The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-02-10
execution al Cnmberland To. day.


Between l9 NJ. and 3 p. NJ. to-day John
Howard, aged about 2S, Is to be hanged
at Cumberland, Nd, for killing Henry
Miller, on q canal boat near Oldtown, Al.
leghany county, in September last, How.
ard has made the following confession,
which Is printed in yesterdays Crilian:
lie engaged with Harry Miller at $ls
per month, to do general work, ION the
canal except to attend TO the mules. This
was TO be done by the colored man, Joe
johnson. Miller was q boisterous and
abusive man, and was always cursing us,
and was over rough. lie always felt re-
scntful when Miller abused him. On the
night before the murder, Miller told How
ard to pump the boat out, and not to go
To sleep till he had finished the job; Mil
Ter then told Howard 10 call him at 12
o'clock.
After pumping, lie called Miller at 12:
Miller was very violent and cursed
Howard for calling him, but he took the
tiller, and told Howard 10 go TO sleep. At
o'clock Miller called him up, and cursed
him again, and told him TO go feed the
mules; he said that was not his work; but
to accommodate the negro, he went on to
the tow.path and fed tho mules; he and
the black man then sat down in the hay
house and talked about the matter, How
ard declaring that he would not submit TO
such abuse. The black man then went TO
clean his mules, and In little while NIL
Ter came along again, and called Howard
s-n Of b-h, aud said he paid him to
work and not to sleep; Howard told him
he would leave in tho morning, and be
could get some one who would not sleep.
Miller cursed him still more, and then
turned and walked TO tho other end Of tho
boat; Howard caught up sprcader stick,
and cOncealing II behind him, walked
ailer Miller, until they reached the cabin.
Then he said to Miller an bust your
head" at tho same time raising the spread,
or stick and striking him n blow on the
head. Miller fell upon his knees, and
Howard thought he reached for hatchet
which was lying near. He then struck
him another blow near about the same
place, when Miller rolled over md cried
"help, help" Howard then dropped tue
spreader stick and rnn; In attempting 10
Jump ashore he fell into tho canal, but
struggled TO the shore, aud then took 10
the fields. II was quite dark, and he could
not SEQ where he was going, but soon
found that he was getting mired in the
mud, and houn1GrGd about some
time ere he reached solid ground.
Ho then got back on 10 the tow.
path again, and hearing some one ap-
preaching, he caught up stone and call.
cd out, "Who comes there| He was
answered by Joe, the colored man, How
ard asked him what he was coming for,
and Joe replied that he was afraid TO stay
on the boat, because IL anybody came
aboard they would kill him because Mil,
Ter was hurt.
Howard asked Joe II Miller was badly
hurt, and Joe said "No,' he reckoned not
very bad. They then travelled together
and went into the woods In West Virgin.
Ia, about Perry's farm, but afterwards
came over to Cumberland, and at the
Cumberland Coal and Iron Company's
wharf fwero told that they were suspected,
when they lett and were alterward arrest
ed below Hancock.