Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-03-15

Beaver Dam, WIS, March y
Especial to The Leader -This city
was stirred from center to circum-
ference at A 80 o'clock this afternoon
by one II the most brutal double
murders and suicides ever recorded in
the annals Of crime, the cold bdedloo
murderer cheating justice by taking
his own lite after realizing what a
heartless wretch he had been.
The murderer ard suicide is Rosco
G. Miller, man about fifty-fve years
of age, an ex-convict, his victims being
his wife and stepmother.
1t appears that Miller had been
having trouble with his family and
had been brooding over the same for
some time During the afternoon, he
went to the home of his wife on York
street anu DeCdiUe eHBdSed III d duah-
rel His first desperate deed was
that of beating the wife over the head
with "billIe," after which he shot
her In the right jaw with revolver,
the bullet going entirely through the
head and coming out the back of the
head. The defenseless woman was
killed instantly. His daughter, Mrs.
Max Schumacher, who was in the
house at the time, was hit over The
b sad h ad with "bIlie," receiving
a bad scalp wound that required taking
several stitches to close. She fortu-
nately made her escape and saved her
life by fleeing from the house.
To continue in his fiendish acts,
Miller then went to North Spring
street, distance of about three blocks,
the place of residence of his step
mother. Upon entering the house
of the lady and asked if he could kiss
her, to which she replied, "why,
Crock, - what do you mean?' and
started to leave him. With that he
pulled his revolver and fired. The lady
threw her left hand up before her
face. The bullet took off one of the
fingers of the hand, passing through
her head, death resulting few
minutes later.
After committing this deed, Miller
evidently began to realize the horror
of his crimes and suffer remorse of
conscience. He walked across the
room to rocking chair, sat down
and put a bullet through his temple,
the same lodging directly under his
scalp. Despite the seriousness of
the wound, Miller was taken TO the
jail, where he died about three
hours later.
Miller was sent to the state peni
Tertiary from Milwaukee about twenty
wears ago for the murder of Lot
Compton, an engineer. After serving
sixteen years, he was pardored for
good behavior, leaving Waupun about
four years ago. He went from there
to Fono du Lac, were he remained
about two years, then returning to
his old home town-Beaver Dam.
Miller was bonn and reared on a
farm near here. Despite his past
record, he was not looked upon
as dangerous person. He was quick
tempered and quarrelsome and was
rather addicted to liquor. He was
married thirty years ago, but had not
lived with his wife since being con
victed of murder at Milwaukee. The
wife had lived in Milwaukee most OF
the time since, coming back here
about month ago. The trouble thai
terminated so horribly arose from
the fact that Miller had been trying
to persuade his wife to return ant
live with him, which she refused tt
do.
1t appears that the trouble between
Miller and his stepmother was owe
money affairs. MIller's father, VIII
was wealthy farmer, died about
year ago, leaving most of the propert
to Miller's step-mother. He hat