New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-01
MILLER SHOOTS HIMSELF.
DESPAIR OvERTAKES THE MURDERER.
THE SLAYER OF MINNIE RAUHAUsER FoUNI

D-HD- DOODI Or iDHN iAit'
Samuel and Daniel Manning, sons of Daniel
Manning, Of Coytesville, two miles from Engle'
wood, N j., at about 0:30 o'clock yesterday
morning, while walking along the mountain
road saw dead man in a sitting posture by the
side Of tree a few feet from the road just above
the house of A. g. Sage. Investigation showed
a bullet wound Oh the right side of the head near
the temple. There were also three stab wounds
near the heart.
Coroner Hill, of Hackensack was Immediately
informed. lie went TO the place on the Palisades
and made AZ examination of the body at 3
o'clock. The body was found to correspond ex-
actly with the description Of the body of William
Miller, wanted for the murder Of Minnie Raul
hauser, the seventeen-year-old girl who was found
with her throat cut at No. .207 West Sixty.
seventhst on Friday night The dead man was
feet inches tall, slim. liglt. hair, light-brovn
mustache, Roman nose, blue eyes, and wore laced
shoes, No. 8. lie had blue striped shirt.
white slspenders, plain navy-blue necktie, Derby
nat, with Dunmore, the manufacturers name, in
side. The underclothing seemed almost new.
Around the body was also found wrapped towel
covered with clotted blood, evidently day or
two old.
The suicide, for such it plainly was occurred
about 200 yards south of the place where Mrs.
Fisher was murdered few years ago The New
York police authorities were promptly informed,
and 1t was thought there no question of the
dead mans identity. The body was taken to
the Fort Lee Morgue. A 32-calibre revolver,
with two cartridges discharged, was found lying
by the side of the body. No knife could be
found
The accornt Of the brutal murder, carefully cut
from a newspaper was found clenched in the
left hand of the suicide when he was discovered
on the bluffs, When the body Of the suicide
was examined it seen that he had made at
least five previous attempts to kill himself with
knife. Besides three knife wounds found over
the heart there was long, deep cut the right
side of the neck, and slight cut, only skin Deep
on the left side of the neck. large, white silk
handkerchief, fastened around the mans neck, hid
he attempts which he had made to cut his
throat.
Coroner Hill, Justice Cass, of Englewood, ard
Justice Maybe, of Fort Lee all agreed that
without doubt the man was Miller. Captain
Bergholtz, of the West One-hundredth-st. police
station in this city, said he believed the man was
Miller.
AS the details of the murder of Minnie Rau-
hauser by her lover William Miller are brought
to light, the atrocity of the horrible deed is only
The murder was deliberately planned
the time of it's perpetration patiently waited
for, and the crime committed with all the
coolness of professional butcher. Deputy Coroner
William A. Conway made post mortem examina-
ton of the body yesterday morning at o o'clock
The condition of the food in the stomach showed
that she met her death not mort than half an hour
after breakfast which she took at 80 o'clock
SO that the murder took place about o'clock
The presence Of milk punch also showed that
her lover had induced her TO take liquor before
be commenced his butchery, while two empty
glasses with the dregs Of milk punch in them
we're found on the kitchen table. A soda-water
bottle which none of the living members of the
family recognized WAS found under the kitchen
table, which gave strong odor of whiskcy, and
showed that Miller had brought the liquor into
the house, and undoubtedly had persuaded Minnie
10 prepare the punch with her hands, for
he milk Jars from which the punch was made
we're empty and placed where only those hav-
ng charge of the kitchen work Of the household
would have placed them.
After drinking the punch the girl began her
household duties, going first to her mothers bed
oom to make the bed. Miller followed her there
md then the struggle began. He wounded her
n several places, as the blood stains on the bed
md carpet in this room testify. She succeeded
n breaking from him or dragging him from this
oom into the adjoining stting-room, where the
struggle must have beeL at its height, for the
'oom was strewn with the upset furniture, and
he cloth-covered buttons which were on
he coat Miller wore Blood patches also were
N the carpet and finally led into the private hall
Iere the girl broke from her murderer, and traces
# blood and blood-stsins on the door-knob showed
hat she had reached the door leading into the
ubc hall, where she would have been rescued
But the fiendish cunning of the brute had
anticipated this by locking the door on the Inside
nd keeping the key in his pocket
Finding that escape In this direction was cut |
f. the nearly exhausted girl struggled to reach !
Ter brothers bedroom, opening of the hail. |
vhere there was a window opening on |
nall court or air shaft That She reached the |
,indow is shown by the marks of bloodstained |
ngers which were found on the sash, but she was |
% weak to open it and fainting from the loss of |
lood. The final and fatal knife sashes were
lade on her throat, nearly severing her head from
ne trunk. One pillow which saturated |
-th blood, evidently had been used to smother
le girls screams
The girl had made brave fight for her honor,
nd had saved it ut the cost of her life. Miller
,nsacked the house before leaving it, but 50 far
can le learned look nothing OF value. lie Uneu
hanged his clothing and dressing in the clothes
2 wore while at work, removed all traces of
ood from his person, left the fat, locking the
Dor, and placing the key in its accustomed place.
hen he fed woman living in the fiat above,
;erheard him proposing marriage to Minnie only
e week before.
William L. Strauch, at whose pianoforte action
ictory Miller worked, said TO Tribune reporter
William Miller had worked with me fifteen
lonths and in all that time be had not lost more
nan six days time. lie left here Wednesday
lght as usual but we have seen nothing Of him
nee, although his wages for three days are due
i'm What he was doing all day Thursday is
ystery, unless he was getting his courage IN
,r the deed. He had an excellent character in
ie factory and earned more money than many Of
le men who had families To support But he
ad n peculiar disposition which had frequently
Dtced Whenever rebukcd for carelessaess IL
is work, as every man is, more or less. he seemed
draw himself within himself untN. my back
as turned then he seemed to be possessed of the
rncitv of q TIGER ard MOnld glara nj me as have |