Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-15
Arrest of the Franconia Murderer


man named George Maxwell. Oh III.
9Th day of December. at his homo
about two miles from the village ~
Frarconia, n IT,, is alill fresh in thu
minds OF the public The murderer
after committing the deed, robbo,l
Maxwcll's house Of all the valnabIo.
it contained, and also stole his yictin,.
horse and buggy, and was followed j,
Gorham (somc forty miles distant,
where he left the team and where
was asccrtaincd that he took tho oor.
on the Grand Trunk Railroad NH
started toward Canada. Ever d
fort was made by New Hampshire Of
fccrs and others to secure the mur-
dcrcr,who they were satisfied was one
Samuel MilIs-but without success.
aud at length the Selectmcn Of Fran
coma, alter abandoning the search
as well as nearly all hope Of over
hearing Of him, applied to private dc,
tcctiyc Moses Sargent of this city and
secured his services, giving him ill.,
limited power to use every effort aad
expense to secure and bring the Grim
inal to justice.
Mr. Sargent left this city Oh Thurs
day, January 10, and going to Fran
coma, gathered what facts he could
and started from that place Oh the roI,
lowing Monday, and, striking the mur-
! dcrcr's trail, followed it through uiG,
lerent parts OF New Hampshire. Yer
mont and Tic Cana2a whore he Wis
tied several mines iii search Of Mills
Chat person being o mincr). but b..
! came convinced that Mills had contiu-
ued his fight Westward. Meantime
\ Mr.. Sargent had provided himself Nth
a supply Of small printed circulars.
| containing q Brief account Of tic muir
der, very fnll and accurate descrin.
!, ton of Mills and the offer Of a I'd
! ward Of $500 for lis arrest by ta
, Selcctmcn Of I1raaconia; and, before
! leaving Canada East he mailed copic.
/ OF the circular to different officials ii
n the western States. and particularly
! to those who resided in the neighbour
hood OF mines.
\ After making further inquiries. Mr..
], Sargent lett Canada Tor tho WCstand
at length, after much hard and rough
travelling over distance Of thOu,-
i ands IF mics, he reached Ga!cua, ILL.,.
T. where he found and arrested Mill,
whilc al work ID mine near that
place. The murderer was placed Il
the custody Of Sheriff Luke al Gale
IL pa, who detained him until the arrival
, there Of requisiti0n from the Exccu-
III i've Of New Hampshire Tor bringing
him to that State.
nj soon after the prisoner was secured.
\ Mr Sargent. thinking that he might
i have put his hands while stained with
l. tho blood Of hi, victim into his uOek-
t. els, turned them inside out, and iOu4d
L one Of them much stained with blood.
l. This lie al once cut from tho pants
i and secured it for evidence. This
bo discovery ana act Of the detective
IL caused tic murderer to turn deadly
= pale and trcmblc violently lrom head
10 to loot, while large drops Of per>pi-
h ration covered his forehead auI ace !:
d. and it was only by the aid Of cold
IL water ard fresh air that he was pre-
.st vented from swo0ning. As soon as
he he recovered sufficiently to speak. G
Il. cxcaimcl. I'm ianoccntI Air. Sar-
4 gent Immediately informed Mills that
rs he was not Obliged to say anything
IL that would tend to criminatc himself
nt upon which Mills replied, Il know
j. that. 1t is evident that Mills lao
IN strong hopes Of escaping from tIc
H. clutchc Of the law, as he made fre
y quent inquiries whether more than
H. one officer was to take him back t.
lie New Hampshire
II Last Sunday after heavily ironing
Il. the prisoner, Mr.. Sargent. accompan
In led by Capt. :. g. Goodwin, Of New
H. Hampshire (who carried the Exccr
In tive papers from that Statc), left Ga
Is lena with him on their return 10 thl
IN county III which the murder was com
rs mittcd. They arrived ii this city
. last evening, and Mills was securely
d. locked up IN the Fourth Police Station
Ii FIR the night This morning Mr.. Sa,
to- gent and Capt Goodwin, with thcil
ar prisoner, take the first train for Lit
IN tIcton, n. H., where further proceed
III ihgs will be had before Trial Jus
b: ticc.
ho Mills is an Engiishman, he havin.
Id been born in London, in 1888 or -3e
is. and came to this country about tire
years ago, since which time he ha
worked in mines in Dover, n. J.
tail Racine, Wis, and il the Lake Supc
CIV rior region. His parents arc nov
ar living in London. and he has vii,
nv residing in Cambournc, Cornwall
of England.
ON While in the cars in Ohio, on thci
orS return, two earnest Life Insuranc
.hc agents made the acquaintance Of I'll
a two officers and their prisoner. ali,
led cndcavorcd to get all three as Gus
re toners. The officers promptly Dc
nd clincd, but Mills was more dispose
tho to learn terms, conditions. &c., an
IT, held considerable conversation wit
&C. the agents. and examined their pan
nd phiets, his ankles only being ito c
'hc i The day time. At length tic agent
hat had their attention directed to Ill
'ad ahac&les about Mills ankles, and 0
CIV learning who he was quickly concluc
o ed that they would make no lurthc
Ia effort to insure his life. Boston jan
cid MI.