The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-15
HENRlC0 HAS A HANGING.
HOW A HUSBAND WAS nuRRIEDHENCE

HOW A HUSBAND WAS ASHURRIEDHENCE
Barbara Miller Hung Yesterday for the Muir
der OF Daniel Miller Midnight Mourning
In the Condemned Cell; Pcnitentiai Pray
ers and Curious Chants-The Death Dress
and Appearance Of the Criminal-Larr'
| Crowd aud Curious Colored PcopIc-Barba.
ra's Confession and Last AIoments-Scene,
and Incidents.
Barbara Miller. middle-aged negro wo-
man. died on the galows yesterday in the
| jail-yard Of llenrico courthouse. She had
been a bold, bad woman, and, unfortu.
nately, had allowed her passions TO 90 tc
extremes, which merited the full punish
ment mcted out by law. The offices OF the
clergy were administered, aud as far as the
! kind-hcaited officials OF the county were
concerned. all was done that could have
been possibly expected in order 10 fit the
woman for the trying ordeal through which
she passed. Her crime was an outrageous
one, and so much Of the particulars have
been given to the public heretofore that IL
is almost repetition TO recount the details
OF the manner in which Barbara and her
accomplice in crime, Charles Henry Lee
| (colored), put TO DEATH on the 14th OF last
February, an inollensiye old colored man,
Daniel Miller, her husband.
The night before the deed was dark and
rainy. Lee and Barbara were tired OF
| Daniel Miller-thcy hated the sight OF
| him-and the woman, according TO the
evidence in the case, held n consultation
with Lee, and between the two plan was
concocted for the purpose Of putting
Daniel out OF the way. They agreed upon
| particulars. and then all hands retired for
the night. The fire blazed from The big
| logs OF wood that filed the ample fire.
place; the wind rOarcd around the rude
log cabin; and now and then gusts OF rain
pattered against the sides Of the house with
force sufficient TO penetrate the cbinking
and daubing and send dirty streaKs Of
water to the rough pine floor.
DANIEL. IN DANGER.
Old Daniel, like any other good old darky,
needed not the rain and roaring wind,
but slept like log in bed i'm one corner
OF the room. On the floor the balance OF
the family were taking their rest. About
daybrcak the murder was committed: and
rs told in the evidence, the plan adopted
was for Charles Lee TO brain Miller with an
axe and afterwards remove his body 10 the
track Of the Richmond and Fredericksburg
railroad near Hungary station (close to
which the parties liyed), place it on the
| track, and let the train run over it and so
mutilate it as to leave no trace OF foul play,
but. on the contrary, create the impression
! that Daniel had been accidentally killed by
| the train. When Barbara walked Lee the
next morning she put the axe in his hand
and whispered to him to do the work
| agreed upon. The young negro man heSi-
| tated and refused. Barbara showed him
aside, took the axe from him. approached
the bed on which her husband was
quietly sleeping, unconscious OF dan
ger. raised the murderOuS instrument a
second and the next moment brought
| it down with fatal force on the head OF
Daniel Miller. The murderess then turned
! 10 her accomplice and ordered him to take
] the body to the railroad track. Lee was a
powerful man mulsculirly, and he easily
Shouldered his bloody burden and took it
at once TO the track OF the railroad. He
had hardly finished his heartleSS task when
the fast mal-train from Washington thun-
dered past. scattering fragments OF Daniel
NIller's body for distance Of sixty yards
rest OF both Barbara and Lee. Lee was
tried, and hung on the Cd OF last August
for being an accOmpice in the crime. Bar
bara was found guilty also, after a full and
impartial trial. and after telling Lee good
bye followed him yesterday.
DEATH NIGHT.
Night before last, Is j. usual on such oc-
casiOns, the condemned woman asked to
be allowed the privilege OF having a
prayer-meeting in her cell. Her request
was granted. and several colorcd minis
tiers. church officials, and friends gathered
| i'm her presence. The usual amount OF eX-
citement observable on such occasions
marked the proceedings. Prayers OF the
most feryid and inc0ngruous nature were
offered up, and HYMN after hymn, sung in
the style peculiar TO the co0rcd race. fol-
lowed each prayer Words were impr0-
yiSed 10 suit the occasion. and the eNer-
clses were prolonged until , O'Clock ycSter-
dav morning, when Barbara was LETT with
several female friends, and the ministers
| departed. The women rolled themselves
| i'm blankets and slept sOundly on the iloOr
| Of the cell. About 0 O'Clock yesterday
morning they were aroused for breakfast.
Barbara ate heartily. and seemed to be in
excellent spirits. shortly after breakfast
the ministers, several officials from the
colored churches, and a crowd Of curious
spectators. mostly colored, came into the
/ cell, and the prayer-meetin@ was resumed.
DEATH DRESS.
Barbara, in the mean time. had attired
herself i'm her death dress. II was per-
fcctly white. made of muslin, and fitted
nicely. The skirt was long and flounced
near the base, the fOmccs being trimmed
with broad bands OF insertion. The
sleeves of The body were similarly orna-
mentcd. and the dress made plain, no at
TEMPT at sacque or oycrskirt being made.
Her short, nappy black hair was carefully
cOmbed, and Ornamented with an inch
wide band of white ribbon, tied in bow
on the left side of the head. Around heI
throat she wore an immensely wide collar
made OF cheap thread-lacc. ON her breast
was pinned IA small bouquet made Of arti-
fetal flowers, representing lilacs and
orangc-buds. She wore no shoes. In gen.
( eral appearance she had not changed much
except to grow shade paler, and perhap,
lose a little in weight.
NEARING TIE MOOSE.
When the crowd assembled Barbara
asked TO he prayed for. A colored preacher
invited all present to join in prayer fol-
.'poor Barbara" Afterwards hymn was
sung. and these prayers and hymns were
! kept up until the hour Of execution. once
or twice some OF the women present pray
ed, but in strength Of voice they did not
equal the men. All this time Barbara
| stood in the centre Of the sable throng.
She was conspicuous by reason OF her
white dress, aud almost continuously kept
up swaying motion OF the body. At in
teryals her voice could be heard breaking
/ -. oI,oya tba soun6 of proVer or hVmn i'm