The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-26
STORY OF A CRIME.
Again Recalled by the Death of
G.. HI. Miller.
The colman-PATTEn MURDER.
Accused OF the Double Tragedy, miller
Stands -Four Trials-Ihe Tragic
Element In His Family.

The death of G.. II. Miller. age sc years.
OF paralysis, last Tuesday on bis farm near
Newcastle, recalls the ColEnsn-Paiten
murder on Lake Washington in February.
lss6. one Of the celebrated tragedies in the
history OF the state. in which Miller played
an important part, having been accused OF
the murder and going through the nnpre-
cedented ordeal Of four trials charged With
the commission Of the double crime.
Whether Miller was really innocent or
guilty will now. perhaps. never be known,
but the fact remains that after his four
trials the tragic element seems to have en-
tered largely into the life of this man. and
followed him even into his family relations.
for one daughter subsequently committed
suicide. while a son went insane and be-
came the terror of his neighbors, and IS
now at Steilaeoom.
On the morning of February s. 1856. the
day that Seattle was thrown into confu-
sion by the Chinese riots, J. Manning
Colrnan. who lived on the east shore OF
Lake Washington. opposite Mercer ISL
| and, accompanied by young man named
Wilbur Patten. started across the lake for
Seattle to give evidence in land ease In
which a neighbor. G.. III. Miller, was
pass around the southern end Of Mercer
island, and thai was the last time its occu-
pants were seen alive. On March 5. nearly
a month later, the bodies of the untortE-
nate men were found by Frank Dnsharn,
Thomas Murphy, Charles Strauss and T.
Graham in the water near an old tree that
projected from the bank of Mercer island.
The strangest part Of the affair, however.
- - H.. hat ha
discovery was made by following the die
tates of dream Mrs. Frank Dusharm had
on the night of the murder. In that dream
she had full outline of the tragedy. but
knew nothing as to the names of those
implicated or the location otherwise than
it was on the shore of lake.
The bodies were brought 10 the city and
taken 10 o. C. shorey's undertaking
rooms. where the wounds were examined.
il was found that Colman had two bullet
wounds in his head, one through the left
temple and the other on the top of the
head. Patten was shot through the leg
and again through the body. his spine
being severed. 1t was learned that Miller,
who had been arrested short time after
Colman and Patten disappeared and sub
sequently discharged for lack OF evidence.
nau Deen watching mercer lStdnu Win
a glass the morning of the murder. He
was rearrested, tried in Seattle for MUIR
der, but the jury disagreed. Then he was
tried at Port Townsend, and the
jury disagreed again. The next time
he was tried here by - Kitsap
jury and convicted. The case was APP
peaied TO the supreme court. and the order
came from that authority that if at the
next trial the state could not produce more
evidence than had been brought out the
case would have To be dismissed. The case
was tried the last time at Port Madison.
and as the state did not produce more evil
dence Miller was turned loose.
His daughter Josephine. who some
thought had hand in the killing, COM
mitted suicide in this city two or three
years ago while working as a domestic for
T. b. Hardin. One of Miller's sons has
been in the insane asylum several times.
and has been the cause of much fear and
trouble TO the people of the eastern shore
of the lake by his wild work when at large.