The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-04-04
WHY MILLER
KILLED HIMSELF
1t Is Said Two Methodist
Ministers Had Opposed
His Marriage With
Mrs. Johnson.
SHE HAD BEEN DIVORCED
Decree Against Her First
Husband Was for Deser- :
ton AS She Failed
to Prove Other
Charges.
she HAD BEEN DIVORCED

Oswald J. Miller, twenty-seven years
old, of No. 221S Clinton street, Brooklyn,
well known in County Epworth League
circles, committed suicide about six
o'clock Saturday evening in the home of
his tiancee, Mary Johnson, No. 80 Jewett
avenue, by shooting himself in the heart
with revolver.
The exact cause that led Mr.. Miller to
take his life is not definitely known. His
wedding with Mrs johnson was to take
place next Wednesday.
Mrs. johnson was formerly the wife
Of Frank NibIett, of Keansburg, n. j.,
and assumed her maiden name after Sc
curing divorce from Niblett. The Rev.
William H. Ruth of st. Paul's Metho-
dist Church, in Third street, which Mrs.
johnson attended, refused to perform the
marriage ceremony for the couple be-
cause the bride-to-be was divorced wo-
man. 1t is believed that Miller imag-
ined this was disgrace in the eyes Of
the church, and that it had something to
do with his taking his life. Miller was
member of the First Methodist Church,
Hoboken but was originally connected
with ST. PauIs Church. 1t is said that
Former Presiding Elder ]. T. Wright,
also refused to marry the couple. Miller
was advised to have a civil marriage
ceremony performed
After Miller had talked with the Rev.
Ruth Saturday he went to the home of
his finance and found her and her faith
er, j. Eder johnson, at supper. She left
the table and the young couple had talk
in the parlor. 1t is said that Miller ap-
peared greatly depressed as he talked
over the disarrangement Of their plans
for church wedding. His inancee is
said to have tried to cheer him up by
telling him that all would come out right,
and succeeded somewhat in restoring
him to cheerfulness. She left him for a
few moments to go into the fppper room
and later was startled by the report of
a revolver, which appeared to come from
her bedroom.
She rushed into the room and found
Miller lying on her bed with a smoking
revolver grasped in his right hand and
blood flowing from a wound in his right
temple and staining the pillows and bed
covers crimson. She was followed into
the room by her father. Miller's death
had been almost instantaneous. The
bride-to-be was prostrated and refused
herself to callers yesterday.
The divorce obtained By Mrs. johnson
from Frank Niblett was on the grounds
of desertion. It is said that she tried to
obtain it on statutory ground but failed
to prove her charges. After securing her
divorce she became Intensely interested
in her church duties and devoted much
time to them. Miller, though a member
of another church of the same denomin-
alton was also deeply religious and both
were jealous Epworth League workers.
Among the effects found in Miiler's pock
cts were numerous Epworth League
cards, and schedule Of Epworth League
meetings
Miller's body was yesterday claimed
by his brother. It is said that Miller had
frequently expressed the opinion that
man who would commit suicide was a
coward He had the revolver with
which he killed himself for some time. It
is also said that for some reason his
brother some days ago hid the weapon
from him, but that he subsequently, found
it and loaded it's Eve chambers with car
tridges from a box he had in his posses
sion.