The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-04-08
HUNTING THEMDOWN
The Leader Of the Somerset County
Outlaws in Jail.
SURRENDERED TO AUTHORITIES.


His Supplies Cut on aud He Found
IL Impossible 10 Hold Ont Longer.
He Coafesses the Hocstetler AInr-
der and Assnmcs the Role or In
jurcd Innocence.
SOMERSET, Pa. April 8.--William c.
Miller, the moonshiner and leader In tho
gang that murdered old man Hochstet-
Ter, surrendered TO the state authorities
yesterday. The search which was re-
Gently instituted was so vigorous and
the supplies so nearly cut Off that the
fugitive found it impossible to hold out
longer. He was Immediately brought
10 the jail here. A view posse was sent
to the mountains Trent to capture
Pritts, the other pl.acipal in the muir
der. II Is intimated that his hiding
place has been disclosed, and the in
structions are that he Is tobe taken dead
or alive.
Miller was interviewed in Somerset.
jail. He talked very freely, and as
sumed the injured innocence role 70 per-
fection. ..Hochstetler,n he said, has
been the leader Of gang up In our
CouHtf AUE kuo puet lWcHty yGUIus
Whether or not they have been making
some reason TO think 80. He took d
great dislike 70 me. believe the reason.
was because ! refused to Join the gang
Of which he was the chief.
Injured Innocence.
"They wanted to murder doctor
whom Hochstetler suspected OF having
furnished information to the govern
ment In regard 10 their working, and
because refused 10 take hand In the
matter he swore TO be avenged ON me.
You have no idea how miserable he has
made life for me since that time. He
wrote to the government officials that
was the leader of q gang Of moonshiners,
and agreed TO locate my stillhouse,
when really was not engaged lii maxi
ing whisky, and knew nothing about IL.
my neighb0rs told me that Hochstet-
Ter informed them that he was In COM
munication with the government Of
ficers and that was to DO arrested for
high treason. did not know Just what
that term meant. but thought IL meant
had taken up arms against Uncle Sam.
Well, served IN the army, and know,
what II meant 10 have Uncle Sam
against me. Hochstetler claimed he had
been commissioned o major general by
the war department for the special pur-
pose Of running me down.
HE always carried pair OF rifles.
over his shoulders and wore brace Of
revolyers and q large knife In his belt.
He said he carried the knife for the
purpose OF cutting of my head after he
had shot me. There had been 30 many
stories afioat ever since the raid was
made last January that concluded N
protect myself,
He Acknowledges the Murder.
II had not violated the law, and /
concluded that Hochstetler had caused
me trouble enough, and that for that
reason would have him brought to jail.
The day Bill Pritts and Bob and me
went to the mountain to see the detec-
tive go by had rope in my pocket,
and when / saw Hochstetler coming
proposed that we capture him and tic
him to tree
''Pritts agreed to it. Our object was
to hold him prisoner till we could 70 TO
Trent and make information against
him for surety of the peace, and then
we would have had the constable come
to the spot where we had tied him. /
halted Hochstetler, but had no sooner
called halt than he threw q stone at me.
The stone struck my rifle and glanced
back, knocking the bark off my knuck-
les. The pain it caused made me mad,
and when he cried Come on ran al
him and struck him with my gun. /
hit him four or five times.
.Piitts caught hold Of him from be-
hind, but don't believe that he struck
him. We dragged the body down to
the run and threw it in. lie was not
dead yet, but saw that he was NOR
tally wounded, and that there was no
use in trying 10 drag his body further.
Where have been since last Wednes-
day night is ali right, and il I'd any idea
that the sheriff was after me would
have given myself up at once. I thought
the mountain was filled with United
States soldiers, and that they would
shoot me on sight.