The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-03-28
Mills Is Walking Boss at Railroad
Camp-A Network of Evidence
Wound Around Hm-Man's
Own Evidence Condemned
Him - Montgomery Shot
Monday Night-Drlnk-
ing With Miller.

ing With Miller.
With a net work of evidence that
made escape impossible, coroner's
jury returned verdict of murder in
the first degree against E. c. Miller,
Il walking boss in the railroad camp
near Joseph Thompson's place. This
cleared up the mystery surrounding
the killing of John Montgomery,
which occurred Monday evening about
Z o'clock at Lacey's construction
camp on the Lewisburg. and Northern
Railroad, six miles out on the Frank
lin Road. He was shot two times,
one shot taking effect in the right
side and the other in the top of the
right shoulder.
AS soon as the news of the kill
ing reached the authorities, Deputies
Frank Turbeville and L. w. Felts
were sent to the scene of the TRACE
dy, but not enough evidence could
be found to justify any arrests, as
quite a number of conflicting stories
were told.
Evidence was taken by Deputy
Coroner B. f. Carter in the under
taking establishment of A. N. John
sen and Company on Cedar street.
it was proven that Miller was a
reckless man, and was at times very
abusive to his men. On the night of
the killing he and Montgomery left
the camp together with bottle of
whiskey, and Montgomery was not
seen alive again. Miller was very
restless during he inquest and was
anxious to leave the place, but the
officers kept vigilant watch on him.
When leaving the place he said to
one Of the men who had come from
the camp, Telephone Mr.. Lacey that
I am arrested charged with killing
a Niger" He plead with the officers
but to no avail.
Suspicion was first aroused against
Miller Monday night when he went
to his shack to get his revolver.
When he threw out the cylinder it
was seen, it is said, that two or three
exploded cartridge shells were in
chambers, which he then filed with
fresh cartridges.
There seems to have been some
little difficulty between them, but not
serious enough in character to result
in anything like murder. Lucille
Montgomery, wife of the dead man,
also stated that she knew Miller to
be the slayer of her husband, and
that being afraid to stay at the camp
longer, she left hurriedlv for Nash
vile, leaving her three months old
baby, and remained here last night.
Talks Freely.
All during the taking of evidence
Wednesday, Miller was very much
under the influence of liquor, and
talked freely He seemed very ner-
vous. In speaking of the Negro wit
nesses, he said that no dependence
was to be put in anything they would
say, and that they would swear any
mans life away if they had the least
dislike for him. This was more than
an hour before the verdict became
known. He also stated while in the
witness chair that he could not see
why so much racket was being raised
over the killing of "nigger" for that
was nothing unusual, and that when
that happens in a construction camp
they generally just bury them in
fill and nothing more is said about
1t.
Says He's Killed Niggers.
After his arrest, Miller was taken
to the office of Squire Abe Bloomstein,
where warrant was sworn out for
his arrest, and from there he was
taken to the Jail. Here he denied all
guilt and said:
"Why sir, my friends will tell you
that if had killed him, l would be
a man enough to admit it" Then
turning to the sheriff, "Why, I've
killed 'niggers' from New York to
San Francisco, and I amt never de-
MED it yet, Yes, sir, I've killed
enough 'niggers' to make fill" Here
he was reminded that everything he
said would be used as evidence
against him, and replied: eyes, that's
so. l guess I'd better keep my id
mouth closed"
He has been an employe of Lacey's
camp for about seven
He has brother who owns
a ranch in Wyoming, and he will be
notified Immediately.
John Montgomery was not an en-
nlnva eft the LACEY namn hut was