Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-23
4 STORY OF ONE RED HAIR.
HOW 4 RICH OLD MISER WAS MURDERED
4 FLORIDA MYSTERY.

y Jacksonville, FLORIDA, letterO1 August
3rd, says Archibald w. Newton, young
man who belongs to wealthy family which
stands high in England, has just been con-
victed in Orange county of the murder OF
Samuel Mcmillan. The case was sensation
al and when the jury brought in the verdict,
eve find the prisoner guilty as charged III
the Indictment" there was much excite
ment in the courtroom. In the spring OF
1881 Newton appeared at Sanford, bearing a
letter to Mr.. Gray, one of the London stock
holders, to j. E. Graham, the manager of
the Sanford Company. Newton was men
toned in the letter as Il nephew of Mr.. Gray
and Manager Graham was authorized to pay
him SS3 per month. Newton, a youth of
fine appearance and pleasing manners was
popular at first, but his good reputation was
soon blasted. There was reason to suspect
him of forgeries aud then came news that he
had left England because of an outrage
against Miss Polly Bowron. subsequently
he sent money to England for Kate Bow
ron, a sister of his alleged victim, and,
meeting her in New York, married her, and
the couple returned to Crystal Lake, Orange
county.
While this was going on another topic of
suspicion presented itself. There lived in
Orange county, near Crystal Lake, a man
named Samuel Mcmillan, who bore the rep
utation of being miser and was supposed
to carry large sum of money on his person.
He owned valuable grove, the sale Of
which he was negotiating with Newton, who
with his wife lived near by. Newton knew
the habit of Mcmillan of carrying money.
On Saturday evening, September 80, Nc
MILAN was last seen alive half an hour after
sunset in company with Newton, walking
toward NeWtOn's house. He never return
ed to his home and after some days his
neighbors became anxious and instituted a
search for him. On the 18th day Of October
his headless body was found in Crystal
the waist was q rope, to which was suspend
ed sack, in which was found an iron pot
full of nails. A few days later the head of
the murdered man was found near the same
SPOT and bullet hole was discovered in the
back of his skull. On the brains being re-
moved bullet dropped out, which appear
ed to fit exactly pistol Newton had bor-
rowed from neighbor named True. This
was the mystery Of Crystal Lake.
About that time Newton became flush OF
funds. He said that his Wife's brother,
James BoWron, had sent him $685. 600 with
which to buy an orange grove on the lake.
He was suspected of the murder of McMil-
Ian, however, and was brought before Judge
Cooke, a man noted as a member OF the
Florida returning board of 1876. The SEN
sation of the trial occurred when counsel tor
prosecution walked down the aisle, followed
by a medium-siZed, dark-haired woman,
evidently foreigner. AS the stranger got
abreast of Mrs. Newton she turned and
peered into her face, saying: "Why Kate!"
The prisoner, as he looked up and recog-
nized the woman, flushed until it seemed
the blood would burst from his neck and
cheeks, while Mrs. Newton turned deathly
pale and remained several seconds with up
turned face and half-opened lips, as if petri-
fed by amazement.
The presence of this woman in America
was complete surprise to the defence, as
the counsel for Newton subsequently admit
ted in open court. Her testimony was lis
tened to with breathless interest. It was to
the effect that the BoWron family had not
S25 in the world, much Tess 5000 to in
vest in orange groves. That had been the
main point of the defence-to account for
Newton's money, alleged to have been sent
by the wealthy brother-in-laW. The Eng
lish woman confirmed the story OF NeWton's
outrage upon Polly Bowron.
Mcmillan, the murdered man, had coarse
red hair. At the trial DIR. King Wylly tes-
tilted that he had found in blood spots on a
handkerchief found in NeWtOns pocket the
morning after the murder a single red hair.
The handkerchief was examined last October
by DR.. Wylly. He testified that at the first
examination he found a single blood crys-
tai. Supposing that he might have scratch
ed his finger and caused the crystal to get
on the handkerchief, he would not accept it
as evidence that there was blood there. His
last examination revealed the blood corpus
cles YER; distinctly, and under the micros-
cope he discovered a single red hair.-a
coarse red hair. The defense fought the
case point by point, but the drift was against
them, and when Newton said that ne had
borrowed True's pistol to shoot an alligator
the audience laughed.
When the jury came in and gave the yer,
dict one could have heard a pin drop. All
the while Newton had been nervously
twitching his moustache. When the verdict
was read out he dropped his head and turn
ed deathly pale, while slight tremor pass
ed through his frame. He then suddenly
Jumped up and seized his hat, forgetting
that the court had not adjourned, but pres
entity controlled himself and resumed his
seat. His wife remained quiet for few
moments, then few tears trickled down
her cheeks and she grasped her husbands
arm convusively, but beyond this she
showed no emotion. Judge Cooke pro-
nounced the verdict Of death.