Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-07-15
FATE OF A FIEND.

BARDwELL, KY, July s.-Scay j.
Miller, the negro charged with the out
rage and murder of Mary and Ruby
Ray, was hanged at 3:27 o'clock Fri
day afternoon and the body burned
after being horribly mutilated. The
negro made q speech proclaiming his
innocence, but it is said that he after
ward made partial confession.
The steamer Three States, with sew
eral hundred men from Cairo on board,
met the special train from Silxeston at |
Bard's Point. The prisoner was put on
the boat and taken to Wickliffe at 4 |
o'clock Friday morning. Frank Cor
don, the fisherman who ferried |
the murderer across the Mississippi |
river Wednesday 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 Wickliffe and brought the
prisoner to this city, arriving at 1880
o'clock There was not less than 5000
men at the depot and the train of eight
cen coaches was crowded. Previous to
this time an agreement was made by the
DtOplt W dlloW bllS idIhCi VI tilC Shil-
dren to prescribe the punishment, hut
when the train arrived it seemed that
the men forgot their promise for the
time. They pushed to the train, one over
another, and at one time it was thought
by great many that the negro was
being torn limb from limb.
AT last quiet was restored and all
went to very high seatfold 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: 'eThis is the
man who killed my children. but let us
keep quiet now, and at the proper
time burn him"
The negro was called upon to make
talk and responded promptly and with
wonderful nerve, considering the cir
| cumstances under which he was placed.
His voice was clear and he seemed al
most oblivious to the surroundings.
His exact words We're as follows:
MY name is Seay ]. Miller and am from
| Springfield, Ill. My wife lives ut 7l6 North
| Second street i am here among you as
stranger and looked on by you the most
| brutal man that ever stood on Gods green
| earth l am standing here an innocent man
/ among excited men who do not propose to let
| the law take its course, 1 have committed no
| crime TO be deprived Of my liberty or life. I
| am not guilty"
AT this time he was disturbed by sew
eral questions and many called on him
to 90 on, but Sheriff Hudson begged to
be permitted to put him in Jail and get
some rest for himself, which he needed
so badly. at this time Mr.. Ray, the
father of the children, appeared on the
stand and talked only few moments,
carrying on conversation with sew
eral persons on the ground. Mr.. Ray
repeated 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 a few minutes past II, and the
negro was placed in Jail to await the
time when he would be called forth.
AT $50 o'clock the negro was brought
from the Jail to the principal street. A
chain was around his neck and many
We're pulling at it. The crowd was
wild and no one could guess at the fate
of the negro. He was almost suffocated
| "Iltu lllt uOTlH eHu lllC OtpOb Wds
reached. and here the father of the
girls relented to some extent and sug
gested that he be hanged rather thar
burned.
At 3:27 the body was swung to a tele
graph pole directly at the north end ot
the depot and he was drawn up. Hi:
clothes were torn from his body by tai
maddened mob. He was heard to say
just as they drew him up: -
I am an innocent man." but ther,
is fully authenticated report tina
he made partial confession as tn,
mob took him from the jail. The negr,
I was drawn up with his face to the pole
and when his feet were 2 or 3 feet from
Z the ground some one shot him from tn
: front, the ball passing entirely through
D his body. In IA few minutes life wa
: extinct, it being ascertained he wa
dead at 3:45 o'clock
The body was left hanging unit
4:25, during which time some of tn
toes and fingers were cut off. Th
body was finally taken down and cal
= ried about 800 yards to the rear of tn
Downs Il Hart mill. AT that place tn
S ears were cut off, nearly all the ri
!. manning toes and fingers were severe
and the body otherwise mutilatet
y The body was then placed between tw
!, kegs and kindling piled upon it an
d then enough wood to complete the 10
of the burning.
'' SPRINGFIELD, H., July S.-The viii
e of the negro, Miller, burned at Bare
c well, Ky, for the murder of the tw
y Ray girls, has been located in this cit
: at 7l6 North Second street, where sh
u lives. The Millers came here frol
u Cairo about the time of the opel
. ing of the legislature, and u
man made unsuccessful attempt
to get employment at the stat
/, house. He remained here until abor
IL the first of June, when he returned Il
IS Cairo, leaving his wife here. The Mi
d lers seemed to be respectable and ass
e ciated with the better class of colore
d people, being members of the Africa