St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-08
CHOkED BY LyNCHERS
Miller, the Alleged Murderer
Of the Ray Girls,
Hanged.
It Was Intended to Burn
Him, but the Programme
Changed.
He Is Reported to Have Part
ly Confessed TO His Bru-
tai Crime.
After His Death His Carcass
Is Cremated by the
Hob.

BARDwELL, ny, July 7.-Seahy j.
Miller, the negro charged with the out
rage and murder of Mary and Ruby
Ray, was hanged at 1927 o'clock this
afternoon, and the body burned after
being horribly mutiIated. The negro
made a speech declaring his innocence.
but it is said that he afterward made
partial confession.
The steamer Three States, with sew
eral hundred men from Cairo on board,
met the special train from Sikeston at
Birds Point. The prisoner was put on
the boat and taken to Wyckliffe at
O'Clock this morning. Frank Gordon,
the fisherman who ferried the murderer
across the Mississippi river Wednes-
day night, identified Miller as the
same man. Still Miller pleaded his
Innocence. and John Ray, the father
of the murdered girls, counseled
patience. The mob boarded a train at
Wycklitfe and brought the prisoner to
this city, arriving at 1880 o'clock.
There were not less than 5000 men at
the depot, and the train of eight coaches
was crowded. Previous to this time al
agreement was made by the people to
allow the father of the children to pre-
scribe the punishment, but when the
train arrived, it seemed that the men
Forgot Their Promise
for the time. They rushed to the train,
one falling over the other, and at one
time it was thought by a great many
that the negro was being torn limb
from limb. AT last quiet was restored,
and all went to a very nigh seaffold,
constructed of bridge timbers. Sheriff
Hudson, the prisoner and a number of
the guards mounted the stand. John
Ray, the father of the murdered girls,
made talk, in which he said:
This is the man who killed my chill
dren, but let US keep quiet now and at
the proper time burn him."
The negro was called upon to make a
talk. and responded promptly and with
wonderful nerve, considering the cir
cumstances under which he was placed.
His voice was clear. and he seemed
almost obliviouS to the surroundings.
His exact words were as follows:
My name is Seay j. Miller, and | am
from Springfield, LII. My wife lives at
TIC North Second street. | am here
among you as a stranger and looked on
by you as the most brutal man that ever
stood Oh Gods green earth. am stand
Ing here an Innocent man among excited
men, who do not propose to let the law
lake It's course. l have committed no
crime to be deprived of my liberty or
life.
Am NOT EusItvss
At this time he was disturbed by sew
eral questions and many called on him
to go on, but Sheriff Hueson begged to
be permitted to put him in jail and get
some rest for himself, which he needed
so badly. At this time Mir Raw. the
father Of the children. appeared on the
stand and talked only a few moments,
carrying on conversation with several
persons Oh the ground. Mr.. Ray re-
peated the charge against the negro,
and said he was willing to set time
and place for the execution, which was
agreed between him and several by
ISLANDERS should be O'Clock. 1t was
then few minutes past II, and the
negro was placed in Jail to await the
time when he would be called forth.
AT 500 o'clock the negro was brought
from the Jail to the principal street. A
chain was around his neck and manv
men were pulling at it. The crowd was
wild, and no one could guess at the fate
of the negro. He was almost suffocated
when the north end of the depot was
reached, and here the father of the
girls relented to some extent, and Sug-
gested that he be hanged rather than
burned. At 1927 the body was swung
to telegraph Lole directly at the north
end OF the depot, and
He Was Drawn Up,
his clothes were torn from the body by
the maddened mob. He was heard to
say just as they drew him up: 81 am
all innocent man." but there is fully
authentic report that he made at least
partial confession as the mob took him
from the Jail; but the confession i'm
plicated a partner i'll some way, but
nothing positive can be learned. The
negro was drawn up with his face to
the pole, and When his feet were two or
three feet from the ground some one
shot him from the front, the ball pass
ing entirely through his body In a few
minutes life was extinct, it being ascer-
tanned that he was dead at 3:45 o'clock.
The body was left hanging until 4:25,
during which time some of the toes and
fingers were cut off. The body was
finally taken down and carried about
three hundred yards to the rear of the
Downs Il Harlan mill. At that place
the ears were cut Off, nearly all the re-
naming toes and fingers were severed,
and the body otherwise mutiIated. The
body was then placed between two
kegs and kidding piled upon it, and
then enough wood to complete the job
of burning. The crowd remained or
derry to the last, but very determined.
The men VINO did the hanging are from
Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois and Mis-
sousi, and the work was done i'll such a
manner, and the throng was so great,