The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-02-26
IURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1857.

ing his digestive organ, enervating his whole
frame, and threatening serious head affection.
We told him this, and enjoined absolute dis
continuance Of all work--bed at II, light sup
per, Che had all his life made that principal
meal, } thinning the hair of the head, warm
sponging bath at bedtime, &c. To all our
commands he readily promised obedience
For fully ar hour we talked together on these
and other subjects, and left him with no ap-
prehension of impending evil, and little doubt
ing but that short time Of rest and regimen
would restore him to his wonted visor." s@
Shortly afterward, states The Witness, the
servant entered The dining room to spread the
'sShe found Mr.. Miller in thu room alone.
Another Of the paroxysms was on him. His
face was such picture OF horror that she
shrunk in terror from the sight. lie flung him.
self on the sofa, and buried his head, as If in
agony, upon the cushion. Again, however,
the vision fitted by, aad left him in perfect
heahh. The evening was spent quietly with
his family. During tea he employed himself
in reading aloud Cowper's Castaway, the sSon-
net on Mary Unwin,' and one Of his more
playful pieces, for the special pleasure of his
children. Having corrected some proof of the
forthcoming volump, he went up stairs to his
study. At tie appointed hour he took the
bath, but unfortunately his natural and peculi-
ar repugnance to physic had induced him TO
leave untaken the medicine that had been pre-
scribed He had retired into his sleeping
room-a.. small apartment opening out of his
study, and VIII ch, for some time past, in con-
sideration Of the delicate state of his wife's
health, and the irregularity Of his own hours
Of study, he occupied at night alone-and
laid some time upon the bed. The horrible
trance, more horrible than ever, must have re-
turned. All that can now be known of what
followed is to be gathered from the facts, that
next morning his body, half dressed, was
found lying lifeless on the floor, the feet upon
the study rug, the chest pierced with the ball
of revolver pistol, which was found lying in
the bat h that stood close by. The bullet had
perforated the left lung, grazed the heart cut
through the pulmonary artery at its root, and
lodged in the rib on the right side. Death
must have been instantaneous"
The terrible story Of Miller's death has
created still deeper gloom in Edinburg by
the publication of these sad particulars. But
another sad tragedy in connection with his
fate had at the same time to be disclosed
After the judicial and medical inquiry on Fri
day, Professor Miller took the pistol to the
gunsmith from whom it had been purchased
in July, 1855, in order to ascertain how many
shots had been fired and how manv were still
in the chamber. In the masters absence, the
foreman, Thomas Eslie, an old and experienced
workman, received the pistol from Professor
Miller, and, unfortunately, instead of taking
off the chamber, he looked into the muzzle,
holding the hammer with his fingers, while he
turned the chamber round, to count the
charges. The hammer slipped from his fin
fers, struck the cap, and the charge of the
barrel exploded. Prof. Miller, still standing
outside the counter, exclaimed, "That's narrow
escaped" bat unhappily it was not so, for, as
the smoke gradually cleared away, he saw the
poor mans head gradually droop and his body
then fell lifelesslv to the floor. The charge
had entered his right eye and penetrated the
BRAIN Leslie was steady. trustworthy man,
and had been twenty. five years in his present
employment. He has left widow and tami-
ly Of eight children.