New-York tribune., 1891-08-27
EAGER TO END THREE LIVES.
SHOOTING HIS WIFE. HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW
AND HIMSELF.
EXCITING SCENE IN HOUSE AT GREAT NECK
L.I-THE CONDITION OF THE HUSBAND
THE MOST CRITICAL.


Little CONDITION OF THE HUSBAND
THE MOST CRITICAL.
triple shooting afray in which husband
shot his wife, his mother-in-law and then him
self took place at Great Neck, T.. l., on Tuesday
night None Of the injured were dead last night,
but two Of them were in critical condition
Henry Miller, twenty-three years old, Jack of
all trades and the husband of Mrs. Christine
Miev, the assailant in the case. Miller was
married TO his wife, who was q Miss Nelson, four
years ago, and after the marriage they lived at
Flushing. Family quarrels were frequent, and
Mrs. Miller left her husband several occasions.
but Miller as often induced her to return Finally
child was born. Last June however, the child
died, and then Mrs. Miller left her husband for
good and for fair she expressed it. She went
to live with her mother, Mrs. Lille Nelson, at
| Great Neck and refused to have anything more
| to do with her husband.
Miller who asserts that the trouble is all due to
the interference of his mothern-aw, on last Thurs
day night declared that he would visit his wife at
her mothers house and endeavor to obtain a recon-
| ciliation. He went so far as to promise to pur-
chase horse for her, and the next day sent the
| animal. On Sunday he made another visit, but
met with q cool reception no one meeting him
| at the station with the new horse as he expected
| lie left the house thoroughly dissatisfied and
| devoted Monday and Tuesday to considering tho
situation between himself and his wife, and finally
arrived at the conclusion that she should either
| live with him or he would shoot her.
| He puthased 22-calibre revolver and bunch
OF bana Gas. The former he intended to use in
case his wife should refuse his request and the
latter peace offering in case she should com
ply with his request 1t was after o'clock
|
Nelson house and found the front door barred
and his wife and mother-in-law in bed. lie
pounded on the door, and in reply to his sum
mons Mrs Miller came to the upper window and
demanded to know who was there and what was
wanted.
| Its me, Henry. l want YOU to come down
and talk with me about the new job Tve got"
Mrs. Miller refused positively to come down
stairs or to have anything more to do with him
! and shut the window. This reused Millcr's anger
and searching around the premises, he soon found
an axe with which he began battering
down the door. 1t took but a few
blows TO accomplish his purpose, and
he was soon in the house. lie ascended to the
second floor and entered the room where the two
frightened women were clasped in each others
arms Then Miller made his demand that his wife
should return to his home She firmly refused to
90 so, When Alllcr selZed her by che arm and
dragged her toward the stairway, telling her that
he intended to take her life Then Mrs. Nelson
went 20 the rescue, and seizing her daughter by
the arm, attempted to prevent Miller from pulling
the latter down stairs.
Miller, losing his temper at this resistance, drew
his revolver and fired one shot at his mOtherin-
law, which took effect in her head, inhicting q
painful but not necessarily fatal wound. She beat
n tssty retreat when Miller succeeded in forcing
his wife down three or four steps. He then seized
her by the throat with his left hand. while with
his right he levellcd the revolver at her face and
fired four shots in rapid succession. Two Of the
bullets took effect in her temple. One entered
at the base of the nose and penetrated the roof
Of the mouth. fourth entered the mouth from
the side.
Mrs. Miller broke from her husbands grasp, and
with the blood streaming from the wounds in her
head reached the lower hall. Here her husband
quickly overlook her. and seizing her by the
throat. knocked her down and began kicking her.
More dead than alive, the woman managed to
moan, Henry, I'm dying"
The only response made by Miller was: I'll
hang for YOU" Mrs. Miller managed to escape
from the house and hid in a cornfeld. When sure
that she was safe from pursuit, she started for the
house of Mr.. Fenskcy, but tainted twice before
reaching her destination. Here she remained all
night, and yesterday morning she was sufficiently
recovered to tell her story and have warrant
issued for Millers arrest
AS soon as he found that his wife had escaped
his vengeance Miller left the house and started
down the road toward A1anhassett. After walking
about mile, according to his ante-mOrcm state
ment Miller sat down by the roadside to deliberate
on the situation 1t did not take him long TO ar
rive at the conclusion that the world would be
better without him. He reloaded his revolver and
fired four shots, two in his temple and two in
his mouth He rolled over into the road, where
he remained unconscious, according to his state
ment for about four hours. On recovering con-
sciousness he got up and walked four miles to the
house of his mother at Great Neck.
Drs Rogers and W. II. Hoag were called to at
tend him, and pronounced his condition critical
On their advice the Coroner was called in to take
his ante-mortcm statement. He said that his
mother-in.law was responsible for his troubles, as
she had coaxed his wife away. He told the story
of the visits and the shooting as narrated above
He said that all he had to drink on Tuesday night
was halfpnt OF whisl1ey, and that another man
helped him 10 drink that
As soon as Mrs. Miller arrived at the neighbor's
house and toll her story several people started
TO ascertain the condition Of Mrs. Nelson they
found her badly frightened, with slight wound
on the head. Having applied some simple rene
dies the party started TO search for Mluer. Ihe$
failed to find any trace Of him, but discovered
plenty OF evidence OF the work done by him Ihe
wall, stairs and lower floors plentifully spat-
tered with blood, while the spot where Miller
made tho second attack on his wife was marked by
a large pool of blood. The condition oi MIS-
Miller yesterday was considered favorable. Miller
is in the critical condition of the three ms re-
covery being matter of great doubt. MIS-. NeI
son around her home Yesterday apparently
little injured by the shot which struck her Ecad'
THE FIRST sEA-SERPENT OF THE SE4SON.