Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-11-13

ed the room. The Constable obeyed the order
SEARCHED
He met Dr. walker outside and told him his
mission: DR. Walker readily acceded to being
searched. No weapons were found on him. out
before he (Walker) entered the courtroom he
! stepped into bis office near tue courtroom
where. 1t is thought. he armed himself.
TRIAL BEGUN.
| DIR. Walker, wife, and friends came into court
and the sitnesses being sworn the trial was
} begun. Witnesses were called and every word
ofthe testimony was listened to with bated
breath and death like stiffness. The evidence
went to show that DIR. Walker had threatened
| the life of Miller, a fact not denied by the de-
, fendant.
When all the evidence had been taken and
in the interval between the hearing of the case
and the Justices decision not sound broke
the stiffness of that court room. SO soon to be
come the scene of the most awful homicide evel
known In this section. Justice Bosworth arose
voice, requiring Dr. Walker to give bond O
$500 to keep the peace for twelve months.
he DECLINED.
The decision rendered, every eye was on DR.
Walker, who seemed excited and angry In q
moment he spoke courteously but firmly, de-
Ginning to give the bond. The Justice then told
him he would be forced to commit him to Jail
in ueaut.
DR. Walker responded 1 will go to jail before
1 will be placed under peace bond.
Justice Bosworth then proceeded to make
out the papers necessary for committal before
placing the prisoner in the custody of an of
| ficer to bring him to the county jail located at
Lexington. When the papers had BEEN com
pleted DR., Walker arose from his seat and.
i turning towards Henry Miller. standing very
close, asked Justice Bosworth il he could have
the privilege of Shaping thai mans fsce,
The Justice firmly told him no. that the
| dignity of his court must be preserved and the
peace must not be violated by any difficulty
| whatever. Walker then moved towards NIL
| Ter and drew pistol from his pocket.
A SIGNAL.
| This was a signal for the opening of the fatal
| Dave Miller, a son of Henry Miller, on whom
Walker was advancing with the pistol with
| other friends Of Miller, pounced on Walker
until after a desperate fight, the pistol being
discharged several times when it is thought
Dave Miller was shot. Dave Miller secured
Walker weapon, but, not daunted, Walker
drew long knife, caught Henry Miller and
| stabbed him in the heart. bowels. SIDE. ana
While Walker was doing his deadly work Dave
Miller opened fire on Walker and brought him
LIFE BLOOD Squirting.
Henry Miller fell to the flour with the life.
blood squirting from r. dozen or more fatal
wounds. one OF which was through the heart
When Walker fret drew his pistol on Miller
a window was raised and four pistols thrown
in. presumably by Miller's friends. The Miller
boys secured the pistols and opened on Walk
or.
When Walker fell he got to the bench and
afterwards fell on the floor. Mrs. walker was
on the other side Of the room, and when her
husband fell to the floor pierced with two or
more mortal wounds, amid the greatest ex
element crash of revolvers, bullets, and other
danger she bravely went to his rescue with re
storatives and, tepderly bending over over his
PROSTATE form, she administered 70 MS COM
fort. While in this position she fell over on
the body OF her husba d in dead faint 1t was
thought, where she remained until the snoot-
MRS. WALKER KILLED.
While Walker was lying on the floor the
shooting was continued by the Miller boys,
who succeeded in placing i've or SIX more balls
in DR.. Walker. Then it was that Mrs. walker
was killed, it is claimed by witnesses inten
tionally by one of he Millers.
Henry Miler's four sons. Dave. Jemes. Will
lam and George, and alleged accomplice'
John Reese, charged with throwing the pistols
into the room. came to the trial armed.
AFTER THE TRAGEDY.
When the shooting had ceased Justice Bos |
worth and few brave men lett in the room, |
made an examination of the place. The room |
had been riddled with lead. Miller, (the old |
man. was stone dead, stabbed N the heart |
and With over fifteen other stsbs of Walkers |
knife in other parts of the body: When Mrs.
Walker was lifted from the body of her hus-
had been shot. A bullet wound in the head
had done its deadly work. and the noble wo-
man, instead of having tainted from excite
ment, was stone dead.
Dr. walker was found to have been shot in
six or eight places. Dave Miller was danger
ously wounded in the back and side and Sam I
ue beaver in some way was badly cut in the
neck. but James, George and William KILLER
were not hit.
spread the town turned into bedlam. 1t was
seriously thought that trouble would result be
tween the friends OF walker ana Miller. me
killing of Mrs. Walker incensed the people,
and fears for the SAFETY Of the Millers were ex-
pressed, which led to the the calling out OF tne
sheriff and posse. Miller's body and his wound
ed son were taken home, and the body of Mrs
Walker and her dying husband were tenderly
carried to their residence. snort distance
H. Co nal " \ q
Baths, and DIR Rud Morrison, OF RaphIne. were
hastily called to attend DR.. Walker, They ar
rived by dark and did ell in their power to
save the dying man, but he died, partially
conscious. at O'Clock Saturday morning.
When the sheriff and posse arrived in the
village of Brownsburg they went at once to
the local authorities and, armed with war
rant in due form of law charging Dave, James,
George and William Miller with the killing OF
Mrs. Walker went to Bellevue the home of
the Milers, five miles distant and arrested
them without any trouble The boys were qui-
city at home with their dead father.
John Reese, friend, charged with throwing
the pistols in the room, was also arrested
The prisoners were at once brought TO Lex
ine ton under heavy guard, arriving at ~
O'Clock Saturday morning, and were lodged In
jail. They .came by an out of-the-way route
to avoid Brownsburg, where it was feared the
friends of walker would lynch them for kill
ing Mrs. walker"
Between Saturday and Monday morning it
was definitely ascertained that Jim Miller de-
liberately murder ed Mrs. Walker. AMI was
thought that lynchirg would certainly be at
tempted. Monday morning, the prisoners.
William, Jim and George Miller. and the ac-
complete, John Reese, were sent to Lynchburg |
and lodged in jail there in order that all
thought of lynchng would be abandoned.
The telegram to the Dispatch on the 18th !
contains reports of the evidence ct the coro |
ner's inquest. The evidence therein is point |
eddy given by witnesses that Jim Miller de .ib- |
erately murdered Mrs. Walker. remarking at
the time that she caused his fathers death and
she should die, too.
Dave Miller, who wrested DIR. Walkers pis- |
toll from him and fired npon him with his own
weapon received his wounds. which will prob
ably prove fatal, from the pistol in the hands
of his brothers in their attempts to shoot DIR.
Walker,
THE FUNERAL.
The burial of Henry Miller took place at New
Providence cemetery Sunday, DIR. c. r. Vaughan
the pastor. officiating.
The bodies OF DR.. and Mrs. Walker were
placed in rosewood caskets and lay in their
residence until Monday morning at IL O'Clock
when the funeral service took place, and to-
gether they were buried at New Providence,
Rev. C. R. Vaughan, D. D., conducting the
services. The Doctor was member of the
Masonic fraternity and was buried with the
honors of that order. The dwelling, including
the porches, and the trees were festooned with
insignia OF woe. and the stricken community
were mournets in the deepest sorrow.
Y. M. C. A. Week of Prayer.
Beginning next Sunday, Nov. l7tb, the
young Mems Christian Association" of Staun
ton will observe the week OF pray er for young
men. The Y. NJ. G. A. organizations of the
United States and Canada and of the "World''
participate annually in these meetings, which
have resulted in great good to the young men