Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-11-15


and the great object of her life
became to watch over him and save
him from the frictions and disputes which
these moods often gave rise to. Her pre-
sence in the courtroom with him at the
time of her tragic death, will give anidea of
the close supervision she exercised over his
She was a little woman of less
than medium height, slender, with hair al
most white browning a thin and careworn
face, which through its weary look still had
sweetness. She and her husband lived in a
long one-story frame-h0use on the Main
street of the village and cornering on the
street which leads up to the Academy build
ing, which stands in the rear of the house
In front Of the house runs long verandah
ON which open the three main rooms-the
Doctors office, the parlor, and their cham
Ter. In the summer this verandah is GOV
cred with running vines, making cosy
home. To-day the vine is dea
and the summer home wears the bleallness
of November. Here, she and her husband,
and their adopted daughter, Miss Hope
Ervine-a daughter of Mr.. J. H. Ervine of
this vicinity and niece Of DR.. A. II. Weir
who died Tuesday-spent their lives. Mrs.
Walker had two brothers residing in the
West, and two sisters, one the wife OF Rev.
r. M. futile, a Presby terian minister Of
Texas, and the other, a widow, Mrs. E. G..
wilson of Fairfield, near here.
HENRY MILLER.
Henry Miller the aged originator of this
dreadful tragedy was a native of
Rockbridge, and had lived here all his life
and that life lacked just one year of having
reached seventy years. In person he was
over six feet in height, weighed two hun
dred and fifty pounds, and was powerful
man, even though he was on the verge of
three score and ten. In short he was a
specimen of man often found in the
mountains of Virginia and rarely found
out of them. His occupation was farmer
and cattle dealer. His neighbors called
him wealthy man, and estimate that at his
death he was worth $4,000.
One habit he had which proved fatal
to him in the end; that was a gross famili-
arity and rudeness to women. Many Incl
dents of this have been related to me since
| came here. 1t seemed to be a senile mania
with him, and on one occasion he had at
tempted too much familiarity with Miss En-
vine in DIR. Walkers parlor. Since he ac-
quired wealth he has purchased the old Nor
rison place two miles west of this village
known as bellevue" on which in early life
he was an overseer, and here he resided with
some of his sons. 1t is historic house
for in it was held the drum-head court
martial of Gen. Hunters command which
sentenced Elder Creigh of West Virginia
to death, and it was in the yard Of the
house that the venerable Presbyterian
Elder was hung.
Miller has five sons-David widower,
James F., George, William B., and Robert.
All Of them except the last named partici-
pated in the tragedy as did J ohm Reese, WHO'S
On his farm. Two Of the sons live
on separate farms, the other three live with
one of them widow David
is Deacon in the New Providence church
and resides in Augusta county on the
farm near Newport known as the old Dr..
McChesney farm, which he owns. Henry
Miller was lifelong Democrat and was in
the procession which rode with Gov. Lee
into Brownsburg, as also was David.
THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY.
On a hill which overlooks the village, and
which is reached by cross street only a
block long which turns up BY DR.. Walker S
house, is the Academy, the building which
will be pointed to for many a year to come
as the scene Of the most fearful tragedy
that ever occurred in Virginia. 1t is a
two-story brick building, situated in the
centre of spacious lawn, with a pillared
porch at it's front. The first story is used
as public school which is entered through
the pillared porch in front. The second
story is entered from the rear and at this
door is a broad landing reached by dozen
S .eps-a short flight because the ground is
sloping and the front of the building has a
higher elevation than the rear On the
second floor are two rooms, neither more
than 15x15 feet square. One of them is used
as a meeting place for the lodge of some
secret order. At one end is raised dais for
the officer, with three short, stout pillars
marking the officer S stand. On the middle
of these short pillars lay a Holy Bible and
hymn Look for the use of the lodge officer.
On the other side of the room, facing it, is
another officer S raised dais with posts and
in the centre of the room is a wooden post
some six inches square evidently there to
support the ceiling. On either side of the
Bible stand and against the wall is a bench
and directly in front of the same stand are
some half a dozen benches. 1t was in this
room that the magistrate S court was held
and the bloody scene took place.
THE STORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
The clearest and best narrated account
of the tragedy that l could get, was from
MI. E. B. Bosworth, the magistrate who
issued the warrant for Dr.. Walker, and
who was holding court in the case when it
occurred. Mr.. Bosworth is man appar-
emily about sixty years of age, with white
hair, a fine, intelligent face and evidently a
superior man. His account, with some
other information | got, runs as follows:
About ten days ago Henry Miller stopped
at DR.. Walker house. He had been trans
acting some business for the Doctor in Lex
ington and went there to settleit. 1t required
the giving of a receipt, and Mrs. Walker,
with whom he was settling it, was writing
the receipt when Miller placed his hands on
her person in the grossest manner. The
shocked woman got out of the room and NJ il
ler went away. She did not tell her husband