Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-12-14
LOVE, NOT REVENGE.
Motive of the Famous
Borden MutineCrS.
Confession Made That Solves the
Mystery.
George Miller Tells the Whole story
on His Death Bed.

II was love, not revenge for harsh trent
ment that brought about the atrociOus muir
derS of the famous Jefferson Borden mutiny,
the details uf which shocked the world In
1874 and which have been brought to the
publ, attention again md again in recent
wears On hts Iratnhrd, behind the bars OF
the state prison al ThomHstun, Me-, where
he had been runllH"d for II score OF years.
George Miir. one Of the mutineer5
convicted 81 murder. made a confession
which solves III" mystery of the mutiny,
Coutroyert~ the story uf the aftair as
accepted by the courts and tn" world, and
presents the story in au entirely new light,
weaving into the trad"Gy the threads OF n
romance tn" tale Of a man : SinSane and hope
less love ior anothrr'S wife. The accuSer is
dead, the HcruS, Il lives.
Miller, the a.rus'r whose 20 years OF i'm
prisonmont truusinrmc him from an illitcrate
criminal into IN educated, thoughtful and
conscientious man, told n story that was
straightforward. simple and plausible. The
prison officials believe 1t true. Now the world
may Judge between the deathbed confession
Of the converted murderer who became IN
prison Arm church man. and the defense OF
his surviving partner in crime, whose love
caused the sacrifice OF two innocent lives.
Ephrainl Clark. known in prison as William
Smith, the accused, the sole survivor OF the
three mutincers, is far different man. AMI
has a prison reputation the antthesI- Of
Miler'S. II" i known as u bad man.
The prison. Tuumaston. Me-, officials place
10 reliance upon his various and conflicting
stories, for hc hu, cOntradicted himself Il
number Of times.
Some little time ago, in the guard rOOm;he
two prisoners. who had daily seen each other
in silence under tn" rigid prison rules, were
brought iare to fnc" Tor th" first time when
they could loosen their tongues t. prove the
truth II their contradictory statements. Mil
Ter accused Clark " using the fact Of his
(Miiler'sj il-trratmcnt as an excuse to pre-
cipitate the munity when Clark himself had
never been ill-trratcd. Clark hung his head
then admitted for the first time thHt he
himself had hot been hrutaiv treated,
but that Miller proved to be the victim
The sincerity OF Miller convinced his
hearers that it was Clark, and not Miller who
was the instigator and chief offender in the
fatal affair. This was the last meeting OF
Miller and Clark. Miller went to the hns-
pital soon after, and died there Dee. /.
Clark stolidly refuses to speak of Miller !
accusation ard remains in his confinement
alone, the last OF the mutinecrs to finish out
the punishment for his crime, which can end
only In dcath-parlon having already b.enrc-
fused him. Milierdird after u pa nful illness of
briehts disease Tn" confessed criminal was
confirmed n a member Of the Swedcnhorgian
church. His was not an ordinary prison
death. Drlirium se2Hl him. and the fraIl
physique, weakened hy confinement and tho
ravag"s OF disease. was illed with all the
strength OF life rs the dying prisoner men
tally ennc.rd for the last time the horrible
details OF his crime. His eyes staring into
Vacancy c!ntchinc the air. his limbs twisting
violently, he cried out in his delirium
Vow h. would seem to he gazing aloft
then his eyes would turn as II sweeping the
deck. then hi- gestures seemed to be- those I
II man in the act ot striking. II was an aw-
fuI death, the death Of a murderer living over
again his crime. "lIi! hi!' With this cry
the mutneer fell back on his bed. Miller had
paid the penalty Of his crime