Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-30
he KILLED THIRTY MEN.
THE FATAL WORK OF A MAN WHO
WAS RECENTLY SHOT DEAD
HIMSELF.

Ter, who was killed near JimtOwD,
|. r., on Monday last by one Of his
tenants named Jim Ables, had a
remarkable criminal record, having
killed thirty men at d fierent
places aud under different
circumstances. His death was the
result of a dispute with Abl"s con-
cernlng the disposition of some cot
ton, which the latter claimed had
been stolen. Miller made Il suS.
picious movement, as If to draw a
revolver, when Ables shot him
dead.
Capt. Miller was born IN ChOc-
taw county, Miss, in 1916, and
was 72 years of aye, yet no one
would have taken him for more
than 80. Few men have led a more
adventurous life than he. Accord
ing to his own statement, the first
man he ever killed was named
Jones, and the killing took place at
Columbus, Miss. He was tried for
the crime and came clear. This
was when he was quite Young.
In 1S4S, at New Orleans, Miller
and two Maley brothers, Henry
and john, killed the three Turk
brothers. Miller was a member OF
Jenkins's company in the filibus'
tering expedition to Cuba, when
Lopez was guilotIned and Capt
John j. Quittington and ffty.two
men shot. The difficulty with 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 l849, in a difficulty neal
Shreveport, Ll., he kiIlel three
men.-Murphy, Mysick, aud o n {
Carol. He was tried at ShTeve
port and acquitted on the ground
of self defence. He cut the next
two notches on his gun at Lick
spillet, La, in 1850, when he and
Alex Rudes followed two horse
thieves from Texas, a nd Millel
killed them both in fight they
made while resisting arrest.
In 1867 he killed a man named
Taylor at Gatesyille, Texas, with q
knife. Taylor struck him in the
head with rock. lie was als(
tried for this murder and came
clear,
La 1866, while en- T0ute IRON
Chickasaw Nation to Mexico, he
with six companions, was campet
near Spivey's Ferry on Red river
when a general row took place no
far from his camp between hv'
white men and a crowd of negroes
Miller and his men appeared OF
the scene after the five whites wer'
wounded, and opened fire on th'
negroes, killing twelve of them
For this he was tried before Gen
Reynolds at Austin, Tex, and re
leased.
In 1871 he pursued three hors'
thieves from the Indian Territory
into Texas, and all three of then
we're killed. For this he stood trla
at Cranberry, and WAS turned
loose.
In 1879 lie killed, or was charged
with killing, Matthew Fletcher OF
hls (Mlller's) own farm, near Jim
town. For this he was arrested
and lodged in the United States
Jail at this pla ce, where he remained
eight months, aud 10 1880 was trlet
and acquitted. This, he says, was
the hardest trial he ever had dur
ing all his experience.
he also killed three other meI
in the Indian country, VIII os'
names he declined TO mention, tO
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 Il
Fort Smith te stand trial for Kill
ing a prominent young Choctaw IL
January of that year in his (Nlil
ler's) own house. This killing, he
claimed, was an accident that Ful
som vas drunk and drew a plsto
for the purpose of killing him
that in trying to wrench the pisto
out of Fulsom's hands it was dis
charged, the bullet entering Fol
SONS side, killing him. No on'
saw the killing except Miller
wife.
Miller served throughout th'
Mexican war iu Capt. s. II. Coop
er's company, JEFF Davis's regi
ment, and participated in the bat
ties of Orizaba, Monterey, and the
city of Mexico. At the close of tht
war he returned to the Choctav
Nation, aud, living on the out
skirts of civilization, engaged tC
some extent in fighting the Indians
Drring the war between thu
States he was a Captain in Gen. b
II. Cooper's command (same Coop
er mentioned above as beng a Cap
tain In the Mexican war), during
which time he took a hand in the
battles of Wilson's Creek, Elk horr
pt..o nrovo Gibson Cahir