Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-28
AN OLD STORY.
The Murder OF George Miller, Cashier
OF the Union Bank OF Jackson,
Tenn, in 1859, Revived bya
Recent aEd Singular Event.
Blood Money and the Treasure-Eim-A
Mysterious Lab0Fer L igs, as is Sup.
posed, for a Jar Containing
Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars.
Jackson Wing and Tribune ]


On the fourth OF February last, six
teen years ago, the community of jack
son were shocked by one OF the most
appalling murders and rObberies record
ed in her history. 1t WAS a dark, cold
night, between seven and eight o'clock,
that George Miller purchased some can
dies on Market street, and walked off in
the direction Of the Union bank. AS his
person disappeared in the thickening
darkness, it was for the last time that
other eyes than his murderars' looked
upon him in life. At q late hour next
morning an excited crowd forced the
! doors of the bank and found him upon
the floor weltering in his own blood cold
in death, from a blow upon the top Of
the head, which had crushed the skull
in upon the brain. A single candle,
with the small part not yet burned
! down, an open check book upon the
desk by which he was evidently sitting
when ne received the fatal blow, the
bank vault open, and one sack OF gold
containing four thousand five hundred
dollars, aud something over twenty
thousand dollars in paper money
gone, the bloody bank hammer lying
near its victim, and a well-burned
check, was all that was left to tell the
| "
| The excitement that followed the dis
covery, the awe that fell upon the en-
| tire community, the wild suspicion that
swept hither and thither, and found 10
peace, is remembered by hundreds who
will read this. Detectives were en-
! plOyed and every effort made to discover
the assassin, and yet up to this hour his
name is unknown, ard his very exist
ence mystery. All persons are salts.
| fed now that the murderer must have
| been in the confidence OF George Miller,
| or he would never have violated the ar
bitrary rules Of the bank and opened its
| vaults after banking hours; but beyond
| this, and restless suspicion that is dis
! satisfied with its own fanGies, the MUIR
| derer OF sixteen years ago is SAFE with
| the fruita of his terrible crime. But
every now and then something occurs
! to revive interest in this never-tO- be-fOT-
| gotten tragedy, and it would seem as if
| the ghost of The murdered walked the
earth still, restless and tireless, pursuing
| with weird and mysterious vengeance
| the startled track of the assassin.
THE LATEST MYSTERY.
In our issue Of last week we referred
| briefly to a circumstance that has
aroused public interest again in this old
| tragedy. Ia north Jackson, about half
| way between the residence Ct Mr.. J. H.
| Freeman and Mr.. James Butler, in the
middle Of Parsonage street, stands an
| elm tree about foot in diameter. 1t is
one hundred yards at least from this tree
to a house occupied by George Reid, col
Ored, and two hundred yards to any
other. 1t is in rather a lonely place, and
on street but little travelled in day
time, and scarcely ever at night. On
| Thursday night, the fifteenth instant,
| between twelve and one O'Clock, "a person
was heard and seen digging by the side
of this tree. He was some two or three
| hours at bis work. George Reid, who
watched him with superstitiOus feaz,
| says that he worked vigorously and
most necessarily. The moon was shin
! ing brightly, and there was perfect still
ness, save the sounds produced by the
mysterious workman. Next morning
revealed hole three feet deep, and two
feet and a half in diameter, close by the.
side of this solitary tree. 1t went down
straight for three-and-a-half feet
and turned and went completely
| under the body of the tree, where cav
ity, formed by hard-packed dirt, six
inches in diameter was discovered, indi-
eating a place formerly filed by some
firm vessel like stone or glass ar.
This hole was little to the east of the
north side of the tree, and just four feet
above it were the faint outlines of
heart cut into the bark of the tree, and
just below that the dim traces of cross.
Running out Immediately over the GEN.
ter of the hole WE a large root, three
inches in diameter, and on either side
and just below it, other roots from one
to three inches in diameter, all extend
ing directly over the hole and far be-
You'd. Through all these roots the
mysterious workman cut, and thence
into the hard clay, nerved, there can be
no doubt, by the rich treasure to be IN
earthed. Such are briefly the facts, and
it will be asked how are they to be con-
nected with George Miller's murder six
teen years ago and the great
BANK ROBBERY.
Let US see, sixteen years ago the
ground north and south Of the elm tree
already described, was a close and al
most impenetrable thicket of stunted or
young trees, matted underground and
briers. There was not lonelier, more
isolated or secretive spot about Jackson.
1t was the home OF the rabbit and the
wild bird, the serpent and the night
things made their beds amid the impen-
etra6le thickets. Although in the su-
buTbs OF a thrifty town, it was a wilder
ness Of small trees, tangled vines, luxu.
riOu3 weeds and thOrDy briers. But in
five feet Of the elm tree, there was then
q rail fence, extending from ParsOn-
age on the east to Market street on the
west. This elm tree, only about six or
eight inches in diameter, was yet one
of the largest that grew in this thicket.
1t was also near the fence and on the
summit of a mound or ridge between
two small ravines. Hence it was sutfi.
GENTLY isolated and at the same time
sufficiently we'll marked, by size and
position, to have attracted sixteen years
ago the attention OF a shreWd MUIR
derer and rObber, whose chief aim
then and since, was security from
the public eye and safety for his
hidden treasure. Again, the tree is, as
known in this country, a cork or dwarf
elm, a species OF very slow growth and
never reaches very large dimensions
It's roots also spread out and never pene-
trate the earth very deeply, or go down
perpendicular from the body as in the
case with oak and other varieties. Hence
the treasure unesrihed on the fifteenth
instant, must have been buried many
years ago, for over the deep hole made
to resuTrect it, had grown one large, and
two comparatively large, roots, measur-
ing, as we before stated, three, two and
ore inches in diameter. Again, this |
tree WAS on or near the line that divided !
the lands Of Judge Read and Colonel |
Talbot, and hence in clearing up the |
grounds around it in 1880 or 1861, 1t was
left standing, and it is reasonable to pre-
sumo that the murderer OF George Miller |
aud the robbeT OF The Union bank, would |
have taken this material circumstance |
into account. Again, on this tree were
two family discerned marks their posi- !
ton and character we have already de- |
scribed) that pointed uneTringly to the |
spot where the mysterious workman
commenced to dig for his hidden treas |
uTe.
THESE MARKS
upon the tree were evidently made |
many years ago, for the growth OF the |
bark and tree had we'll nigh obliterstt d |
them. But they were there, and must |
have been made by some one who |
wished to mark 8 spot Of deep personal |
interest. Again, at the hour OF mid
night, when all was still in that isolated !
suburb Of the city, at an hour when !
fhara Was no prohablo naSSinU alOnU a