The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-08
HIS CURIOUS HOME
MANE<ATO BURGLAR AND HIGH
WAYMAN LIVED UNDER A
SCHOOL HOUSE.
HIS DEN WAS A PALACE.
GALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME" IN
HIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
CELL.
STORY OF HIS STRANGE LIFE
And Some of the Crimes for Which
He VIII Answer in Court
Nov. 10.
HIS DEN WAS A PALACE.
STORY OF HIS STRANGE LIFE

Special to the Globe.
CHAMBERLAIN, S. D., Nov. T.
That any one could dig out room and
live for a period of two years under
school house in the heart Of a thickly
settled community without detection
and without arOusing the slightest sus-
piciOn, is difficult of belief. Similar
cases are found in fiction, but in real
life are extremely rare. This fact adds
interest to the romantic experience OF
Cyrus b. Miller, who escaped from the
Lincoln, Neb., penitentiary, and for two
years lived under a school house. in
the most populous portion of Blue
Earth county, Minnesota, without de-
lection His strange rendezvous would
not have been discovered even then
had he not for moment lost his GUS
tomary nerve and given the matter
away himself. A federal official and
members Of his family who have re-
turned here from a visit with rela-
tives at Mankato, Mimi, furnish the
writer the details of this most remark
able case, which will come before the
grand jury which convenes in that
city on the 10th inst. One day last
summer while Sheriff D. T. Bowen, Of
Blue Earth county, was on his way to
town from a business trip to the coun-
try, he while crossing a bridge some
miles out discovered a bicycle in some
underground near the road, its position
indicating that an effort had been made
TO conceal it. Inquiry in town proved
that the bicycle had been stolen. To
discover the thief a watch was placed
over it to see who would come and
Nit. 1N~I
in the arrest of a man who gave his
name as Cyrus Grey, but whose correct
name has since been ascertained to be
Cyrus 3. Miller. When placed in the
Sweat box lie told a story that sur
1Tised the officers and which, when it
became known throughout that region,
attracted intense interest. His confess
sion was in substance to the effect that
for a period of two years he had Sc
cretly made his home under a school
house about eight miles from Mankato.
Such a story was difficult Of belief, and
the authorities were incredulous until
the school house was visited, and it
was seen that the mans story was in
deed correct. At the rear, on the out
side, is an old-fashioned brick Chin
ney, which extends from the surface
of the ground to d point some feet
above the roof. The cunning displayed
by Miller proves that he is one of the
shTeWdest criminals with whom West
ern officers have ever had to deal Sc !
= curing access to the interior of the
school house while it was unoccupied, |
he had sIdllfully removed a section of |
the WainscOting on the inside of the !
building directly opposite the CHM |
uey. The boards We're sawed very care
fully just under the moulding along the
top and across the bottom level with
the floor. Then by saving downward
rs along the grooves between the boards
q small door was formed which escap-
ed detection by the scholars or other
parties. The door had hooks on the in
side with which to fasten it and pre-
vent it being opened from the school
room side in the event that it was
discovered while Miller was in the
cave.
HOW HE BUILT IT.
He then dug down inside the lower
part of the chimney, and by this
means tunneled under the school house
Here ne eXcaVated large room, and
the ingenuity of this really remark
able man was again demonstrated by
the method adopted to get rid of the
dirt removed in order to form the
room. The dirt was packed between
the rafters holding the floor, and boards
nailed on the under side and thus
made a receptacle for the surplus dirt,
as we'll as formed dead wall through
which no sound could penetrate to
give warning of the presence of the
fugitive to those in the room above.
The room was well finished on the
sides, ceiling and floor, and had been
neatly papered. On the walls were
E cslyn t,1,r Il
Miller on ordinary white paper, dark
strips of paint having been run around
the edges to represent frames. A
large stock of magazines and books
was found in this strange abode, and
The fact that they were all Of first
class character proved that Miller is a
man of some education and refinement.
A stove, bed and bedding, table and
Dther furniture and articles as we'll
as a full supply of cooking Utensils,
had been taken to the underground
room to add to the comfort of the &C.
cupant. Smoke from the stove was
conveyed by a stOVe-pipe to the CHM
ney at the rear of the school house,
ana was thus carried away without
exciting curiosity. The large articles
such as bed, table stove, etc, had
been lowered into the room through
an opening, made for the express pur-
pose from the school room. The stove
IN the school room sat a short distance
n front of the platform upon which
the teacher had her desk. The stove
had under it large sheet of zinc.
The boards forming the floor of the
school room ran from the platform
toward the stove. Miller sawed the
boards off just under the edge of the
platform, and under the edge of the
zinc, then sawed along the cracks at
each end to connect with the former
cuts, and by this means made a trap
door. which, during the two years, es-
capped detection. This was used solely
for lowering large articles into the
cavern below. and, when not * use,
was securely fastened underneath. The
opening through the wainscoting serv-