Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1893-07-13
WAS He lNNoCENT7
Doubt Raised ~ to the Guilt Of miller,
Who Was Hanged, Shot ana Burned by
the BArdwoll Tx ~, Nf,t

Doubt Raised ~ to the Guilt Of Miller,
Who Was Hanged, Shot and Burned BY
the Bardwell (Ky.) Mob.
CAIRO, Ill, July TO- Much excite
ment still exists regarding the lynchinQ
OF Miller at Bardwell, Ky, Friday aft.
ernoon, and grave doubts exists as ia
his guilt. His first examination was
held at Wickliffe, KY, Friday morning.
About q half-dozen of the leading citi-
zens of the place and officers Of the law
conducted the examination in secret
session 1t had been generally under
stood up to this time that there was
blood on the person and on the cloth
ing OF the negro, and that q razor and a
large pocketknife which he carried were
reeking with blood. In fact, kilograms
had been sent to Sikeston, where he
was arrested, to this effect The ex-
animation proved this to be entirely
erroneous.
Mr.. Ray, the father OF the murdered
girls, was the chief examiner and did
everything in his power to get proofs
as to the prisoners guilt, but was as
fair as any man could be under the cir
cumstances. The only positive evidence
that could be called good proof against
him was the fact of his hand being
covered with scratches, which must
have been made by thorns, leading all
to infer that he had received them while
in the blackberry patch where he is
supposed to have murdered the girls.
He could not give any accounted how
he got these scratches.
The mob of more than 5000 who had
gathered at sBardwell were thirsting
for revenge for the brutal murder OF
the innocent girls, and as the accounts
OF the evidence against the prisoner
were exaggerated and distorted as
they went from mouth to mouth
they had made up their minds
that the prisoner was the guilty man
beyond all reasonable doubt. It had
been determined to burn Miller at the
stake and preparations had been made
for doing so. AS the crowd was hurry.
ing Miller to the stake Mr.. Ray, father
of the murdered girls, mounted the pile
of combustibles and cried: ''For Gods
sake, gentlemen, do not burn him; we
are not positive that he is guilty"
Then the mob having the negro, as
has been told, hanged him, and rifle
ball was fred through his body
Shortly after the rifle ball had entered
the body all movements or contrac
tions of the muscles ceased. A
physician felt the pulse and pro
nounced the victim dead. Their
relic hunters began their work. Kniye.
were opened and pieces OF tn,
victims undershirt, which had beer
tied around his loins, were cut off unit
there was nothing left on his person
Then began brutal treatment of tn,
body. One man sliced off a finger, an
other an ear, still another a toe. Thu
was kept up until the body was badl,
mutilated. Then some one cut deer
slit on his abdomen.
Some one suggested that they burr
the body to save funeral expenses
This was soon decided upon and tn,
body was let down and about twent,
men caught hold of the chain anc
dragged the wreck of a man on thu
ground through the streets to point
about quarter of a mile away. Here
a great heap of wood was piled up, the
body placed on top, more wood was
piled on and the huge mass fred. The
body burned slowly and it was many
hours before it was consumed.
1t is proper to say now that after the
man was dead there was no feeling OF
jubilation manifest. Upon the con.
trary, a sort of mental wet blanket
seemed to hover over the crowd and tive
out of every three men cautiously ex.
pressed doubts as to the proprietY Of
their action and said they feared his
connection with the murder was not
fully established.
Information from Trustworthy
source at Wickliffe is that kilograms
have been received there confirming
Miller's statements as to where he was
July 4 and 5. Millers story was that
he was at Bismarck, Mo-, the morning
Of July 5. and no one has brought for
ward any evidence to the contrary.
Careful inquiry has failed to disclose a
single person who will say positively
that he saw Miller in Bardwell, or even
Carlisle county, that day.