South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1877-04-13
Clubbed 20 Doash Spr Hia lronev
In . Lonely Lane The Crime.

dubbed 60 Death Tor HIs Money
In . Lonely Lane The Crime.
P0rrvrowx, April A, crime or I'm.
usual strocity was committed n an ear.
" boar on Monday morning in Heldel.
berg township. Lebanon county. PA.
near the line Of Berks. about ave and :
half miles from Sheridan. on The Ieh.n.
on Valley Railroad. Joesph r. MiIler.
an ex-Commissionee Of Lebanon countv'
and IN aged and highly respected cjti.
zen. was found In the middle OF the mai.
short distance from his DWELLING. bru.
tally murdered, with his skull fractured
and throat cut. Mr.. Miller started from
home at s o'clock In the morning with
$500. which he intended 70 paw 10 John
Becker, nsighbor who lived 4 mile and
half away. In order TO reach H.
main road. he Was Obliged TO use ! road
leading through . secluded section or
country. with an occaaionAl copse OF
cheseBats sprouts along the roadside.
the road passing over flat. swampy
piece OF ground. Aiter he had proceed.
cd only few hundred yards. he Was
struck back OF the head will, n heavy
hickory club. and fell from his horse. 4
struggle then ensued in the middle or
the road, and Miller, who was a man OF
great personal strength, would no doubt
have got the best Of the assassin. but
another blow with the club crushed In
the anterior portion OF the skull, above
the right eye. lie was then stabbed un.
der the LEFT eye. gashed across the right
cheek, and the knife plunged into his
throat TO the depth OF FIVE or six inches.
severing the jugvlar vein. lie was then
lett lying In pool OF blood, upon his
side. no effort having been made to Sc.
crete the body. The horse was tied to
the fence about sixty feet away.
About twenty feet from where the
horse was tied. under q fence rail. was
found hickory cudgcl about four feet
long, sawed off ut both ends, covered
with clotted blood, 10 which dried leaves
adhered The body lay in the middle
OF the road. The deceased had been
robbed OF all tile money on his person.
with tho exception Of two dollars i'm sill.
vel coin, one OF which was an old poke,
piece. Joseph r. Miller, the murdered
man. was IL years OF age. and OF huge
proportions. standing 6 feet u inches
high. and weighing 245 pounds.
PEELED ONIONS AS JUaY PEnsuAp-
ERs.-General Murphy, member oft
Chillicothe Ohio, bar. thirty years ago
was ono Of the most noted advocates
that rode the circuits ofOhio. lie could
weep profusely over the most hardened
criminals. and shed quarts OF real tears
whenever tile occasion required. On
one occasion General Murphy was en-.
gagged to defend noted horse thief in
Morgan county, while the State secured
the services OF Governor Allen. The
usual routine was gone through with.
and the prisoners guilt was clearly de.
monstrated, but General Murphy relied
upon working up the sympathies Of the
jury. His effort was unusually brilliant,
and toward the close OF his appeal the
tears rolled down his cheeks in torrents.
while the jurors rubbed their eyes will,
their cuffs. All this time Allen sat stiff
aud upright, glaring with frozen eyes
upon Murphy. When the latter wound
up with final burst of eloquence. which
left the whole audience shutting. Ohio's
tall Governor that was. Strengthened
himself to his fullest height, and point
ing his long bony fingers at the Jury
and said Gentlemen, there is such a
thing rs blotting out justice with tears
and confounding judgment with much
weeping. General Murphy understands
this better than any other living man.
But before his tears work an ablution OF
the sins OF the hardened criminal at the
bar. and cheat the State Prison of its
dues. / wish to show you the fountain
from which these tear flow so copously."
With one swoop OF his long right arm
he was down in General Murphy's coat
pocket, and Withdrew an immense red
onion, denoded OF its outer covering.
aud holding it aloft before the eyes or
the astonished jurors, he continued -
The ancient Egyptians worshipped the
onion because it was typical OF tile CO
lestiai spheres. Here in Ohio we have
good reason TO curse il. because in Gen.
eral Murpby's pocket il has so often
cheated the gallows and prisoners OF
their dues" The prisoner was convict.
ed. aud General Murphy never rubbed
his handkerchief on a peeled onion n.
gain when old Bill had the other side Of
tho case.-Pd'sJUryh Ioa.
PURCHASING 4 WIFE.-From liberty.
Ind, comes a singular story OF the pur.
chase Of wife. VIM. Smith. a wealthy
farmer IN voara IF oua ,,nJa -. r.