The new era., 1909-08-12

and he entered, and going up to the
bed. flashed his light upon the bloody
spectacle of the murdered mans
body. So great was his horror and
surprise that he dropped the knife
upon the bloody sheets, and had only
just picked it up again when the two
travelling men entered.
His trembling and fear at their
arrival he attributed to the natural
horror of the situation and the ter
ror of the instant thought that guilt
might point to him.
with such a degree OF sincerity
was his story told. and so firm was
the landlords bearing before the pre-
liminary court that he attracted many
sympathizers who believed his story
and looked upon him as the unfortu-
nate victim of most peculiar COM
bination of circumstances.
But these circumstances were too
patent to be ignored and Miller was
bound over to await the action of
the grand jury. indicted and in due
course of time brought to trial be-
fore me.
In the time intervening between
his arrest and. his trial the landlords
attitude was mixture of terror and
bravado which did not tend to in
crease the belief of the general pub
lie in his innocence. l myself, al
though l have always endeavored to
enter a trial free from prejudice.
had l been venireman. should have
been forced to admit that l had
formed an opinion concerning the
guilt or innocence of the accused.
THE state naturally rested upon
the testimony of the two statesmen
who swore to the events of the fatal
evening and to entering the room
just in time to find the landlord bend
ing over the body. They were both
firm in the conclusion that his terror
upon seeing them was the terror of
discovered guilt. | admit that de-
fendants counsel should not have al
lowed this portion of their testimony
to go to the jury, but no objection
was made TO it..
Also further damaging evidence
against him was produced to the ef-
feet that he had short time before
become liable through indorsing
note for a large sum of money and
that his ownership of the hotel was
threatened in case he was not able
to raise the amount. This seemed
TO furnish a powerful motive for the
crime. That he had always borne
a good reputation, that his record for
honesty was such that he might cas-
lily have raised the sum of money he
required on a loan, and his own story
of going to Conways room and find
ing the body were all that the unfor-
tunate landlord had to offer in his
own defense.
There could have been but one
conclusion as to what the verdict of
the jury would be- although am sure
that l gave them the law without par.
tiality. Miller took his sentence with
resignation and when asked him If
he had anything to say, he arose and
addressed the court as follows:
Your honor, 1t comes to every
man once to die. For the sake of my
dear wife who stood by me so nobly
through this terrible ordeal l should
have chosen for myself a different
end from that which Is to be my lot.
J. have no fault to find with the riew
the jury and this court have taken of
their duty, but you are making
terrible mistake. You have convicted
an innocen. man. l am not guilty
of the death of Robert Conway had
nothing whatever to do with his
death. Some day the truth will come
out, but fear it will be long after
have done with this world Ihave
no more to say but that 1 am limo.