The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-17
MILLER INDICTED
In SECOND DEGREE
Grand Jury Brings in True Bill
Against Ansonia Negro
Who Shot Wife to
Death.
TRIAL IN TWO WEEKS
Attorney W. d. OConnelI Assigned to
the Casc-Plca of Not Guilty Or
dercd Entered for Accused
by Judge Case.

by Judge Case.
The first step IN the most serious
case the present session Of the criminal
superior court will he called upon to
deal with came yesterday when the
grand jury considered the charge Of
murder against Charles II. Miller, the
Ansonia negro charged with the kill
ing Of his wife on March 2S, last The
grand jury met at 10 o'clock. After
receiving instructions from Judge Case
II retired at that time
II was well along In the afternoon
session when the grand jury made 1t
known that 1t had come to a conclu-
sion. At that time the petit jury was
out considering the case against John
Fleming. The grand jury filed into the
court room and through its foreman
handed in it's decision upon the inform
alton submitted to II by the states at
torney. A true bin had been found
against Miller charging him with MUIR
der in the second degree.
As Mr.. Williams had no other mat
tiers for the grand jury to take care
OF II was dissolved at once by Judge
Case with thanks for Its services.
Later In the afternoon Miller was
brought into court and put to plea.
Tho accusation was read TO him by the
clerk while a pin could be heard to
drop In the court room, so still was Il.
Miller seemed stunned by the meaning
Of the words read to him. When ask
ed If he was guilty or not guilty he
hung his head in silence for a moment
and said so as only to be heard by the
clerk and those right near him some
thin gabout his not having meant to
kill his wife. His hesitation was taken
BY Judge Case as meaning that the
prisoner did not want to plead either
way. Enter plea of not guilty, Mr..
Clerk. for the accused" said Judge
Case.
Asked If he had counsel, Miller said
h, had none. The judge at once as
signed Attorney william d, O'Connell
of Derby, to the case. Mr.. O'Conneu
! Is an unknown quantity In New Haven
| legal circles It was admitted yester-
day that the case he had had assigned
TO him would offer him a very good op-
| portunity to make n name for him
self MIR. O'Connell was admitted to
the Connecticut bar In September 1906
Since that time until last November he
vac associated with his cousin, NJ. d
| O'Connell of Stafford Springs In his
law office there.
on the grand jury which was called
hurricdly to consider Miller's case was
ex-Sherlff Charles r. spiegel.
The names of the jury follow: Philc
/ Tailor, Herman baufer, David Corey
lanes j. Lawson. Paul w. Westerhotf
OK Sheriff Charles X. Spiegel, Albef,
! Widmann, New Haven, n. Shepar'
Gardy, John j. Hubbcll. Derby; An
drew McKoon, Hamden; John w. Schu
macher. Ansonia; Frank r. Rassett
| seymour George s. Ilubbell. William
r. palmer oxford; Charles S. Brown
i Salisbury; John u. SAKE, waterbury
otto II. wall, George $. McLaren, Or
Il ange. 49,. 49,.
weeks.
There was some considerable tall
i
room arising out OF the fact that Mil
or had been charged by the grand jur!
with murder In the second degree, IN
stead of murder in the first degree, III
had been expected.
Miller is charged with shooting hi
wife. Elizabeth Miller, who was forty
eight at their home In Ansonia, ol
March gS last. She died at Grace hos
initial eight days afterwards she ha'
iold hospital attendants that the shoot
ing was accidental,
willie tho wound was a serious one
Mrs Miller evidently did not know tina
il wound In the end prove fatal and u
response TO inquiries made by chief o
police Ellis of Ansonla stated that tn
wound was an accident which happen
ed while she was carelessly handlnl
q revolver owned by her husband
ChIef Ellis however, learned that sh
and her husband had been seen iight
ing while on their way home the nigh
before, and this gave him an inklini
that the womans story might not b.
true. lie communicated his suspicion
10 Coroner Eli Mix and an effort wa
made TO secure statement from Mrs
Miller Of the real facts of the case
Mrs Miller, however. was Steadtast Il
her denials that the wound was cause
nv her husband AZ the last moment
however, she weakened and made a
ante-mortem statement which cause
Coroner Mix TO act as quickly as pos
shle
The suspicious of Chief Of Police Eli
had led to the shadowing of Charlie
Miller. the womans husband, and 'wheI
he departed from Ansonia and went {
Ossnlng, New York, he was shadowe
carefully.
AZ soon as the confession ibecam
known Detective James Ward of thi
city was dispatched to OssIning where
as the following dispatch from Ossn
ing states, he was arrested while lIv
ing under the name Of Henry RenfrcW
Miller is a big, rather mild ookin,
negro, and not one that has the ap
non ranrp of "A uurdnrpr