Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-27
HE KILLED THIRTY MEN.
BLOODY RECORD OF CAPT. JOHN MIL
LER, THE OLD FRoNTIsRsMAN.

Arrested q Number Of Times, but Away,
Released-surs Death to Horse Thieves
Took Part in Two Wals-No.ches OF
His Gun.
Capt John Miller, who was killed neal
Jimtown, l. T., by one Of his tenants named
Jim Ables, had remarkable criminal record
having killed thirty men at different place.
and under different circumstances. Hi
death was the result Of a dispute with Able:
concerning the disposition of some cottor
which the latter claimed had been stolen
Miller made a suspicious movement, as il te
draw revolver, when Ables shot him dead
Capt. Miller Yves born in Choctaw county
Miss. in 1915, and was 70 years Of age, yet nc
one would have taken him for more than so
Few men have led more adventurous life
than he. According to his own statement
the first man he ever killed was named Jones
and the killing took place at Columbus, Miss
be was tried for the crime and came clear.
This was when be was quite young
In 1913, at New Orleans, Miller and the
two Maley brothers, Henry and John, killed
the three Turk brothers. Miller was mem
Der of Jenkins company in the filibustering
expedition to Cuba when Lopez was garroted
and Capt. John j. Cr;ttenden and fifty-two
men shot. The difficulty fifth the Turk
brothers occurred just after his return from
Cuba. He was tried at New Orleans for the
Turk killing, and again came clear.
In 1s49, in difficulty near Shreveport
La, he killed three nen-Murphy, Mysick
and one Carroll He was tried at Shreve-
or,d ID -
defense He cut the next two notches on his
gun at Lickspillet, La. In 1880, when he and
Alex Rudes followed two horse thieves from
Texas, and Miller killed them both in a fight
they made while resisting arrest.
In 1867 he killed man named Taylor at
Gainesville, Tex, with a knife Taylor struck
him IN the head with rock He was also
tried for this murder and came clear.
TWELVE IN BUNCH
In 1866, while en- route from Chickasaw
nation to Mexico, he, with six companions.
was camped near Spivey's ferry, on Red
river, when q general row took place not far
from his camp between five white men and a
crowd Of colored men. Miller and his men
appeared on the scene after the five whites
were wounded, and opened fire on the col
cred men, killing twelve of them. For this
he was tried before Gen. Reynolds at Austin,
Tex, and released.
In 1871 he pursued three horse thieves
from the Indian territory into Texas, and
all three Of them were killed. For this he
stood trial at Cranberry and was turned loose.
In 1879 he killed, or was charged with kill
ing, Matthew Fletcher on mis- {dilleris) own
farm, near Jimtown. For this he was ar
rested and lodged in the United States jail
at this place, where he remained eight months
and in 1880 was tried and acquitted. This, he
says was the hardest trial he ever had dur
ing all his experience.
He also killed three other men in the In.
dian country, whose names he declined to
mention, for the reason, as he said, that they
had grown-up children in that country, and
he didn't care to have the matter resurrected
In May, 1886, he was brought to Fort Smith
to stand trial for killing a prominent young
Choctaw, in January Of that year, in his
(Miller's) own house. This killing be claimed
was an accident, that Fulsom was drunk,
and drew pistol for the purpose of killing
him; that trying to wrench the pistol out Of
Fulsom's hand it was discharged, the bullet
entering Fulsom's side, killing him. No one
saw the killing except Miller's wife.
HIS WAR RECORD.
Miller served throughout the Mexican war
in Capt. B. b. Cooper's company, jeff
Davis regiment, and participated in the bat
ties of Orizaba, Monterey and the City of
Mexico. AT the close of the war he returned
to the Choctaw nation, and, living on the
outskirts of civilization, engaged to some ex-
tent in fighting the Indians.
During the war between the states he was
q captain in Gen. B. 81. Coopers command
Same Cooper mentioned above as being a
captain in the Mexican wary, during which
time be took hand in the battles of Wilson's
Greek, Elk Horn, Prairie Grove, Gibson,
Cabin Creek and numerous small skirmishes,
being most of the time in command of scouts,
and saw much rough service
In fact, his company was recognized as
independent" going where and when they
pleased. He was quite notorious as raider,
and was constantly on the go.
At the close of the war he surrendered with
Cooper at Fort Washita, Chickasaw nation,
but had made such a record during the war
that for long time after the surrender he
remained on the scout, living in Mexico for
quite while.
Among the first men that enlisted in Mil
ler's company after the breaking out of the
war was W. c. Quantrfll, but be only re-
manned with Miller about three months,
when he went to Missouri and built him an
everlasting name, as is well known TO every
body old enough to remember anything
about the war.
Miller used 70 say if he killed any ono dur.
ing the war they didn't count in his list Of
thirty.
never wounded but once, and that was at
Weatherford, Tex, in 1872, when he was
shot in the knee by man named Denton.
Miller's mother was one-eighth Choctaw,
and his father an Eishman. and bis night in
the nation comes from his rnother.-Cor. St
Louis Globe-Democrat.