The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-07-22
Miles Williams

lollowlng singular events occurred
there. A young man named Miles
Williams, who had come into that
neighporhood to look for n place to
locate, sauntered into Sandusltv one
afternoon, with n rifle on bis shoul.
der and gong to the wharf, inquired
Of the captain Of r schooner when he
was going to sail
i don't know exactly said the cap.
tain; there is storm brewing on the
lake, and it looks to me as ii it was
& ing to lead off u dance for good
hiany flirtin' ones, and don't believe
in putin out sich company--it cor.
lrupts good manners, as the saving
is. You seem to be in hurry com.
radeS'
Il am. I got ill news from homo
this morning, and I will double your
passage money if you run me down
to Cleveland to night
Not |. 1 wouldn't undertake it
for four times the money
Silenced by this reply, the young
man went to hotel near by, and sit
ting down, thrust his hands into his
pockets, with the dogged air of one
who makes up his mind TO be con
tent with a positive evil He had
been sitting with look of gloomy dis
content but short time, when the
clatter of horses feet were heard In
the street, and man, pale and trem-
bling, stood within the door wav.---
His first discordant utterance was
the word Murder No expression
Of pain or terror can send the same
deathly chill to the heart as that one
word ol terrible import, and, paral.
yzcd with stupid surprise, the gath.
cred crowd inquiringly gazed at
the breathless messenger OF evil
Before he could relate what seemed
to choke his utterance, the sheriff of
the county hastily entered and arres.
ted Miles Williams.
For what? faltered the young man.
"The murder OF Millie Woods"
was the stern reply. Millie was
known to every man, woman and
child in Sundusky. She was the only
child of respectable parents living
within n mile OF the village, and in
her sprightly loveliness had won the
affection oil all The circumstances
attending her death were as follows.
The parents, as was frequently their
custom, left the house under the
charge of Millie, and had been, the
greater part OF the day, making pur-
chases and visiting in the village.--
Hurrying home before the threatened
storm, the agonized parents found
their house robbed, and their only
child brutally murdered. The news
spread rapidly, and soon the curious
and cooler neighbors were looking
carefully on all marks the violence
had left in the premises. The front
door was found open, all the inner
doors unlocked or broken, every
drawer, chest or cupboard forced,
and their contents scattered over the
floor. In the garaet, To which place
the poor little creature had probably
fed, Mile was found covered with
blood that howed from a stab In her
side, her little hand grasping an old
bed post, while around her neck
white handkerchief was slightly knot
ted. Upon the floor of the hall, one
OF the neighbors picked mp squir.
rel with one fore-pa gone and its
head scalped by a rife ball. A
young man who had been chopping
wood in neighboring grove, ilnme.
diately recognized it as one Williams
had shot that afternoon; he was bv,
and, picking it up, remarked that it
was an excellent shot. Williams
left him, and went in the direction of
W ood's house with the squirrel in
his hand. The handkerchief un,
wound from Miles neck had the let.
ters NJ. w. in one corner. True,
these were the initials of Miles
own name, but her mother positively
avowed she owned no such article. -
Satisfied with these circumstances,
the officer at once arrested Williams,
rs before mentioned
fhe prisoner was hurried to the
nearest magistrate, and the evidence
! have detailed given before him.
In addition to this, spots of fresh
blood were found on his coat sleeve:
and as Woods had been robbed OF
some gold and silver coin of a pc
culiar character two or three of The
pieces were found upon the unfortu-
nate mans person. This riveted the
final link, and the crowd grew furious.
Little Millie, so good so loved and
loving, all remembered as child of
their own; and she to be butchered
for gold--the law seemed too slow
and mild for vengeance; and the
crowd, now swelled to hundreds,
swayed to and fro, shouting angrily
for blood.
A convict but lately released from
prison, hastened forward with a rope,
threw it over post, while some OF
the citizens, in anower to this mute
suggestion, hurried the unfortunate
Miles Williams towards the impromtu
gallows.
"Oh, gentlcmanr' screamed the
young man, frightened at what ap.
peared his inevitable fate. "Have
mercy upon mel am innoeent--in-
deed | am--havc mercy" .H
His voice was drowned in a roar
from the crowd. "Who had mercy
on little Miller Hang him, hang