The San Francisco call., 1896-12-12
Marshall ]. Miller Dies on
=: Il, the GalIows at San
Quentin.
Declarations of Innocence Made
During His Last Hours
- on Earth.
His Crime the ling of an Aged
3. Man at Mary Vile for His
:: Gold.

=; SAN QUENTIN, CAL, Dec. 1.-THE
: quickest OF the many executions in the
Stale Prison here was the hanging of
Marshall j. Miller at 10:16 o'clock
this morning. 1t was but a few Sec
onds over a minute from the time
Miller put his foot on the stairs leading
up to the platform until he had been shot
through the trap and the doctors had
hold of his wrist counting the decreasing
heart pulsations.
The death watch at his cell had begun
eight days ago. He had been hopeful
, of respite from the Governor until last
night. Then he abandoned himself to
his fate, but bore up we'll. He sent for
priest yesterday, and Father Conley of
San. Rafael was with him much of the
day. Last night he read newspapers and
the Bi bic and talked with Guards Jones
and Miller until o'clock, when he knelt
and prayed. He slept three hours. At 8
O'Clock he ate hearty breakfast OF ham
and eggs, potatoes, bread and coffee. The
execution was set for 10 O'Clock, but
Warden Hale extended his life tenure if
teen minutes, so that he could spend it
with Priests Legen and Conley.
Miller, very pale and trem bling slightly,
ascended the gallows stairs leaning on the
arm of Father Legen. While the black
capswas being adjusted Father Legen said
foT Miller that he sis not more guilty than
others who had not to suffer the death
penalty. He was not Catholic or a fol-
lower of any faith before yesterday, but
: he died in the Catholic faith"
Then there was click of the trap and
Miller hung at the end of the rope. He
dropped five and half feet. In fourteen
minutes Official Physicians Wickman,
Jones and Mattner pronounced him dead.
Miller was widower without children or
friends, and he will be buried in the prison
grounds tomorrow.
When Warden Hale read the death-war-
rant to Miller he reiterated his innocence
He~left with Father Conley long state
ment detailing his connection with the
crime, laying the blame on his partner,
Stewart Green. who is in the prison serv-
ing, life sentence, and claiming that
Green drugged him in whisky.
on Thursday morning, May 2, 1895, the
e people of Marysville were apprised of
the :atrocious murder of Julius Pier. an
aged man of unsavory reputation with the
. local notice in that he operated fence"
OIQ 1leT ndQ IrlenQ IN a COlOT6Q street.
Gag stable hostler near by, and they had
been in the habit OF exchanging parts OF
aheir SeIl-cooked meals. On the morning
of the murder, aud after repeated calls at
old Piers place, King, the hostler, forced
ap entrance through rear door and found
the-old man bound and gagged, lying in
pool Of blood In his small bedroom. King
hastened to the police office, and soon
q Marshal Maben and his officers were at
the scene.
=. Evidences of a severe tussel and few
minor discoveries put them in possession
of aelew. Shortly atterward a shirt was
found in an clubhouse and it was recog-
nized as the property OF young electri-
: cfaQ. who had been going under the name
Of. George Duroy. Duroy was placed un-
der surveillance and it was learned that
he had confided the crime to woman OF
the town ana had tried to procure money
enough to get away. He was arrested and
with little hesita ton confessed, imph-
eating Marshall ]. Miller. barber, 45
years old, then conducting a shop on Sec
ond street.
Miller was placed under arrest and be-
tween the two the details of this crime
and of. several projected ones, including
D.. the murder of two or three wealthy mer-
chants. the robbery of bank and the kill
ing OF one or more men at DobbiDs ranch
and. Billiards Bar for purposes OF robbery,
3: were revealed.
T. Each tried to shift the responsibility for
the Pier murder and its actual execution
upon the other. How they had gagged
. and. finally beaten 10 death the old man
:: was related, and the people generally be-
'lieve the actual killing was done by the
young man.
The name Duroy proved TO be an alias
for Stuart Greene, the renegade son of Iili-
4 nois parents. His father came here and
sen ploying attorneys made a strong fight
. fof his life, and after months of work and
weeks of trial secured verdict giving
MIN life imprisonment. Miller pleaded
guilty, was afterward denied trial and
the case against him has pended in vari-
Gus forms for q year and a half. His at
toriieys enlisted much sympathy for him
from people who believed that young
Greene should have been hanged. With
that support they have tried IN vain to
save his neck.