Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-02
SUICIDE OF n. p. nrLLyER.
His Father Explains the Circum.
stances Connected With III, De.,t.

Taylorsville. N. c.. May 20. 1898.
TO an Intelligent People:
The question has been repeatedly asked
and may be asked again, why nv con
II. r. Millner. committed the rash sct
OF taking his life on the 18th OF Arr,
near Pennington, Davie county. n. q
The facts are as follows, and feel n nv
duty TO give them TO the public a.
especially TO relatives and friends In Vir-
ginia. On the night OF June Is. 1897 ,ha
post-office at this place was broken in,o
the safe blown open, and robbed OF 81 ga
I'm money and stamps. Ny son and a.
w. Price. who were selling patent-righ,
clothes-lines, were accused OF the crime
without any cause whatever, by some ON.
They remained here until the 2ist u,
June, then left on a trip. Detectives
were at once put on their trail. and fol.
lowed them for three weeks. Not a clue
OF any kind as 10 their wberea bouts
could be produced during all this time
But finally on the Sth OF July, 1897. they
were apprehended near Winston. n g
by State authorities and taken 10 VIM
ston. After they and their baggage had
been searched, and no evidence OF any
kind found, they were sent 20 isii
In Winston by Justice Lehman Next
morning Che 9TH they were brought
no evidence or jurisdiction in the pre-.
misses released them; but they were I'm
mediately rearrestc1 by the United States
authorities, without evidence, II being
stated that evidence would be fOrthcon
ing though none has ever yet come 10
light. They were sent 20 the Lexington
Jail, and there remained W 20 the 18Th
when they were brought 10 this place
for a hearing before J. =. Matheson. the
commissioner. On reaching here they
were sent to jail, the bond being put AZ
81 900 each--which they could not give. az
the commissioner required tho hondsman
to be worth $2.oc0 over the homestead ex-
emption and all debts.
On the 10Th they were brought out for
trial. The representative OF the govern.
ment claimed that II had important Wit
nesses in Statesville, and asked for A
continuance until the 17th, 90 enable Il 10
get witnesses, so the hearing was set for
the nth. the accused going back 20 Jail
on the nth, at l o'clock. all hands were
ready. The case opened and continued
up TO u o'clock Saturday night. when Il
was again continued until Monday, the
18th, the bond being reduced to 500 each
bv Dexter, the post-Ofhce inspector
Nevertheless the accused had 20 20 back
TO jail, and there remained until Monday
The case was resumed. and lasted until
l o'clock During the two days trial not
word not a syllable, not a shadow OF
evidence was ever introduced; not even
the dotting OF an | or the crossing Of {
indicated that my son and Price
were even here on the night OF the 18th
of June; or were in any way connected
with the robbery
And after all OF this. the commissioner.
J. p. Matheson. proclaimed, In a solemn
and dignihed tone, THAT it was a grave
charge" He then committed the prison
ers, fixing the bond at 500 Afterwards
Dexter had It reduced 20 800. This was
the part that my son could not overcome.
He cared not for the suspicion or accusa-
ton, but after a hearing before his people
and a court of Justice, and OF all evidence
that could be produced or brought out.
with not one word against him. and %
thus fasten the accusation upon his char
aCter, he preferred death 10 II. He alb
horred dishonesty in all its shapes and
forms. While he drank at times and mix
ed with people who were not good ass0-
ciates for any one, he looked upon this
not as disgrace; but for men to point
him out and say, THAT Is the young man
who robbed the post-Office at Taylors.
Vile" seemed to be his daily study, as no
18th day OF July. 1877, at which time I
got him and Price out of jail at States
Vile. Having lain I'm four different jalls
for twenty-one days. without one iota OF
evidence against him, he told different
persons that he preferred death 20 tho
resting on him. While coming
home from Danville, Va, and getting
near the place where he was first arrest
ed, some bolts about the buggy broke
James Marshall was with him, accom-
him home, through the country
My son took his horse out and got on IT,
bareback, to ride some two miles for
bolts. He was unwell at ths time, and
had no spirits OF any kind with him,
nor had he drank any for five or six days
Marshall says he drank none on Saturday.
or Monday morning. Being on
his horse, which was fast one, and be-
coming delirious, nervous, wild, and eK-
cited he shot his horse and then shot
himself through the temple at Mr.. l.. ".
Vests, I'm the presence Of five or six
men. Just before he shot himself be
gave what things he had 10 Mr. West
and told him TO hand them 20 me. say
ing that l would be after his body ib
r few days. This looks rational, while
his former actions seem 10 be the result
OF a fit OF insanity, as he was not HIM
self. / must think and believe that the
troubles incident 10 the charges against
him We're the cause of his death.
L will again repeat that there was not
word of evidence against my son, and
II the testimony taken down has not
been destroyed IL will corroborate this
statement. Different persons told my son
to try to live il down, and not 20 kill
himself for such a thing. His reply had
Invariably been that he never could; that
be preferred death TO such stain rest
ing on him. He frequently asked MS
mother to pray 10 get IL on OF his NINA
that he had done all that he could 70
overcome It. Cruel fate had decided
and, preferring death, he COM
nitted the rash act.
The insignificant amount OF bail re-
luired is sufficient to an intelligent mind
% reveal the cause. The District Attpr-
ley, A. Il. Hallen, for the United states
Court, threw the matter out and released
he accused before the court met pdt
he stain had taken its hold upon tho
mind too deeply 10 be erased by tht'
md the only consolation before him was
and the grave. The shame
II arrest and the ignominy OF it drove him
% suicide.
The Danvlle Register and the States'
lille Landmark please copy. and oohse'
respectfully, sc, j. u. MILLNEh.