The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-03-11
MURDER TRIAL To
BEGIN

Watseka, ILL.,, March 11.-Public
interest in the Sayler murder trial is
growing more intense as the time for
the opening of the trial approaches,
which is set for next Monday. The
case, undoubtedly the most sensa-
tional ever known in this section of
the state, will be heard before the
District court and promises to be the
cause celebre" of Iroquois county.
The intensity of the interest taken by
the community in the case is due not
only to the Sensational details of the
crime and of the conditions which led
to it, but also to the fact that the
murdered man and those accused of
being his slayers and their respective
relatives are known to everybody
throughout the county and even be-
yond its limits.
Immediately after the crime was
committed, on July IL, 1909, popular
feeling in the county was so strong.
that it would have been practically
impossible to obtain jury of twelve
unbiased men to try the three persons
charged with the murder But since
then the excitement has cooled down
considerably and it is believed that
the selection of the jury will not be
exceedingly difficult. The accused,
having wealthy family connections,
will be represented by the ablest
counsel that money could procure
and no effort will be spared to save
them from conviction, which would
mean hanging or lifelong imprison-
ment.
The persons to be tried for the
murder of John Byron Sayler, the
Crescent City banker and live stock
broker, are DR.. William F. Miller,
Mrs. Lucy Sayler, the widow Of the
murdered man and her father, John
Grunder. Ira Grunder, brother of
Mrs. Sayler, is also under indictment
but merely as an accessory after the
fact. States attorney John c. Pallis-
sard will conduct the prosecution and
he processes to feel sure of the con-
viction of the accused.
John Byron Sayler was killed in
his own house by DR.. William R. Mil
Ter about ten o'clock on the night of
July II, 1909. The defense will
claim that the deed was an act of
self-defence and that DR.. Miller did
not fire the fatal shots until after
Sayler had attacked him with a
Ratchet. The prosecution, however,
will try to prove that the act was
rremeditated murder and was the re-
suit Of a conspiracy between DR..
Miller, Mrs. Sayler and her father.
1t appears that for many years DR..
Miller and Mrs. Sayler entertained
intimate relations which were the
talk of the town and caused the COM
munity socially to ostracize both the
doctor and his. affinity. 1t is known
that Sayler, the victim OF the murder,
bad knowledge of the relations ex-
isting between his wife and DR.. Mil
Ter for many years, but that for the
sake of his daughter he refrained
from taking legal steps to obtain a
divorce. DR.. Miller's wife, a lovable
and highly respected woman, also
knew of the scandalous relations OF
her husband, but would not seek sep
aration, fearing that the scandal con-
nected with a divorce suit would
blight the life of her boy.
It is said that DR.. Miller and his
affinity made several attempts to rid
themselves of their respective legal
partners and even tried to inveigle
Sayler into the appearance of an en-
tanglement with Mrs. Miller, but fail
ed In every instance. It is believed
ana VIII De charged by the prOsecu-
ton that becoming desperate the doc
tor and his affinity resorted to the
extreme remedy OF killing the man
who stood in their way. What hap
pened at the Sayler residence on the
night OF the murder only the persons
charged with the murder know. They
claim that Sayler came into the room
in which Mrs. Sayler, her father and
DR.. Miller were about to play game
OF cards, that they urged him to join
the game, but that he refused and
without further provocation attacked
DR.. Miller with a Ratchet. They in
sist that DR.. Miller merely acted in