The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-24
a MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
THE ASSASSINATION OF DIR. MIL
LEN ARoUsING THE DETECTIVES.

q
One of the Theories ia That the Muir
dered Man Was Knocked Insensible
and Thrown Into the Swamp Alive
The Muck Completed the Job-Re
venge the Only Reason Assigned for
the Deed-Arrests to Be Made To
dey-The Inquest Postponed Until
Tuesday.
The foul murder of Dr. Millen, an 40.
count Of which appeared in yesterdays
MORNING News, seems now to be involved
In impenetrable mystery. Though the IN
fortunate man was last seen alive late Mon
day afternoon, the day on which he was
probably killed, there is yet but little to
indicate the identity OF the murderer. and alb
solutely nothing to show how it was done,
unless small bruise on the head, which
would not produce death, be excepted.
DR.. MiIlen's body was found In branch
OF Salt Water creek marsh, about twelve
miles from the city. two miles back from the
road. The account published In the MORN
ING News was very nearly correct and
accurate statement, considering the very
meager details to be obtained in the city
night before last and up TO o'clock yester-
day morning.
When the news first reached the city,
about O'Clock. MORNING NEWS reporter
started out on horseback, in company with
Undertaken Henderson, TO the place where
the body was said to be. Nobody in Saven-
nah seemed to know exactly where IL was ,
or how far out it might be.
WHERE THE BODY WAS FOUND.
After long and cold ride, ten miles up
the OReechee road. the party turned Off into
another road leading two miles out through
dense pine thicket 70 a swamp and
there the body was found. Undertaken
Henderson had metallic air-tight casket
In his wagon, and after being piloted around
In narrow and crooked ways, between trees
with barely enough room between them for
the wagon 10 drive, the party got within
10 yards OF the swamp. A number Of peo-
pie from the neighborhood and from Savan-
nah were there around blazing fire await
ing the arrival Of the undertaken. After q
shorE consultation it was decided to bring
the body out of the water.
The place where IL had lodged or had
been placed was just on the edge of a
stream. DR.. Millen lay face down In the
water, while his legs and feet rested, or
rather were imbedded, In the shiny ooze Of
the marsh.
HOW HE WAS KILLED.
When the dead man was taken out OF the
water the first thing done was TO examine
for wounds. Only bruise on the forehead
and nose could be found. On the right tenn
pie was what appeared 20 be an abrasion OF
the skin, but that was not important,
while dragging him out Of
che marsh. The eyes were tightly closed
and the expression OF the face was peaceful.
Both hands were tightly clinohed as if the
dead man had made desperate struggle
before dying.
Around the warm and brightly glowing
fire, hardly ten feet from where she dead
man lay, was gathered a crowd OF his friends
and relations, some of whom had been IN
search for him ever since be disappeared
From them the story Of his disappearance
was learned. Among the number was ]. r.
whitaker, step-son ofithe murdered man.
Whitaker lives on DIR. Millen's farm on the
Ogeeehee river. He said the deceased was
at his house Monday and left for his home
IN the afternoon. According to his story
the doctor was drinking a little. but not
enough TO affect his usual good Judgment.
He thought DIR. MilIen had gone home
until wednesday morning. when GraYson
Millen told him DIR. Millen had mysteri-
ously disappeared. he, IN company with
Others, went out to search for him Thurs
day and found him In the swamp at
o'clock In the afternoon.
DIR. MILLEN's LAST TALK.
From what Whitaker and others saw
IL appears DIR. Millen was met on his wsy
home by J. B. Smith, better known as
Dock" Smith, between the IL and 10
mile posts at O'Clock Monday afternoon.
They stopped and talked awhile and j. W.
schuman rode up. He passed on after
speaking 20 the two and left
Smith and DR.. Millen in conversation
Dock Smith was the last man who saw
DIR. Millen alive. Smith is a brother-in-law
OF DR.. Millen, and according to Whita-
ker Smith rode on to his home.
DIR. Mtilens whereabouts, then, can be
accounted for up to that time, but after
ward there is a blank. When he did not
get home Tuesday his family became sus-
picfous, but they still doubted that anything
serious had happened to him, though his
prolonged absence caused them TO fear the
worst.
About dark Wednesday william Grant
tcoloredI brought DR.. Millen's horse and
buggy TO his residence, stating that he had
come across the animal at the 5-mile post
while going home Tuesday night.
when the horse and buggy were brought
back home it seems everybody forgot to
question Grant at any length, but took his
statement as a fact and proceeded TO organ
lie search for the missing doctor.
THE HORSE LOCATES THE BODY,
The report Of his mysterious disappear
nhco NATURALLY epEehu lar ana VIDE. and
soon the whole country was informed. IL
was not hard to get up a searching party.
Everybody who knew Dr. Millen went
securing through the country in search of
him. Among the many parties organized
was the one that finally found the body in
the swamp. 1t was composed of J. F.
Whitaker, step-son Of DR.. Millen; Dick
Gilmore. Joel 4. Smith, J. B. Smith and
Grayson Millen, a son of the deceased.
They started out from the home of DR.. Mil
len Thursday morning with the
dead mans horse and made thor
ough search on the main road
and every cross road. When they
came TO the road leading to the swamp
where the body was found they say the
horse acted as il he knew the road and had
been there before. Whitaker and Grayson
Millen, seeing the horse act 80, soy that they
gave him free rein and let him go where
he chose. The horse went straight to the
woods surrounding the swamp, turned to
the left, went around a rail fence, down an
incline, through a thick pine forest and
finally turned up about ten yards from the
creek. There the searching party found
what they supposed to be evidences of the
fact that the horse had been hitched to the
fence and had stood there during Monday
night and a greater part of Tuesday.
e DISPUTED THEORY