Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-04-10
TILL. HAS CLEAN. OF
HOPE FOR RELEASE
CLAIM rs SET UP THAT MAN AR
RESTED IN DENVER MAY
BE MURDERER.

CONFESSED TO HAVING MUIR
DERED A MILLER WHILE IN
NORTH DAKOTA.
Grand Forks, April S8.-Since the
Grand Forks county officials have
been unable to gain any information
from the officials of Denver as to
Byron Howard, whom they arrested
on March % on the supposition that
he was wanted for murder in Grand
Forks, committed some fifteen
years ago, it is presumed that the
fellow has been released and that
the last of the case has been heard.
The Grand Forks officials made an
earnest effort to secure further In
formation from the Denver author1-
ties but for some reason or other,
they were unable to learn anything
of the case.
At the time of Towards arrest, it
was stated in the dispatch received
here that he had confessed to the
murder of a John Miller" but no
murder had been heard of In this
section in which a man by that name
had been killed. The only Miller
killed in this state was Adam Miller
at Pembina, and for his death Jo-
seph Till is now serving life SEN
tence in the North Dakota peniten-
tiary.
With the thought that the man ar
rested in Denver might be the real
murderer of Adam Miller, for 1t has
always been contended that TIL Is
innocent of the crime, new hope
sprang up within the breast of the
Hungarian, who was but lad when
placed behind the bars for the muir
der.
Letter From Till.
A letter received by D. E. Morden
of Wahpeton from Joseph. TIL, IN
which the prisoner voices the hope
of freedom and claims his in1o-
cence of the crime, follows. The
clipping referred to relates to Byron
Howard's arrest in Denver:
Mr.. D. E. Morden, Wahpeton, N. D.:
Dear Friend: Inclosed please find
a newspaper clipping. l wish you
would look this matter up thoro-
ughly and see If there is any founda-
ton for the report. I trust there
is, as I have suffered enough for
crime I didn't commit, and l pray
heaven that this may be so, as 1t
will vindicate me as we'll as to re-
store me to liberty. Let me hear
from you as soon as you can find
out anything definite, as I am very
anxious to hear more about this
case Sincerely YOURS,
''''' JOSEPH TILL.
The letter was written ina clear
and steady hand, showing that Jo-
seph Till has improved his time
while in the -penitentiary. When con-
victed Till had been in America only
a short time, and was unable to
speak the language of this country.
The Real Murderers.
D. E. Morden Of Wahpeton,. who
formerly resided in Pembina, has al
ways taken a great interest In the
case Of Joseph Till, being the jailor
in Pembina at the time he was con-
victed. In a letter to the Evening
Times today, Mr.. Morden tells of va
rious facts connected with the case
that have not yet been brought to
light, of the poor Christian mother
of the convicted, who, back In the
fatherland, is praying daily for the
release of her son, that he may come
back to her, and of the great fight
that has been made for Till's free
dom. Mr.. Morden's letter follows:
"Wahpeton, april 6, 1909.
Editor Grand Forks EveningT1mes
"Dear Sir: The enclosed clipping
has been handed me, and as I am
thoroughly familiar with the details
of the murder case Of Adam Miller at
Pembina about that time, will say
believe it quite possible that this
man may be one fthe actual muir
derers Of Adam Miller. Since Jo-
fenced to life imprisonment for that
crime, 1t has been proven that three
men took part in the crime, one of
them has confessed that he and two
others, whom he named as Joseph
Swartz and Joseph Box, were caught
by Adam Miller stealing grain from
Adam Miller's employer, and that
they killed Miller to save themselves.
The men giving their names as Jo-
seph Swartz and Joseph Box, left
the country Immediately after the
murder, and it was reported that
one Of them went to Kansas and the
other into Colorado. A Hungarian
representative, who came here to
look after the interests Of Joseph
Till, claimed that Swartz and Box
must have been fictitious names, as
they were said to be Hungarians and
those were not Hungarian names.
So as two of the actual murderers
Of Adam Miller are still at large
and one of them sal dto be in Colora-
do, think it quite probable that
this man Howard at Denver may be
one of them. II = s.,~.. p. IL
A Splendid Man. -.
II was first deputy sheriff and
jailor of Pembina county at the time
Joseph Till was deprived of his lib
ierty and have always been thorough
|ly convinced that he Is an innocent
man serving a life sentence. for q
crime he never committed. We have
his reputation from his native town
in Hungary. His school board, school