ned her. Some man whom Miller named then
took Off MiIlerS cap; and cave him bat and
red shirt, and told him he had better leave
He conc luded 20 60, and went ont on the
Greenvile railway, 10 the first watering sta
ton. When he got there, he concluded he
would return and rive himself up. but did not
do so. He started down the Great Miami
Pike, and lost his way, and got back to the
nike at Aleyanderv lie. He then went on,
travelling bv dnv to Mi1lIetown, when he
went up the Lebanon cana! mile or two. and
struck in through slip of woods to Amanda
When took Miller, he begged me not to lie
him. took him tn West Chester, where we
s'aid AL night, and brought him to Dayton
next day.
The next witness was Elizabeth Stradley
who narrated the circumstances attending the
difficulty on Sunday and Monday, between the
parties, and death Of the girl Frame. She said
"0n last Suuiav evening Sarah had WASHED
up her diShor. onl ,Vas thIewins eut the dish
water - when she drew back the window
which had three or four paneS pasted over
she said she could not keep the paper paSte'
on them. for Miller and Liz were always tear
ing it off. On Monday morning, when Mile
came in the boat, he told Sarah if she eve
called him d--n son Of b-h again, HI
would slap her, he said that he had often beef
abused by her before.
Sarah then said that no CD son oil
D., nor no e. nor NJ
d-b- can conquer me. Miller tol'
her she had better stop, for she had said enough
7 Sarah then picked up stool and dared Mile
t TO touch her. Miller then slapped her in th
face with his open hand, and made her noS'
4 bleed, at the same time he seized her hv th'
d arm, and the stool fell over. Sarah fell o.
the stool when he slapped her, and Miller the,
r kicked her twice. took hold Of his coat an
t begged him not 10 kick her. was 50 excl
ted, that started to leave the cabin. bu
,, came back and lifted Sarah up, and her q
i
with a wet cloth Miller at this time wa
y standing by. smoking his pipe. Sarah said
"Alf never thought YOU would treat me thi
e wav."
{ Miller turned pale and said nothing. an
soon aher went out. Libby said Sarah, max
Y me bed. did So then unlocked her d es
- and laid her on the locker, where had fiXe
:, the bed. She tainted and threw water in he
face. and when she came 10 she said, "Libb
i | believe I'm dying" then went out amid
= shin, and called Mrs. Grav, who lives cIcS
by, within call She came on the boat, an
" sent for the Captain, Cartwright, and he wen
- for doctor. sarah lived about an hour, bu
: was dead before The doctor came,
e Cross Examiued.-I had no particular &C
uuaintance with Sarah before came OH I'll
boat. Sarah was very provoking IN her m n
ner Of abusing MiIer.
+ Miller seemed to lie in good humor wien h
|, wen, 10 the grocery. When ne came back.
Il knew he ha d been drinking; but he waSn't
~ say, drunk. Miller had told Sarah that Il
s. lidn't care about her abusing himto his fac
e but she shouldn't 90 il in presence of otht
- neople. lie gave hera tolurablc hard SlaI
et can't say whether the slap knocked her owe
e for he took her by the arm al the same time
u and shook her. | am sure he kicked IT,
n twice in the back as she fell.
el dc not believe Miller intended 10 hurt he
n murh he only intended 10 stop her talk. Sa
e rah had poor health her breast and stomac
l. were Sweed up when came on the boa
r. she complained a great deal; sometimes
3 thought she would not live have not see
at Miller since he left the boat ill saw hil
le here.
The rest Of the evidence was unimpOrian
with the exception o. that ofDrs. Steward m
Crook, who made post mortem examinatc
h of the girl. They said the girl had died
rs hemorrhace, brought about by rup'ure Of Il
x spleen, which was enlarged to about fo
1 times its healthy size by disease. Her splice
le was in very bad condition, aud her deaf
T, f.om the blows, was the result Of her disease
90 condition.
ID The Court required the prisoner to give h'
ng in fve hundred dOllars and in default, he W
- ccmmted. He will probably be tried at Il
E. next term of Court.
H. ~------~-~~~-~-~---~~-~~>~~~~~-
al The "Dog-Eating Story False"
The st. Louis Democrat brands as fabric
ton the story that the passengers on the III
en- nois Central Railroad were reduced 10 SUI
an extremity. IN the recent snow-storm on I
r. prairie, that they we're obliged 10 eat dogs
ry support life. 1t says:
re 'The dog hoax. we learn, originated in
In fertile brains of the bows in Bloomington, a