The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-03

was startled by the commission OF a cold
,,oodad murder IN its midst An old woman,
living in retirement and in peace with all
her neighbors was found brutally butchered
an her own house A neighDor entering,
0nds her corpse lying upon the floor of her
room. cold and stih-with the feet tied
together as she had been butchered by the
assassin, and her mead in pool OF clotted
gore.
Mrs Eliza NJ. Miller, the victim, was sixty
three years of age, aud with her nusoana ana
her sister occupied the premises No. VA But
tonwood street, where they had lived Ior over
twenty-five years.
husband and her sister, Miss Hattie ovens
started out for the day at o'clock, and
at half past screams were heard by the neigh
bors proceeding from Mrs. MIller's house. AS
she had been seen but few minutes before
that time engaged in her household labors, no
attention was paid to the cries, except by
Mis-. FTicke who lived in the mouse next 10
roof to try and discover what was the matter,
but she was unable to doso.
The murder was not discovered until about
hal-past o'clock that afternoon. When
discovered, the most careful pains had been
taken to cover up the traces OF the murderer
THE MURDERER CAPTURED.
The most strenuous exertions were made by
the detectives, and resulted in the arrest of a
man named Gottletb Williams, aged thirty
eight years, as the one to whom all the circum-
stances pointed as the murderer. This man
was the son of q butcher of the same name.
When sixteen years old the prisoner committed
his first deed OF blood. In an alteration with
another boy by the name of Peter Doescher,
Gottleib took up a butcher-knife, and drove 1t
through him up 10 the handle then withdraw;
ing the murderous weapon, he quietly wiped
off the blood, and laid 1t down where he had
HIS EARLY LIFE
This occurred upon the 10Th of February,
1874. His victim lived only a few hours, and
Williams was arrested upon the charge of MUIR
jury brought In a verdict OF involuntary man
slaughter He was convicted on the 9th of
MAJ ch, and on the 9Th of April following he
was sentenced by Judge Campbell to four years
Imprisonment in the County Prison. Hardly
had he been confined in prison before the most
strenuous exertions We're made to procure his
pardon, which were finally successful and he
was let loose again upon society.
But he had learned nothing by the terrible
lessons OF the past, and lived life of reckless
Yagabondage. During street hight he Is said
to have caused the death of a fireman named
Toner, by striking him on the head with
spanner. He succeeded in escaping conviction
for the of1ense. and the next that was heard of
him was his enlisting in the Both Regiment of
Volunteers, in the early part of the war. He
served in the army only two months. when he
deserted at the battle Of Antietam in company
with man named William Ticknor. Having
found his way to this city, he announced to his
friends his inteutiOn to go to California. He
started of to 60 5y the Overland 1 route put Rs1
with paralysis. After suffering some time, he
went out Of his room a cripple. lie came L; BACK
vagabond and spent considerable time in the
Almshouse.
paid frequent visits to the house of Mrs Miller,
by whom he was always kindly received, and
who gave him many meals vctuas, and had
even nursed him when he was sick. These
kind offices were always rendered to him, and
even as late as the day before the murder he
had taken breakfast at her house, although, as
she told her sister the same evening, she was
much afraid of him. Just before going there
he had been at a house opposite, and had been
1ndulging in very violent threats against every
body because he could not get anything to eat
and threatened that he would leave his mark
upon somebody before he died.
AFTER THE MURDER.
On the morning of the murder he was at the
lager beer saloon on the corner of Ninth and
Buttonwood streets, at o'clock. and, contrary
TO his usual custom, was not seen around that
quarter again during the entire day. When he
was seen going into the court few minutes
before O'clock nothing unusual was noticed
in his appearances but when seen at Eleventh
and BuItonwood Streets at q quarter before
O'Clock, his appearance was noticed to be pecu-
liar enough to cause the exclamation on the
6ottlieb looks as if he had fallen down in
slaughter -house" When nextseen, at o'clock
blishment near Laurel Hill. He then said to
bystander, as he was whetting knife upon q
expect TO live to see IT," He had a small bottle
with him, which he said had contained some
laudanum, but the cork getting out the whole
of IL had been spilled.
At the Robin Hood Tavern, on the same after
noon, he again spoke of his determination not
TO live, and in the same evening he told a Young
man that he would never be seen again after
that day; and also, that the next mornings
papers would contain the whole story of his
car at half past 7, and went TO Ridge and 90.
lumbia avenues. After that he was not seen
until the next morning at O'clock. On the
morning of the 2lst he was seen in the neigh-
borhood of Thirteenth and Spring Garden
streets, the attention of several persons being
called to his appearance
THE ARREST.
About halfpast he passed the shoe store OF
Mr. John ]. McNair, at No S6l North Thirteenth
street. Mr.. McNair was sitting in the door, and
as Williams went by he remarked to his wife
that the man answered the description given
in the papers Of the supposed murderer Of Mrs.
Miller,
Mrs. McNair told her husband that he had
better arrest him. The latter started out at
once, and overlook the suspected person at the
corner OF Coates street. He stopped him, and
asked If he had once lived at Tenth and But
tonWOod streets,
"Yes," was the answer, "I was raised there" "
MI McNar then inquired If his name was
mir1ams' 70 winch he received an affirmative
response: Mr.. McNair further inquired If this
was his birthday, to which he received a simi,
lar answer. -
,oh Then you're the man want" said McNair
Mlnams made no resistance going alonn
Win ms caPtor put demonstrating in a mild
way, and asking what charge there was against
man and could prove it, it would ali 90 riShi
with him. sA
After a thorough examination william,
was fully committed to answer the charge O
murder.
on the I9th of October, 1865 the Grand Jur,
found a true bill of Indictment and on III
Ilth of March, 1867, he was put upon trial in th
Ludlow and Pierce. Messrs. Worren ana Gen
dell were assigned as counsel for Williams ant
made an able defense. District Attorney Man
conducted the prosecution, assisted by Assis
ant District Attorney Il. Bradford Dwight
The efforts of the defense to prove dLib