The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-22
An Elderly Lady Brutally Murdered-
Eseaue or the Murderer.


TIL. c;.v of Philadelphia again has been the
scene of a terrible murder, which, next to
the massacre of the bearing family, ex-
cccds in atrocity any tragedy Of o similar
character enacted in that city FOX years.
The tiendish deed was committed on We'd
ncsday morning, but was not discovered
until late in tho afternoon. The victim
was Mrs. Eliza NJ. Miller, an elderly lady,
who was found in her own house with her
throa: cut in terrible manner, three
wounds on her head penetrating the skull,
and marks of strangulation about her
neck and breast, and surrounded with
pool OF blood. The particulars OF the
tragedy as given in the fhladeiphn
papers are as follows:
Mr.. Miller and Mrs. Miller's sister bo'h
went 10 their work as usual about o'clock
on Wednesday morning, leaving Mrs. MIL
Ter alone in the house. Both took their
dinners with them.
Ab,jt the middle of the afternoon
ladvHc>iding next door wondered .h"'
>inrSs O'Clock in TIE morning, when MIS-.
Miller, aged sixty-thrcc years, was seen
sweeping the steps, she had not been VI
,ibIc. There was woman in the neigh
borhood who frequently was seized win
fits. and when in thi. condition shrieked
in irighttul manner. Screams were heard
from Mrs. Millcr's house, but dccmng that
,i,is unfortunate creature had been taken
in commissions while on a call there, no at
tcntion was given to the matter. fani-
liaritv with the circumstance had begotten
comparative indifference to II.
Toward mid -aftcrno)n this nclghpor
Knocked at the front door of Mrs. Miller
house, and finding no response from Witblh,
went up the alley to the back gate, and en-
tered the kitchen. To her horror she be-
held kiug on the floor, in the centre OF q
pool of blood, the body Of Mrs. Miller. A
razor was by the right hand, and the idea
that presented itself to the discovcrer OF
the tragedy was that the old lady had com
mi,tcd suicide. The ncighborhood was
speedily reused and the police called III.
An examination OF the body at once
showed that a frighttul murder had been
committed: that the unfortunate lady had
been grappled by the throat, stunned by
three heavy blows upon the back OF the
head, and that her throat had then been
severed from ear to ear. A colorcd hood
or working bonnet which belonged to de-
ceased was found on table in the room,
and on il were spots Of blood. Blood
marks were discovered on the table, and
also on the wall close by the table.
BY frugality and thrift the Millcrs had
accumulated some 5000, which they kept
in the house. This money was found safe
in its place Of deposit. Whoever did the
murder seems to have been actuated by
other motives than those of plumber.
Nothing in the house appeared to be miss
ing.
The unfortunate husband first learned
OF the commission of the damning deed
from the lips Of bis employer. lie seemed
stunned at the tidings, stupcticd and be-
wildcrcd. His grief was too terrible to
dissolve itself in tears. The sister went
into commissions when the information was
conlidcd to her, and has since been lying
in a state Of coma. The deceased, as well
as the rest of the family, were noted as
being very quiet, respectable, and eXem-
plarv people. The entire family we're on
the best OF terms with everybody in the
neighbolhood, and il is not known that the
deceased had an enemy in the world, her
entire time being devoted to household
affairs. The tragedy has created great
excitement, and every effort is being made
10 arrest the murderer.