The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1914-04-27

NJ G.. Miller has returned to Fair
banks, which he left four years ago
to seek his fortune in the mines of
the Southern Republic. How he saw
his brother shot to death at his
side by Mexican federals, who then
wounded him and took him prison
er. and how he later fell into the
hands of the rebels from whom he
made a daring escape, is the inter-
esting story told to The Citizen by
Mr.. Miller since his heturn here, 4
few days ago.
Mr.. Miller, commonly known as
Mike" Miller, is we'll known
in the Tanana Valley. He
came to Alaska in 1905. but was
induced to go back to Mexico, where
he and his brother and a man nam
ed Cameron, owned low-grade
quartz mine that proved to be of
much value.
The mine in which Mr.. Miller was
interested is in the northern part
of Mexico on a desert about 150
or 200 miles from the American
line. 1t was located by Mr. Miller
and his partner, Mr.. Cameron, Is
years ago. but it took about ID
years to secure title to it. 1t is a
big hill of low grade ore, of which
they have title to 100 acres. The
title was secured through the Catho-
lie church, which had control of the
lands at that place.
AS neither Mr. Miller nor his
partner had the money needed for
working the mine, they gave half
interest to Jerry Miller. Mr.. Millers
brother, who had made large for
tune in the mines in Nevada and Ari-
IONA.
When they returned to the mine
four years ago, they were forced to
carry water to it for q miles, but
later they laid pipe line for that
distance from spring they had
bought from the Indians. They also
put up a small stamp mill and were
starting to mill the quartz at
good profit when a band Of Next
can soldiers came along and took
from them all the gold they had on
hand and much of their provisions
That was two years ago, and they
had things going again in good shape
when another band of soldiers, fed
erals. came along last May anu
took all they had second time.
The miners stocked up again and
we're just getting under way when
the last band of federals came to
them. This was the latter part OF
last June This last band of sol
diers set fire to their mill, and
took everything available. When they
insisted on taking the automobile,
Jerry Miller demonstrated, and was
shot dead without any further argu-
ment. Mike Miller started toward
the fallen body of his brother, but
bullet was sent through his wrist
and he was forced to stop. Cam
meron was shot through the thigh,
and died, so Mr. Miller was told,
at later date, though both of them
were taken prisoners.
From the scene OF their capture,
the prisoners We're taken almost due
north to Juarez, Cameron being
allowed to ride in the automobile,
but Miller and some other prisoners
that had been taken were forced TO
walk.
On the way to Juarez Miller says
they passed dead white man ~
ing in the open ground, and the
peculiar part of it was that he wore
the uniform of railroad conductor
with the lettering on the cap Of the
O. r. & N. company. which oper-
ates railroads only in Oregon and
Washington.
When they arrived at Juarez the
prisoners were placed in stockade
with other prisoners. There were no
sanitary conveniences there and they
were forced to exist like SO many
animals There was no roof to pro
tect the prisoners from the heat OF
the sun, and they slept on the ground
in the same clothes they wore dur
ing the day time. There was no
privacy for anyone, and in spite OF
that condition there were some Wom-
en- prisoners who had to share the
hardships with the men in the stock
ade.
"Our existence there was under
the most awful conditions possible,
declared Mr.. Miller in telling of his
experiences. I'VE were never given
any drinking water except at meal
times, and the food was of the most
revolving kind | am quite sure
that the meat they gave us was
from the entrails of cattle, dished
up with some kind of gravy over
it to disguise it.
at seemed to us that there was