The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-26
HIS LIFE WAS WELL INSURED
AND THE JURY DECIDED HE SHOT
HIMSELF WITH A REVOLVER.
The Weapon Purchased at Springfield
Temporary Insanity Probable.

lieved that he killed himself, but the fact
is as great a shock to the community as
was the first report of murder c. Spons-
Ter, a frearm dealer at Springfield, came to
Decatur this afternoon and identified the
body positively as that of the man to whom
he sold n revolver at o'clock Monday at
Springfield. He testified to that effect be-
fore the coroner's jury. States Attorney
Isaac X. Mills, who examined the body
when found and traced the revolver and
Mr.. Millers movements, also testified. The
position OF the revolver on the ground in
dicated that it had been dropped by the
dead hand after firing one shot. The watch
is still missing. Mr.. Miller's whereabouts
from the arrival Of the train until the time
Of the tragedy, forty-fve minutes, are still
a mystery.
Mr.. Miller had an accident policy for
$1,000, good for one day, taken at Blooming
ton before he left. His friends do not be-
lieve that he came here to make it seem
murder for the purpose of defrauding the
insurance company, but say that in a fit
of insanity he killed himself and afterward
thieves, finding the body, took the watch
and money. pulling the pockets inside out
1t is well known that DR.. Miller was in the
habit of buying accident insurance policies
and has done that for years No reason for
the suicide is known. Dr. Miller's friends
here believe they were we'll acquainted
with his financial affairs, and they saw his
finances were better than for several years.
A son, who went through college, has Just
begun to practice medicine here success
fully and profitably. This fact was the
cause for expressed satisfaction to Mr.
Miller. His family relations were mos;
pleasant. Many here maintain that he was
attacked by robbers and drew the revolver
to defend himself. 1t was taken from him
and he was killed by his own weapon.
The coroner's jury consisted of r. L. Wal
ston, Cass c. Chenoweth, III. d. He'll, Albert
NJ. Drew, Herbert C. Jones and William w.
Connard. the first five being well-known
physicians and men Of intelligence.
WHERE THE TRAGEDY OCCURRED.
Mr.. Miller left his home in Bloomington
Monday afternoon. He came down the Illi-
Eois Central Road to Clinton going thence
to Springfield to transact some business
He was seen there last night by people
from Decatur. He told them he was COM
ing to Decatur to visit his son, DIR. John
Miller, who is associated with DR.. w M
Cato in the practice of medicine. Mr.. Mil
Ter came to Decatur on the 1910 train Mon-
day night, but instead of taking the electric
car for his destination he walked from the
depot alone to point near the Cato resi-
dence, where he intended to pass the night
as had been his habit when coming to De-
ward street. back of the Cato residence,
in the fashionable quarter of the city,
within four blocks of Lincoln square, he
was supposed to have been set upon by one
or more men. who were thought to have
shot him in the, forehead and robbed him
and knight Templar charm. The watch
charm was found on sidewalk less than
two blocks from the scene of the tragedy.
w Do11a rIfN ban t,rN1 -
ing the alley entrance at 345 o clock yester-
day morning, found the body. 1t was lying
on its back near the north side of the
alley, just far enough in the alley to make
it appear that the minister had been at
tackled at the alley opening and shot in the
head, the body. falling eastward. The arms
were at the side of the body, the feet near
the edge of the walk, the Fedora hat lying
against the fence if it had fallen off as
entered the center Of Mr.. Miller's forehead.
splitting the skin and frontal bone. The
bullet went clear through and lodged in the
neck just below the base of the brain.
The bullet was easily located. The mouth
and eyes of the minister We're open, and
the head rested in a pool of blood. AT the
the cane Mr. Miller was in tne habit or
carrying. Close to the edge of the alley
walk was found his rifed pocketbook, and
near it was a new 3S-caliber Smith az Wes-
son revolver, with one chamber empty. 1t
is a four-inch barrel; factory No. 33S045.
Both the revolver and the pocketbook lay
of the alley heard the report of tie pistol at
IL o'clock but as no cry followed the explo-
sion all supposed that some one was snoot-
ing at dog or cat
Working on the theory that Mr.. Miller
had been murdered, an effort was made to
trace his supposed slayers with blood
hounds, but the effort proved failure.
The work of the dogs was described yes
terday as follows: In the first place
were put on the right trail. The watch
charm was found in the residence lot of
]. 3. Bullard and the supposition was that
the murdererS had dropped the charm in
their flight. The hounds were taken to
that spot and started They found trail
that ran through alleys, across lots,
through hedges and finally were at fault
at the end of the street car tracks near
the western limits of the city. Twice the
hounds We're put on the scent and each
they stopped at the street-car tracks, and
the supposition was that the man or men
murder was committed. The conductor of
the car on that line says his last two trips
Monday night were made without pas
senger. The assassins may have taken
street car to the depot and left the city
on an early morning train.
'.The dogs are owned by Willis Arms
worth at Cerro Gordo. He declares there
was no certainty as TO the trail, and that
there was nothing to show the trail in the
Bullard lot was ever near the SPOT where
Rev. Mr.. Miller was murdered. The revOl-
yer had been handled by so many officers
after being picked up by the coroner that
ArmSwOrtn' Salu III was dDSOlulety useless
for his purpose Then. too. the murder
was committed Monday night and the dogs
did not arrive until this afternoon at
o'clock. Armsworth says that his dogs
have been tried and proved true; that on
separate occasions they have run criminals
to earth, and that in each instance the
men arrested have been convicted.
when the start with the dogs was made
an immense crowd was impeding their
progress. Men and boys came by the hun
dreds They came in every sort of vehicle
and packed William street so that the po-
lice could not get through when the start
came 70 be made. There not officers
enough in the county TO handle them.
When the dogs started over the trail the
crowd broke loose and followed. II hur-
ried around the block and packed the street
when the dogs emerged from the alley and
repeated that performance again and
again. When the hounds got into an open
pasture at the western limits OF the city
II was the same thing over again. The
men holding the dogs were completely sur
rounded by a mob of men and boys. who
tramDled out every semblance of trail
which might have existed. Armsworth
!. said the wonder the dogs had gone so
far on the trail they had first taken up"
In view OF the coroner's verdict. that IL
was case of suicide. not murder. 1t is