The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-22
MILLS IS ARRA|GNED
0'Melyeney's Slayer Will Plead To-
morrow.
TAKES STATUTORY TIME
DEFENDANT INTERESTED IN
WEATHER.
Talked Of Little Else During the
Time He Was Out OF Jail Yester-
day Morning-Mills Is Looking
Well and His Confinement Seems
to Have Agreed With Him.

Frederick J. Mills was arraigned be-
fore Judge Norrell yesterday on the
charge of shooting John c. o'Melveney
to death in room IS Of the Oregon Short
Line building of this city on October
3. Judge o. w. Powers was present TO
look after the interests Of the accused
man, who at the formers suggestion
postponed entering his plea until to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock.
At 9:45 Mills quietly walked into the
city and county building, unrecognized
by the few pedestrians in the vicinity.
He was accompanied by Sheriff How
els, and together they went to the
sheriff. office, where they sat and chat
ted until the stroke Of 10. The accused
took refuge in that universal topic in
all climeS to-Wit. the weather. To
everyone 10 whom he spoke Mills refer
red to the state of the mercury, and
said that he had never felt the cold so
much before as when he stepped out
side the county Jail yesterday morn
ing. He went TO the length of inquir
ing as to how long the cold snap had
heen on
The brisk morning air had put some
color into Mills cheeks, and, taken al
together, he looked a different man
than on that october afternoon, when
he stepped into the patrol wagon with
officer Lincoln twenty minutes after
killing O'Melveney. Mills presented
quite a natty appearance, clad in a
black sack suit, heavy black chinchilla
overcoat, undressed kid gloves and a
black fedora hat. while his hair and
beard were neatly trimmed, and his
hands We're delicately manieured.
After Mills had taken of his out
door attire and hung it upon a peg in
the court room, with due elaboration,
he walked over to a. chair indicated by
Sheriff Howells, and then proceeded to
gaze around complacently at the as
sHnbled persons present. His gaze
soon fell upon the cropped head of the
forlorn convict, Peterson, who sat over
on a bench on the southwest side of
the court room, cold and disconsolate;
from then on Mills apparently spent his
time in studying the facial expressions
of the young se-breaker, save for
the few moments in which he shook
hands heartily with Judge Powers and
discussed the weather, as before
After Judge Norrell had disposed of
the Hunter and Peterson cases for the
day Mills came in for his share of the
attention of the court.
as the defendant in the court room?"
queried his honor, as Assistant County
Attorney Ray Van Colt stated that the
state VS.. f. ]. Mills was the next bust
ness in order.
On being informed in the affirmative,
Judge Norrell ordered him to be ar
raigned.
Clerk Little. after the customary pre-
urinary questions. proceeded to read
the information filed against the de-
PENDANT. Mills promptly arose and
walked in front of the table before
the bench, and grasping the corner
of the table behind him with his right
hand. stood at attention while the same
was being read. AS soon as the clerk
had concluded reading the information
he handed Mills a duplicate of the doc
ument, which the defendant promptly
turned over to his attorney, while he
was being asked as to whether he We're
ready to enter his plea.
Judge Powers then signified that the
defense desired to claim the statutory
time in which to plead, whereupon the
court ordered that Mills be brought be-
fore him at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing,
After holding a brief consultation
with his counsel, Mills was escorted
back to the cell on the second floor
in the county jail by the sheriff.