The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-28
MILLER IN CHATHAM JAIL.
ALLEGED RAPIST FROM Balm
BRIDGE SAFELY BEHIND BARS.

| Guards-Desperatc MODS Avoided
by Wise Precautions and the Best
of Luck-MiIIer Was Horribly
Frightened and Denies His Guilt
of the Crime.
John Miller, wanted by the mob that has
for several days held the county of Deca-
tur and the town of cambridge in its
! grasp, for an alleged criminal assault
upon two young women named Harrel,
was brought to Savannah yesterday morn
ing and safely lodged in Chatham county
| Jail. He was guarded by Deputy Sheriff
Minis of cambridge and Lieut. W. D. Bar
bee of the Thomasviue Guards
Miller has been consistently referred to
| in the dispatches as John Williams, a
name that he probably gave in the ex-
tremity of fright to which he was re-
duced by the clamorous demands of the
mob for his surrender to it and the fear
that he fe.t that summary punishment
would be inflicted upon him in case he
fell into its hands He has also given his
name as Matthews, but Deputy Minis says
that he knows him, has worked him on
the chain-gang of Decatur county and that
| his name is Miller. This is the name that
Miller himself gave TO a representative If
/ the Morning News upon the arrival of the
train that brought him to Savannah yes
terday morning.
The trip from Valdosta to the city was
a dangerous one for the negro and the
two men who guarded him. Along the
Eline there had been reports of his coming,
and there were mobs collected at several
places, whose disposition it was to wreak
vengeance upon him for the crime which
he is charged with having committed.
There is by the way, but scanty proof
that he is actually guilty
The two military companies from Val
Gosta and ThomasViLe, respectively.
reached Bainbrdge early Wednesday
! morning and marched al once to the TAIL
| The mob that had been patrolling the
! streets of the town had received advices
/ OF the probable strength of the military
! that were mucn oYerestinated and had re-
| tired after firing a final Volley TO gather
| relntofcements. When the companies uu-
der the command Of Lieut. Col Hopkins
reached the Jail they found, fronting and
! close against the door of the massive
! structure, a piece of bridge timber, evil
/ IDENTIFY intended for use as a bauering ram
| in the proposed assault upon the jail. 1t
was fifteen inches square and about thirty
| feet long and would have been a formid-
able instrument for the execution of the
desperate purpose that the mob had in
| view.
Guards from the companies were at once
| thrown out and patrolled the streets in the
| vicinity of the jail for the rest of the day
and until something after o'clock Wed
nesday afternoon. BY this time the mob
had largely dispersed, but there was dan
ger in the air. and Sheriff Patterson decid-
ed that the wisest thing for him 70 do was
10 send Inc prisoner on to some place
where he would be safe from the on
saughtS ana summary punishment of the
mob. 1t was determined 10 bring him 10
Savannah.
Tie march from the Jail to the railroad
station was taken up, the Townsville
Guards forming the right and the Valdosta
Nidettcs the left of the line Between the
Two companies was the prisoner, hand
cuhed and closely guarded by Sheriff Pat
terson ana Deputy Sheriff Minis The sta
ton vas reached without trouble though
there were number of men in the streets,
some of whom We're armed and who view
ed the passage Of Miller from beyond their
grasR with no sensation of pleasure and
with lowering faces. They were wis
enough to realize though, that the militia
ry controlled the situation and made no
threatening demonstration whatever.
Both companies came as far as Naldos-
ia, where the Nidettes left the train and
marched TO their armoty. At Thomas
Vile the Townsville Guards also dis
embarked and thence Miller came on to
Savannah under the care of Deputy Minis
and Lieut.. Barbee. There was some ap-
prehension anenI the suficiency of this
small force, of two men, 10 protect the
prisoner, but it was thought that If they
could not do it, that on the train no force
smaller than battalion of soldiers would
be sufficient to check the mob and they
were directed to SO ahead and do the best
that they could.
Deputy Minis and Lieut.. Barbee reached
Naycross with their prisoner about II
o'clock Wednesday night. They found
tEat che trGln upon which they had ex-
pecled to come to Savannah had already
gone and were reduced to the necessity
OF remaining in that town until the morn
ing uain. For Two hours, until they
Thought the streets sufficiently clear to
take Miller safely TO the jai. they guard
ed him in an open lot adjoining the sta
ton ana in the jail until about 6:30 o'clock,
, when they took the trein for the city.
y man from Jesun, who came on 10 sa-
Yanuah with the guard and their prison
er, tod them that it was due to III S fail
ute TO make connection at Waycross hat
they owed heir safety. He said lnat when
il had been learned that the prisoner was
being brought 10 Savannah a moo collect
/ ed around The station at Jesup, Eel by des-
peTate and detefm ned men, and that il
was its intention 10 lake Miller away from
the officers and swing him up to tue near
est tree Wien the tram rpon which they
had expected him to arrive lid not btirg
Miller, the mob dispersed.
When the train reached the Plant Sys-
TEN depot, at 1l:20 O'clock, there NoTc hut
few persons around to witness tie discern
! barkation of the negro whose safety had
neoessitated The Governor callins out the
military. There were those expecting the
arrival of friends, the empiuTts OF the
company, whose busino kept them al the
station the customary mob of yelling
hackmen ana throng of iGiers, hangers
on and the bl.ssfuly idle that frequent the
railroad de. OTIS. The patrol wagon was in
waiting and in it the prisoner with his
guards were carried 10 the county jail.
| Here Miller was given a cell ana 10 ke1
Up. Not until then he breathe the sigh
of relief that had evidently been hoscr!n.y
uron his lips s.nce his arrival II he city.