The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-06
TELLS TALE OF CRIME
ESCAPED CONVICT CLAIMS TO BE
BOURQJIN'S MURDERER.
CONFESSION NOT CREDITED.
SAYS HE WAS PROMISED s25 FOR
HIS BLOODY WORK.


Name Was Sapp-NcGrO Made Full
Confession After His Arrest as IN
Escape-I'oIice Point out Several
Reasons Why story Is Untrue-So-
Iicftor General Osborne Does Not
Credit Confession.
The police experienced a thrill for
few minutes yesterday when Joe Mil
Ter, a negro thief who escaped from the
county chain-gang six weeks ago, af-
ter stealing a suit of clothes and a
rifle from one of the convict guards. of
his own volition declared he had muir
dered Gugie Bourquin and Fred Taylor
last Sunday afternoon.
At | o'clock Miller was arrested by
Mounted Patrolman T. c. Murphy as
an escaped convict. and was sent to the
police station house. An hour later he
called the patrolman to the window of
his cell and blandly declared that he
was a murderer. He told story that
the officers say makes him strong
rival of Baron Munchausen. When So
Hcitor General Osborne heard it from
the negro himself without the slight
est hesitation, he pronounced it It's
sue of fabrications.
The first confession was made to
Patrolman Murphy, Mounted Sergeant
Fleming and Quartermaster Kelly. Inn
mediately afterwards the same state
ment was made to Detectives Murphy
and Stark and a representative. of the
Morning News. Miller was dramatic
during his second confession. Wiring
ing his hands and weeping he paced
his cell as he told how he shut his eyes
and shot Mr. Bourquin. If he was tell
ing a fairy tale. and those who heard
his story would stake their lives on II
that he was, he acted the part he was
playing to perfection. With a tremor
in his voice he made a statement that
astounded his small audience. Then he
repeated his confession to Superintend-
ent owen Reilly, and it was believed
by that officer that he might be telling
the truth.
Bnrgaincd for Blood.
The escaped convict had determined
70 go to Charleston and started out the
Ogeechee road to catch a train at the
Four-mile Hill. When quite dis
lance out he encountered, he said.
dark comDlexioned white man with
gun and four hunting dogs. The man
asked him if he was in trouble, ana ne
answered that he was not in very
much The stranger said his name was
Sapp, and asked him If he wanted 70
make some money. Miller said he an
swered in the affirmative. and he was
asked If he cared how he made it. He
said he did not.
Mr.. Sapp pointed at two men COM
ing in a buggy out of a side road" con-
tinued Miller. and said he had 1t IN
for the white man. He said the white
man killed a friend of his, shot his
dog and threatened to shoot him. He
asked me if | would kill the white man
for $25. and l told him l didn't care.
He gave me his shotgun and five shells
and told me just to shut my eyes and
pull down. When the white man drove
into the paved road / turned loose. He
fell on the LEFT side of the buggy and
out in the road The old negro Jumped
out of the right hand side of the buggy
and Mr.. Sapp told me / had better
shoot him SO he couldn't talk. l shot
the second barrel at him and he fell
at the head of the horse. Mr.. Sapp
kicked the white man and said he
didn't believe he was dead.
Robbed the Dend.
81 took a bank book out of the old
nigger's pocket and gave Mr.. Sapp his
gun and three shells back. We walked
on towards town together. and left
the white mans body on one side of
the buggy and the nigger's on the
other. Mr.. Sapp told me when we
were walking back that he did not
have the $25 then, but If l would meet
him Monday at Burgers store he
would give it to me. We walked on
to Burgers store and sat on the door
step talking until long after dark.
Then I came on to town. / went back
to the store for my money, but haven't
seen Mr.. Sapp since. The place where
/ shot the two men was a half mile
from the railroad track. You've got
me for one crime; you just as well
have me for ALL"
There was not a break in the me-
gro's statement, and he repeated il a
number of times afterwards without q
change. Detectives Stark and Muir
ply, Patrolman Murphy and a Morn
ing News reporter went at once tC
Miller's house. on L street a nook or
the West Side, and found the bank
book in his trunk as described. Il
was on the Southern Bank and was
made out to Joseph Lovett, Jr A
trip to the bank brought out the fac
that Lovett lives in the eastern enS
of Hall lane, and had on Oct. rs re
ported his book lost Lovett and til,
murdered negro Taylor could in III
way be connected. Then the offic err
were absolutely certain that Mile
was not telling the truth.
Where story Is Weak.
TIE begin with the crime had bee
committed about five miles from wher
Miller claimed he killed the two mer
Every indication pointed to the fac
that MIR. Bourqun was shot from be
hind and fell back in the buggy in tn
position that he was found by MI
Lowell and Mr.. Dreese. There coul
be no question that the negro Taylo
was shot as he was running down tn
tracks of the Seaboard Air Line, an
yet Miller declared that the shootin
was done in the middle of the Ogeeche
road and not nearer than a half mil
to any railroad track. A pool of bloc
on the track, before a train had mutt
lated the body, showed conclusivel
that Taylor had been shot where h
had fallen when found
Besides these undisputed facts tn
officers pointed to the improbablity @
white man desiring revenge, employ
ing strange negro to do his blood
work. Miller stated that he had see
no gun, yet Mr.. Bourquin's weapo
was found three feet from his buggy
where it had fallen. The man with tn
ready confession had taken a worth
less bank book from the pocket of tn
dead when articles of value Nigh
have been secured. There we're n
blood stains on the bank book either.
Superintendent Reilly was impresse
with the repeated positive statement
made by the negro and Solicitor CO.,