The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-05-29
WALTER NILES (?)LETTER
The Dead Bows rather Reviews IT.

The Dead Boys Father Reviews 1t.
To the Editor of the STATESMAN:
DEAR SIR have read with cure
what purportS to be letter of Walter
Miles, addressed to his father, VIM.
Z. Miles, and published in THE DAILY
STATESMAN of the Goth inst, which
pretends to give true statement of
the causes which led to, and facts sur
rounding the murder of my son,
Harry Taylor, which statement does
such injustice to my son, and is so
contrary to the true facts as they oc-
CURED, that L feel compelled to
notice it.
The first remark | shall make is as
you suggest, that the letter was not
written by Walter Mills, but by his
lawyer. To one having only casual
acquaintance with Walter Mills the
supposition that the letter was the
production of his own brain is simply
preposterous. Not one of his intimate
acquaintance can ever be made to be-
lieve he wrote it. Therefore l shall
treat the long series Of provocations
and insults on the part of Harry as
detailed in the letter as the inventions
of the busy brains of an aStute lawyer,
and as the best that can be said
in his Justification. Is there among
this list or grievances one single Of
fence, or even when all are maSsed to-
gether, the slightest legal or moral
ground to justify him is shooting
down and to death an innocent citi-
zen? II true they only amount to
this: That Harry's demeanor to Wal
ter was not sufficiently respectful, and
therefore Walter is justified in shoot
| ing him to death. Is there such law
in any civilized country on the globe !?
| Is there any community in the state
| of Texas whose moral sense would
not be shocked at the mere suggestion
OF such law?
But these imaginary inventions are
not true, as the following facts will
show: From the time of my return
to this county, and purchase of farm
in the immediate neighborhood of Mr..
w. p. Miles, the father of Walter (our
| houses not being more than 400 yards
apart, we knew the liability of diff
| cultieS to arise from trespasSes of
stock, ETC., and we resolved "to bear
all things" for the sake of peace.
| This was the rule we then prescribed
| for our conduct and which we sought
invariably to carry into practice, for
we were fully appraised OF the danger
of collision with the family. Harry,
| since our settlement here has devoted
| himself steadily and exclusively to
business. Temperate, Industrious, en-
| ergetic and ambitious to achieve sue
cess in life, having no time or taste or
inclination for drinking or billiard
saloons or other places of dis
Sipation, and was winning the
respect and even admiration of his
friends, and by his frank, open and
manly character, was fast winning
popularity among his fellow-cjtizens.
Is it likely that such man would en-
gage in, and pursue for months, Sc
ries of petty and rowdyish insults and
proyocations towards a dangerous en-
envy? One whom he had solemnly
resolved to avoid, as far as manhood
would allow him to avoid, a difficulty |?
No, sir; Harry never, never gave
him an Intentional, much less a series
of insults. Common sense is against
it; reason is against it, for the law
of Self-preServation is against it.
for it was not his custom to go armed.
Long before his death he sold his pis-
toll. For perhaps year 1 have not
seen him carry pistol, except upon a
distant cattle drive. At the time of
his death he owned no pistol. All
who were intimate with his daily life
and habits will bear witness to
the fact that It was not his
custom to go armed, as stated
in Waters letter, nor was he
armed at the time of the murder:
therefore he could not have been the
agreSsOr, as the letter states, and said:
Il see you, Walter Miles. Don't you
draw that pistol on me or l will kill
you." The idea that Harry made such
remark and threat is too absurd for
even Walters friends to believe.
though to screen him from punish
ment they may profess to believe it.
This brings US to the true facts of
the killing. On the Sunday evening
in April, my sou rode over to his pas
ture, about two miles from my home.
che road passing Walters house, and
was returning about sunset, when he
was shot. My family heard
three shots Ia the direction
of Walters house. Ny wife
became alarmed lest something should
happen TO Harry, and persuaded young
James Brooks. who was at my house, |
to go and see. He reported, on his re-
turn, Jna5 Harry had been shot, and |
was lying in the road near Walters |
house. l Immediately rushed up and |
found him weltering in his blood. At
ter found him, he was still living. |
asked what he said to Walter |
that caused Walter to shoot him. His |
reply was that he never opened his |
mouth except when he saw Walter |
was about to shoot he begged him not |
to shoot, but TO no effect; that he |
threw himself on the side of his horse
and thus lodged the first shot; that
the second shot struck him in the
back as he arose from his binding no
sition and he fell from his horse He
said he must die and wished to be
taken home. We took him
home and he survived It'll near
day light. Justice Poe was
summoned and took his DYING decla-