Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-01-19
THE TILL CASE.
Matters Presented to the Governo,
in Connection with Application
for a Pardon.
Statement of the Circumstances Upon
Which Till Was Convicted of
Murder.
Petitions and Letters Sent on From
Tills Former Home in Austro-
Hungary.

Hungary.
Governor Fancler has received from
the consul of the Austrian government
at Chicago, transmitted through Sec
rotary of State John Hay, a number of
petitions and documents in the case of
Joseph Till. Il subject Of that govern
ment who is now serving Il sentence of
life imprisonment in the state pcni-
tertiary at this place for the murder
of Adam Miller in Pcmbina county in
lSao. Tlc is Il petition from friends
and neighbours Of Till at Taks. Hun
gary, his former home, in which is set
forth the good character of the young
man prior to his departure for the
United States and Il certificate of the
TACT that no crime was ever charged
against him there. There are also Ger
tlficates from the priests of the local
parish as to his excellent character.
ami his proficiency in studies. An
ether statement is from the captain Of
Il military company in which Till
served his time as Il suluirr. to the same
effect as regards his character. Tie
belief is expressed in the petition that
I'LL is innocent and thai he is the vic
tim or circnmStantial evidence ana Il
possible plot on the part Of some of his
ccuntrymrn in the ~nei~hhorlloou of
lcmhlnh to sacrifice him in order that
the real perpclralOr Of the crime might
he saved from punishment.
SO far there has been no evidence
med with tile governor lellin" to con-
lroHert or contradict the evidence
given at the trial. Statements have
been made in the ease by Attorney
\ncesilaW of lcmhina county and d..
+. Morden, now of Wahprlon. the lat
Ter OF whom is so firmly convinced. he
says, or the innocence of The prisoner,
tlal he receives manifestations of il
IN various ways. He is especially ac-
1--WE III the movement for Il pardon for
Till. 1T is probable that the matter
Will J." settled mex week when the
governor Will act upon the formal an
plica1ion for Il pardon.
Inc Iac,S IN the case of Till are given
i'll a statement filed by then States At
lorheE y. Z. Young. and Judge o. f..
SalHer OF the seventh judicial district.
by whom Till WAS tried. This state
li!ent shows Till to have arrived in
'hlS country Feb. >, 1885. in company
WIN the wife Of Adam Miller. :, Hun
@arlan. who had come to the United
mates ana afterwards sent his wife
money to come V G from the oil ru,n-
Try. When the couple arrived at New
York they were detained and Miller
AGAIN sem money for the purchase of
tickets from there to I'embina. Till
was Il cousin Of Miller and when he
arrived he WAS dnmicilcu at the resi-
dcllce OF Paul DchneS, to wlirl, place
Mrs. Miller Went after a few DAYS and
renamed up to the time of the murder.
iii lEau neither money nor sufficient
rlo'hlnE n Miller purchased Il SUP
ply OF necessary articles for him.
among G Il pair of frl, shoe packs
with corrugated ruhbrr Solrs in which
there was a defect. There was evil
uence to ShOW that not long before the
murder Till purchased Il revolver at Il
local hardware store. and had three
carriages lifted into it by the dealer,
he having no money to buy cartridges,
anu the three having been given him.
on Wednesday evening. Feb. Is. Mil
Ter was seen driving from Pembinn 70
the DCh0cS house. as WAS his usunl
custom, and that was the last seen Of
him alive. At the DeboeS house on
The same evening was gathered Il num-
per or people at supper. including Till.
supper was had between seven and
eight o'clock and Till. not remaining
TO the meal. got up and left the house.
saying h" intended to visit a girl who
lived not far away. He was gone so
the testimony showed. from half IN
lour to an hour and returned exhausted
anu warm. Some time after his re-
turn. one RolaSh. who was at the house,
looked out Of the window and saw
MlllerS horse and cutter standing neal
the %rnnary. investigation revealed
the fact THAI: the robe and seat were
gone and that; Miller was nowhere
about. Search was instituted for him,
nut failed TO disclose anything but
MlllcrS cap. which was found. The
body OF Miller was subsequently, found
lying between two logs near the gram
AIRY. with blood I'LL about and a wound
IN the head. Il post moriem revealin"
that Il bullet was imbehdcd in the skull
in the center of what appeared to be a
knife wound. In the tracing of the
crime. the tracks Of Il man apparently
runnin" were found neal where Mil
lerS cap WAS found, and the tracks
were OF :; rubber soletl foot"ear. THIS
shoes were fitted TO the tracks by sew
eral witnesses and the fit was perfect.
The revolver purchased by Till was
also found in the straw banking of an
clubhouse near the Dehocs place. with
three shells in the cylinder. two of them
discharged. This is the chain of cir
cumstances upon which the jury found
1Ju guilty. t1Einp only onn bn1lot
Till is employed in the shoe shop at
the p~enitentiary. He is small of
stature and Il. man in whose appcar-
ance there is nothing striking, his face
being rather dull. He makes Il rood
prisoner. and has served about four
years.