The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-07
MILLER WEAKENING
CONFESSED MURDERER TACITLY
ADMITS HE HAS NOT TOLD
THE TRUTH.
WON'T SUPPLY A MOTIVE
AND is NOW HELD By DETECTIVE
STARK FOR BURGLARY.


with other Articles-Watch Cham
and Charm FOund on Miller-Pris-
oner Says He Can't See what He
Has TO Gain by Giving Motive for
Confession and That He Has Fig
ured II All Out-TheOry That He Is
Mon0maniac or Has Been PaId
Well to TaIk-Taken to spot
where He Claims Bourquin MUIR
der Was Committed. His story Is
Made More ImprOpa bIe-IdentiGied
Icy Negro who Claims to Have
Seen Him.
Tacitly admitting that there is no
truth in his confession of the murder of
Gugie Bourquin and Fred Taylor, col
lored, last Sunday, Joe Miller, burglar
and escaped convict, refuses to sup
ply a motive for his desire to have it
thought he is the murderer.
1t has been learned by Detective Ju-
Illus Stark that the deposit book on the
Southern Bank in the name of Phillip
Lovett, Jr, was stolen from Lovetts
home at No. $40 Hall lane, east, on the
morning of oct. 25. The house was
burglarized while the occupants were
witnessing the parade of the Fore
paugh & Sells Brothers circus. and
besides the bank book a lot of cloth
ing, an odd Fellows pin, and a watch
chain, with a Canadian quarter charm,
were taken.
This bank book Miller claimed he
ha IF the Hpod
The watch chain with the Canadian
quarter attached and the odd Fellows
pin, however. were taken from Miller
when arrested, and have been identified
by Lovett as his property. On the day
of the robbery Tim Brooks, who lives
with Lovett, and who also lost clothes,
made a report at police headquarters,
and the stolen property was entered on
the detectives property book. The ar
ticles found on Miller and identified by
Lovett were enumerated.
stark Sees Motive.
When all of these facts were estab-
lished by Detective Stark, a charge of
burglary was lodged on the blotter
against Miller. and the man who wants
it thought that he is murderer will
be arraigned on the charge in Police
Court. Despite the fact that Miller
denies being guilty of the burglary, De-
tective Stark thinks he sees a motive
in Miller's murder confession. The ne
gro knew after his arrest that his room
would be searched. and that the bank
book would be found. The detective
figures ii out that Miller realized that
the discovery of the bank book would
mean an investigation, and the plac-
ing of the Lovett burglary at his door.
The officer Is Of the opinion that
Miller at once decided that If he con-
fessed to the double murder and set
up the claim that he had taken the
bank book from dead man, the rob-
berry might escape the attention of the
ofncerS during the excitement Stark
believes that Miller is shrewd enough
TO know that he can never be punish
ed Tor the murder, because no corro-
borative evidence can be secured. In
fact his story of how Mr. Bouro,tin
and Taylor met their death shows con
clusively that he knew very little
about the homicide. II is the ouinion
OF this officer that the prisoner made
the confession for the sole purpose OF
throwing the officers off their guard
Prisoner Is Amused
Miller talked to a Morning News re-
porter for more than an hour last
night. He denied that he committed
the hall lane burglary and claims that
ne round the watch chain and Odd Eel
lows PIN The negro appeared TO be in
happy frame of mind and laughed
outright when tripped in his state
lhents. he seemed TO realize that only
a few believe his story and no longer
insisted that he was telling the truth.
I've figured it all out and I don't
see what good it would do me to say
why l made a confession" said the
convict with a grin. It's lust like
THIS. I've got two years to do on the
old sentence, Judge Norwood is bound
TO give me another year for stealing
the guards clothes, and Pm certain to
get year for getting away the sec
ond time. That makes four years.
don't 1t? Well now they've got bur
glary charge against me and the best
can hope from that is TO get down
Tor a misdemeanor with another
twelve months on the chaingang, max
ing five years.
1 amt guilty of the burglary on the
day of the circus because L didn't leave
home that day But that doesn't make
any difference when a man admits
stealing before. He just as well get
ready TO work the time, for innocent
or guilty he is going to get It, Now I
know ! amt going to live two years
and l don't see any use in having any
thing more to say. l don't care what
they do with me now that it's all off.
m certain of getting more time than
1 can work out and 1t doesn't matter
what happens now. When l was first
sent up my wife left me and since
then l haven't cared much what hap
pens. My head hasn't felt right at
times"
May he Monomaniac.
During the afternoon Supt. Reilly,
who is still impressed with the pris-
oner's statement, DIR. w. F. Drummer.
County Commissioner Albert Wylly.
County Detective Charlton and a
Morning News reporter had a long
talk with the man who can give the
Mole St. Nicholas fellow cards
and spades. Mr.. WILLY and DR..
Drummer questioned the prison.
er closely, but he insisted
still that he fired the shots. Or.
Drummer listened with interest to what
Miller had to say and was a little puz-
zled just how to take the negro.
Neither DR.. Drummer or Mr.. Wylly
credited a single word of the confess
sion, but both were at a loss to supply
a plausible motive. Dr. Drummer said
that the prisoner seemed to be shrewd
one and might be playing a difficult
role in deep game. For olvious rea-
sons he might have been employed to
make a confession and stick to it.
knowing that he would never have to
serve a day for the crime. DR.. Drummer
on the other hand, did not thing II al
all improbable that Miller is a mono-
maniac. he may really believe that
he Committed the y,,,r,la~ -, = -. -