The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-09
HE PAID THE PENALTY,
GEORGE MILLS HANGED IN RALEIGH
FRIDAY.

GEORGE MILLS HANGED IN RALEIGH
FRIDAY.
The Law Avenged for the Brutal and
Heartless Murder of lana Wimberly
Her Own Uncle the Perpetrator Of
the Crime-fie Meets His Fate With
Calm and ResoIute Spirit.
raleigh Evening Visitor, May 3rd1
Nearly II months ago one Of the
foulest murders ever perpetrated in any
community was committed near Apex,
Wake county. To-day George Mills,
the condemned murderer of his own
niece, paid the penalty of his diaboli-
cal crime by forfeiting his life on the
gallows.
The details of the murder as related
in both the Wimberly and Mills trials
are fresh in the minds of the public
and the less said about the commit
ment of the crimes the better, for it is
one of the blackest in the history of
of the county.
George Mills was an uncle of lana
Wimberly and lived from time to
with the family. He was staying
there in June of last year. On the
evening Of the 10TH, he and lana
started for the old Vaughn house a
half mile distant to procure some wild
flowers. George had mission and
that mission was accomplished. He
went to murder lana. Like lamb
to the slaughter, she accompanied
him. Mills at first gave her laudanum,
on false pretext. The laudanum did
not work fast enough, SO a dogwood
stick near by did. Mills beat his own
niece over the head, time and again,
until he thought her dead. Life was
still left in the fragile body, and the
girl raised up and clutched the stick,
praying her own uncle not to murder
her, according to his own testimony;
and yet he came down on her head
again and again.
Having done his most brutal and
fendish work, Mills left her for dead.
He wandered about and got back to
Wimberly's at midnight. He told the
tale, which the public at large believe
the Wimberly family knew too we'll.
The Wimberly's managed to skirmish
around and get a body guard sufficient
to accompany them at daybreak to
look for her body. lana was not dead
as expected, and lived a week or two,
Mills was arrested and at first de.
MED committing the crime. Later he
told OF the murder and has stuck to
that tale ever since. He reiterated it
yesterday to his brother, saying he had
nothing to conceal.
Mills has stuck to it that he was sub
serving the ends of Wimberly and that
he was forced to commit the crime
by him.
Mills has been holding up under
the ordeal through which he had to
pass remarkably we'll. Yesterday he
began to weaken and last night gave
under completely. He slept little or
none, sitting up most OF the while
brooding over the morrow.
Though Mills was greatly overcome
this morning, so much SO that he
could hardly speak without weeping,
he was remarkably cool from the time
he donned his new suit of clothes un.
til the death trap fell.
Great crowds surrounded the Jail all
the morning. The crowd was for the
most part the same as that which
hangs around the court house on cour,
weeks. Nothing but morbid curiosity
attracted them thither to see a fellow
being put to death. 1t was sympa.
thetic assemblage, and murmurs Of
"there goes the poor fellow" could be
heard as mills walked out of the Jail
door with Mr.. Robert Page and Dep
uty Brooks on either side. Mills steps
were firm, and but for the fact OF
being nearsighted. he showed no evil
dences of faltering. Indeed, never
did man show more self possession
and nerve than he did on such an
occasion. Not tear dropped from
his eyes from the time the party en-
tered the Jail and first caught sight Of
him, until the black cap concealed his
face forever from human gaze.
- 4
Mills was not visibly affected by the
religious exercises or the reading o'
the death warrant, though he had
quite a serious aspect on his face.
As soon as the death warrant was
read, Sheriff Page stepped forward to
tell George that the time had come
for him to carry out the order Of the
law. Mills stood up at once and wa:
escorted out by Mr.. Robert Page and
Mr.. c. NJ. Walters. He faced the i'm
nense crowd at the Jail door and
walked firmly to the gallows anC
quickly mounted the steps leading te
the trap.
Mills took seat on the stand, Al
did the ministers also. No others but
Sheriff Page and deputies were allowed
there.
Prayer was again offered in behal
of the condemned man. The ofhcia
ting clergymen then bade Mills gooe
bye, saying at the time a good wore
for the unhappy man. Sheriff Page
asked him did he have any statement
to make, Mills replied that he did.
Mills asked must he stand up II
make his statement. Some one tolt
him "yes" and he arose from his chair
He spoke clearly and slowly. Heges
tured freely and showed no evidence
of fright whatever. In fact, he wa
probably the least frightened persol
present. His talk was of a religion
r,.urr and he did not refer to Vim