The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-15
SELF SCRlflCE
Rich Banker Suffered Ds~,
Shield Daughter.
LYNCHlNG INTIMATE
'GEe0 UoSs"

Banker Slain by Physician With
Whom Bankers Wife is Alleged to
Haye Been Intimate for Many
Yea7s-The Slayer and the Bank
er's Wife in Jail.
Jdo,ization of his daughter, Golda,
II years old, is said to have caused
]. B. sayler, vice president OF the
First National Bank, of Crescent
City. ILL.,, to suffer in silence the 40
mestic tragedy that led to his death
Sunday night at the hands OF Dr.
w. R. Miller, who for many months
had paid ardent attention to the
bankers wife, mother Of Coda say
Ter.
According to w. r. Nightengale,
cashier of the bank of which MT.
sayler was vice president, the deVot-
ed father determined to suffer III
silence rather than take any action
which would involve his child IN
notoriety.
"He seemed to fear some tragic
solution of the situation, SAID NAT.
Nightengale. When he left the city
during the last year or so 1t was
his habit to seek privacy, after Whicn
he would reappear with a bulky en-
yelope containing papers.
Should anything happen 10 me-
he always told me, open this package
and follow to the letter the instruc-
tions contained therein
after each trip but the last ne
DESTROYED the papers upon his return.
He was away little while ago. oue
when he came back he failed 70 loi-
low this practice. !,
THAT packet, believe, is Locked
in his private box in the oanh $
vault. Whether it will shed any
thing on the tragedy which endeo
his life L cannot say. The coroner
has the key and will open the oo2
later, possibly after the funerai.
That DR.. Miller stood in real dan
ger of lynching Monday night is as
serted by Mr.. Nightengale and many
others. More than a hundred men
thronged the streets of the usually
quiet village trying to organize an
attack on the Jail. One man with a
rome was forcibly taken to his nome
by cooler persons, whose counsel
finally prevailed. Among the latter
was Willis Sayler, brother OF the
slain man.
DR.. Miller's defence is that he shot
only when attacked by the banker
with a hatchet. Evidence casting a
shadow on this statement was given
at the inquest.
sayler was slain about 10 o'clock
Sunday night. Mrs. Miller, wife OF
the doctor, had left few days pre-
yiously to visit her parents at Shar-
on. Pa. and DR.. Miller was taking
his meals at the Sayler table and
sleeping at his own home. Ihere
were also at the Sayler home at the
time of the shooting, John G. Grun-
den. father of Mrs. Sayler, and Ira
Grunden, her brother. The oloer
Grunden came recently from Ard
more, Okla, to become an inmate OIL
the Soldiers Home at DanVllle'
Coda Sayler was sent away BY ner
mother few days ago. =
Sunday evening John Grunden
went to ask Mr.. Sayler, who was oc-
cupying rocking chair on the lawn
to come in and play cards, they TWO
against DR.. Miller and Mrs. Sayler.
His refusal. MIR. Sayler states, was
due TO his belief that she and the
doctor attained success at the game
by system OF signals.
Grace Davis and other girls ana
Godfrey Ruhle stopped to cnat for
a moment with Mr.. Sayler at the
front gate just few minutes before
no was slain. He was in good hu-
mo-. They had left Sayler about
three minutes when they heard the
fatal shots.
Three bullets were found in the
bankers body and in the wall. a
fifth bullet was found embodied in
an outside wall, whereas the slaylns
occurred in the house, and hfth
empty shell tallying with the others
found in the house was found on the
lawn. This fact is connected by the
States attorney with a wound IN
Or. Miller's right wrist.
The doctors explanation OF ms
damaged wrist is that he was shot
by his own pistol during "a struggle
with Mr. Sayler The discovery OF
fifth empty shell, however, has
opencd up a line of inquiry to which
the State attaches much Importance.
After the Shoting Of Sayler. DR.. Mil
Ter was alone with the body for a
time while the others went for as
sistance. When they returned he was
on the porch complaining of his
wounded wrist.
The struggle in the house was wit
messed by John Grunden. lie de-
c1ared that Sayler brought hatchet