The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-18
TRAGEDIES IN BROOKLYN.
ms THE CTTY or CHURCHES AN
JyITfTOR OF BLUEDEARD7

,u,,i.oucd on Conviction for Killing One |
Wifr-Aaaiu In Prison on Chnrae OF Vile |
nIurLct-Thc Prisoners Experience In |
che Rebel Army-ThrewinR A n Locomotive |
al tue Trnck-Aiding In the Escape Of
Uni m Prisoners. -
rrancis 7. Mills, q machinist, who lived in Fihh
,,.ouc near Eighteenth street, Brooklyn, during
,r,rrr with his wife late on Sunday night stabbed
T., IN the lcf breast with penknife, wounding her,
n I, supposed, mortally. Mills was discharged on
Saturday from his position as engineer In James
sankey's marble works at Greenwood and during
Inc evening ne was gloomy and quarrclsome. Moth
Ior however. occurred that night between Mills and
wife be, ond a war Of words. On Sunday morning
Mil, started to 20 to church, and did not ictur I'M
M that night, when he began to abuse his vic, at
h,t striking her with his hst He struck her twice,
aad soon thereafter her step-son noticed tlst his
mother had been stabbed. Mills then sent ioi D..
Bi,., anil remained at home all night as though
po,lins cN,g ordinary had happened oficcr Porter
arrested MIL yesterday morning, ana took him to
Tie Firs, District Court. whencc Justice Dclmsr
committed him to Raymond street jail 10 await the
result
uILLs's FIRST MURDER.
NINA. frs wife, Laura, was cultured and re0nei.
sA.va,a 4 southerner. and Gained to be a daughter
of e1 Commodore baltimore OF the navy. AT the
time Of his first wife's death Mills was an engineer
IA the BiookJn Eagle once, and lived in rooms over
che building. lie mad every opportunity to maltreat
bis wife, there being no other tenants In the build
inE On the night Of Sept Il, 1866 Mills called upon
DR. Johusor md ASKED him to accompany him, as he
su.peeted that his wife had taken laudinum. The
doctor went with him to the Eagle ofice, where he
found Mrs Mills exhausted under loss OF blood. He
gave her -tmuant which rallied her, and she said
that her husoand had struck her twice In the side
with a bottle weighing four or five pounds. DR..
johnson informed Mr. Mills that she was dying.
snd asked her whether she still accused her hus.
land OF the assault. She again charged that Mills
vas the ciu-e OF her injuries.
MILLS ~ siSG sISG.
The Grand Jury indicted Mills for the murder OF
bis wife. lie was convicted Of manslaughter in the
third icGrce, and sentenced to Two years In Stat,
Prison Jut Gov. Fenton pardohed him alter he
had been eight months In confinement.
HIsroRr OF TuE huRDgRtR.
Mills born in Birmingham, England, in 1890
He came 10 this country when very young,
and va, usturalized in 1873 Six years after
thi, he vas employed by Moore a Richardson,
otcincianatt, to take charge Of some locomotives
which ihcy we're sending South. He was next en-.
ployed by tie Charlotte and Columbia Railroad 10
put these locomotives In working order. While he
va, engaged IN this undertaking the rebel authori-
ties forced him to run the engines OF this road for
The Confederate government Mills started from
Colum ia with eighteen cars, In which were 900
FEEDER ~ .oncrs and guard OF or rebels 10
each c'. While on the journey Mills detached the
cars n,w ,hc engine, and thus enabled 900 or 100
Cuon,- iu ,.,ape. ARer running considerable dis
tlnce nc returned connected the cars and proceeded
TO witi. three miles OF winslow, where he stopped
Tor wlter It ihis place, hearing the detonaons Of
Sherman. Ittlery he determined to escape. While
the loc'uo'hc W.s taking supply Of water Mills and
bis fireman Na.kcd a short distance OF and made q
switch by o. uins the ends OF the rails short dis.
tancc oni They then returned and started the en-
gne a, 80, rate Of speed, and when the iocomo
tive rtIc.cl 'l" switch II went over tho embank-
men,. lett i the cars standing on the track
fore u % tU- me arrvel at the switch Mis and his
nremsn 'rapyd N ana escaped. They walked
INTO ,o.u.iu.'. .hrre they found sherman's army
IN lo,-c>'iHt. AFTER tins Mills came North and pro-
cured cI.iulm nt US engineer IN wheatley. WI.
Iim- X Co.'s sugar refinery. Dock street, Brooklyn.
INTERVIEW WITH MILLS.
Asrs r'rrf er called at the Raymond street jail
fe'tei day 20 -tr Mills and learn What he had to say
The Prisoner seemed inclined to be reticent. and
answer D. ~ '-tuns without taking ume to de.
l9silir We reproduce tue conversiu1n:
REf G.-H-l cane to ask whether you can refute
any oi 'h ..r"u, charges made against you.
Mil ',at charges
kEf1i'iE ~ hy. IN the hrst place you are accused
o. muu,, az our hrst wife.
SllL--I lie cnnrgc is false. 1t was proved so.
tErphrhE-.ioN WIS 1t that you were sentenced
Mill dun't know. The sentence was not lust.
RErli,l..it- How did Won get narionsdy
MIL doa't know.
PErlErER-Why did you quarrel with your second
wife
vested ,t,- Tho .cgnular ~ ~' ""u s0' '"'
RxroasL..-You are then Roman Catholic,
MILL. y - sir | am a member OF ST Vincent
dc aul- S,.cety connected with ST Jobn's cburch
OF winch Father Aaguire is pastor
RErpETLE-NC. v hat rals ed the disturbance
hiLL1-iil wife did not like the idea OF ny being
tcapuluT. spl me- ftrit
hEroEr4 4n-lr your wife not a C,ihollc also,
iending tne church oten. especially at nights.
EErpnTiH-Are !oL the sexton
MILLs-l an not sexton, bot ! volunteered TO per.
form scatons duties. ani allow the salary to 60
tow,rd- erecting new school attach, d 10 tle
shnI,h
hIiLs-No, but she accused me OF being intimate
WIN sIme OF tie wont that attended the church.
REioErEG-Did size have any cause Tor her jeal.
MILLs-$o sir. Sic accused me OF having Grim.
'epa' pi..,, ~, a. ON , Ter
MI,,HEci ny usu ca,y you nappen h 70 SAP her
.nI 10 ,",c ,i'a soie mJe rom ehurch
AMI L,nt, thc strip,s tai, On my neck
etknile In cnt the s,rin,s 'oS ~ Nut my pock-
sane tit ,irJ 10 ms snt -, ,lo ou 49, anu at 'le
She m nv yVsv ana tyta 70 80, Va , 70 'olu her
'HN ~ W S'op He' lllu we nuu