Richland beacon., 1874-03-28
Murder in Vicksburg.

~ sDODtiUE VII
above city, on the evening Of the 25lI
inst:
Washington street was excited a.
u has not been before for time ind.fi
mite, the immediate caY-e being wbs,
would appear to haze been one Of the
most deliberate and determined nj.
'cmpts at murder that has ever dark.
.ncd the criminal records OF this eitv.
We are not prepared to say what
was the proyCraIion or TO what point
of desperation the p~rIctrator of the
crime was goaded, bn, the crowd that
assembled around the spot where the
deed Of blood was done was furious
aud excited and for a time there
seemed to he danger that they would
permit their passions TO get the better
1T their Judgment and take the law in
10 their own hands. Better COUNSEL
however, prevailed, before any at
tempt VI the sorrow Was made.
THE SHOOTING.
From what We can learn it appears
that Capt. W. X. Spears bad been
searching for Mr.. Robert j. Miller
throughout the entire day. That he
raid TO him in the forenoon, "Bob, I
want To see you, when will you be ut
your Office ~ Mr.. Miller replied that
he would he there directly, and walk
ed on. Soon after 6 o'clock Capt.
Spears rode up in public carriage in
'front.' OF Mr.. MiIler's law office and
sent the driver up stairs to see if that
gentleman was in. The driver was
scarcely out Of sight when CAN,
Spears discovered Mr.. Miller walking
along the pavement near by, and call
ed to him. Mr.. Miller walked up to
the carriage window, and as he did
80, Capt. Spears drew bis pistol from
the seat beside him, and levcling it at
the head of his intended victim,
FIRED,
the ball taking effect in the centre OF
Mr.. Miller's forehead, and telling him
TO the earth, apparently lifeless.
Capt. Spears then leaned out of the
window and taking deliberate aim hr-
ed three or four successive shots at
The postrate body, every one OF which
is supposed to have tuken effect. AZ
ter the shooting, Constable Adams
jumped in the hack and ordered the
driver to proceed to Squire LOewen-
berg's office, and from there Capt
Spears was taken to the county jail
MIR. Miller was removed to an apart
ment over Hardaway's drug store,
where his wounds were promptly at
tended to, and all that medical skill
could suggest called into requsition.
Upon examination il was found that
he had been
1--WE TIMES WOUNDED,
the first ball which fellcd him to the
earth taking effect 10 his forehead, as
mentioned above, but making only a
slight impression comparatively.
The pistol was 80 close to Mr.. Miller's
head when this shot was fired, that
the powder burned his forehead Sc
verely. The bail was extracted with
out difficulty. The other wounds
were 10 the chest, and one is suppos-
cd to have lodged in the lungs though
the physicians in attendance say they
are not necessarily fatal. The wound
ed man, however, seemed to think
otherwise, and appeared to consider
bis death for.gonc conclusion. He
talked a good deal while his wounds
were being dressed. lie said to
those around him.
81 HAvEBEEN MOST FOULLY MURDERED.
know ] will be slandered, and that
will have no chance of vindication.
1t was the most cruel murder -I'ce OF
heard of. He gave ~swn Ike dog,
defense. bn, word of explanation"
wiz wounded man appeared to be GER
tain of his early dissolution, and az
ter giving expression to several ap-
parently incoherent sentences. some
Of which he repeated several times, he
turned to bis brother-in-law, Mr..
Crutcher, aud gave some instructions
as to the settlement of his private
affairs, mentioning, among other
things, the collection Of an Insurance
policy for $4,000.
THE CAUSE or THE SHOOTING
is. so far rs we know, developed in
mystery, though there are vague ru-
mors Of an old grudge, Of domestic
difficulties and thousand floating
speculations that may have no color
ing in truth. We have tried to learn
something concerning the causes
which led to the shooting, but
without success, and probably moth
ing definite will be known until the
matter is investigated before the
Courts. Capt. Spears and Mr.. Miller
have heretofore been regarded as
friends, AMI until the shooting yester-
day nobody. as far as we could learn,
seemed to have any knowledge of any
disruption Of that long standing
friendship Both gentlemen were
members Of the bar, and were more or
less prominent in their profession.
Capt. Spears will probably have a
preliminary examination before JUS
tice Loewenburg to-day.