The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-11-05
Pays Penalty for the Murder
of Miss SuttIeS.
EXECUTION IN ATLANTA
Crime Was Committed Eighteen
Months Ago and Murderer Re-
spited Number Of Times
by the Governor.

MllldTu
suttles on Sunday, May 25, 1902, IN
Wesley chapel, near Ben Hill, Ca,
was hanged Friday morning in the AT
lanta Jail. Thirteen minutes later ne
was pronounced dead.
With smile Of content on his face
and without a tremor in his frame,
Lee walked to the gallows, stood on
the death trap and prepared for the
death he knew must come.
"Have you anything to say, Mill
lard?" asked Sheriff J. ". Nelms
minute before the trap fell.
"Only that young men should read
their Bibles and pray. Take warning
from me. Oh, God, have mercy on
my SOUL" were the last words CT the
young murderer.
Lee was the most composed man IN
the ga.lows room. Save for the con-
slant movement of his fingers and the
occasional twitching Of his lips he
displayed no emotion as he marched
to the gallows or as he stood while
his arms and legs we're being tied. =
The execution was very orderly and
there was not the slightest hitch from
beginning to end. Everything had
been SO carefully arranged that there
,,o. MT O cooond'c do1ay
Lee died a professed Christian, and
said he was going straight to heaven,
there to meet the girl for whose muir
der he paid the penalty on the galloWs.
DR. J. NJ. Suttles. father of the dead
girl, was one Of the men present in
the gallows room when Lee plunged
through the trap to death: During the
| entire occasion he spoke to no one.
| His face was immobile as the slayer
of his daughter went to death. He
left the Tower within few moments
after the hanging had been completed
A great crowd gathered around the
Tower early, despite the fact that they
knew they could not be admitted 20
the iail. The rain which fell just oe.
fore the hanging did not drive them
away.
Story of the Crime.
On Sunday morning, Nay 23th OF
last year, just as the last notes of the
doxology were dying away, and as the
hundred worshipers in the little Wes-
ley Chapel, at, Ben Hill, settlement
seven miles from Atlanta, bowed
their heads in prayer, Millard Lee son
Of a we'll known planter living in the
neighborhood, shot and instantly kill
ed beautiful Lila May Suttles, play
mate from childhood and the object
of his devotion in manhood. Unre-
Quilted love was the cause OF the trag-
edy.
Lee escaped from the church. but
was captured next morning, just at
daybreak, at Mabelton, Is miles from
! the place where he shot his sweet
heart. He had gone there with the
evident intention of boarding train
| lOE tA1dDdulc, AlCu wac NaS W GSSS
within a few moments after ne show
ed himself to the officers.
Almost from infancy Lee had loved
Lila May Suttles, the daughter OF DR..
J. NJ. Suttles, neighbor to the Lees.
The two had been playmates in child
hood and had been thrown together
much in the frolics Of the country
side. Lees queer actions. his evident
desire to shun every living man and
his brusqueness turned the girl away
from him and she began to avoid him
in every way This made Lee ever
more sullen and morose.
Six times since he committed the
murder he had been respited bv Gov
ernor Terrell. awaiting new trials and
action on the part of the supreme
court. Every court. however. .declar-
ed him to be sane and to have COM
mitted a murder.
The final decision was handed down
by the state supreme court Thursday,
only one day before the execution