Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-01
A TRAGEDY At ALTON
Dr.. o. A. Miller Ends a Weeks
Debauch With Murder and
Suicide.
Shoots and Instantly Kills His
Wife and Then Takes Dose
Of Poison.
Mob Chases Murderer Fourteen
Miles But He Was Dead
When Found.

Alton, ILL.,, Sept. 1--Crazed With
drink, DIR. o. A. Miller, of Rockbridge,
terminated z weeks debauch Sunday
hy shooting his wife ana killing her in
stantly and then ending his own life by
drinking almost half a point of tincture
of opium.
A few minutes after s o'clock DIR.
Miller walked into the parlor of his
home. His wife was seated at the
riano. The doctor drew a revolver and,
without warning, began shooting his
wife in the back. Two bullets entered
her body, and the thild entered the
back of her head. Mrs. Miller fell from
doctor had finished shooting he walked
into his study and, picking up a pin,
bottle of tincture of opium, drank near-
~ half of its contents.
The shots We're heard by number
of the neighbors. Two of the tirst to
learn OF the tragedy We're Marshal John
Woodbridge and G. W. Hickman. Wool
ridge ran to the residence of Constable
John NJ. Clark. quickly telling him of
the affair. Hickman Went directly to
the Miller home and upon entering saw
the doctor standing in the middle of his
study with the bottle of opium in his
hand. AS Hickman rushed toward him
Miller put the bottle TO his lips and
attempted to drink the rest of it's con-
tents But Hickman knocked the bot
tie from his hands and overpowercd
him in an instant.
Hickman looked into the parior and
saw the mother dead. her clothing sat
urated with blood that was still oozing
from the three wounds in her body. on II
her PROSTATE form We're her three small
children frantic with grief trying to-
awaken her.
Before Hickman had the opportunity
to take care of his prisoner 4 mob of
the neighbors surrounded the home.
With the assistance of Constable Clark |
Hickman took tho Decor out of the
rear door and put him into rig
Then began a race of fourteen miles
against death and a mob to the Greene
county Jail at carrollt.,n Mile after
mile the horse was urged to greater ef-
became more drowsy Gespite the her
culean efforts of Constable Clark to /
Keep him awake. Less than two miles
behind Constable Clark could be seen
4 two-horse rig with the horses i'm a /
gallop. These he knew to be members
of mob and again he urged his tiredt
steed.
When five miles had been covered the
battle with the opium was all but lost
and Or. Miller was dying. While the
spark of life was still existent there
Was hope. and between the terror of the
supposed mob, a little more than a mile
III the rear. and the desire to get his
prisoner into safe hands and under the
care of physician. the officer urged
his steed into a terrible pace and gall
loped up to the count, ill just one.
nouf ana nfteen MIMI ter he had
Begun his fourteen mile ,e
Sheriff 1saace Conlee at once put DR..
Miller In the steel cage OF the Jail, fear
ing the mob, and telephoned DR.. T,. S.
Gooch. DIR. Gooch was on the scene in
i've minutes, and worked with the UNI
doctor with all his medical
skill. but within twenty minutes after
ae had been placed in Jail the spark of
life flickered and went out. At this
luncture part of the mob drew up i'm
'front.' of the Jail. but found they were
tpn In 10