The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-02

Palatka, Sept. 2.-Albert Muller an
|employe of the Florida Woodenware
company of this city and whose home
in in the Francis precinct near Wigs
Lake, was shot and killed while on
his way home from work Wednesday
evening about $3.50.
AS near as can be estimated, Mrs.
Muller was killed at her home between
two and three o'clock the same af-
ternoon. At present no eye witness
es can testify to the killing of Mrs.
Muller by the son, but circumstan-
cial evidence, together with the ad
missions of her demented son, point
conclusively to the same weapon in
the hands of this maniac.
]. NJ Sanders of Francis saw John
Muller shoot his father Mr.. Sanders
was on his way home from work and
passed the old man in the flights
near to where the road branches off
to go to the Grill residence. Mr.. San
ders says the old man acted as if
he was looking for some one; that he
walked slowly and frequently turned
to look back. When Mr. Sanders had
gone some 300 yards he heard the
sound of gun, but said he didn't
think much about it-that someone
might be hunting-but he turned and
looked back down the road to see
Albert Muller on the ground with his
son standing over him shooting into
the PROSTATE form. He waited a mo-
ment in alarm, then was joined by
a negro named Gold Vance, and they
both saw the murderer take hold of
the PROSTATE mans hand and drag
him some so or so yards to the north
of the road and dump him into a hole;
then the man took spade and shov-
eled the earth over him. When the
murdered had shoveled the earth in
to the grave he left, going in north
west direction away from the road.
Mr.. Sanders and Gold Vance then
went to the home of R. G. Woolwine
and telephoned the sheriffs office. In
a short time Deputy Sheriff Minton
arrived and all went to the grave.
The hole was not filled up, only about
foot of earth being over the dead
man. They lifted him out and carried
the corpse to this city where it was
turned over to Undertakers Mooneu
& Davis.
That John Muller had. deliberately
planned this murder there can be no
doubt. He dug the grave the day
before the tragedy, and on Wednesday
might lay in wait for his father while
on his way home. The place in the
road where this tragedy occurred was
some 400 or 500 yards beyond the
Grill residence and on the clay road.
Later in the evening Deputy Sher-
if Minton went to the Muller home.
All was peaceful there. The place
was in order and the supper table
was laid. But Mrs. Muller or the son
were not about. They searched the
grounds and about 300 feet from the
house Chief of Police Livingston
came upon what looked like a recent
ly made grave. They dug into it and
found the body Of Mrs. Muller She
also had been shot several times, and
had evidently been dead several hours.
Tracks showed where a wheel-barrow
had been used to carry her lifeless
body from the house to the grave.
i Albert Muller and wife and their
son came to this country some eight
or nine years ago from Germany.
They first settled in Detroit, Michi-
gan. About four or five years ago he
came to Florida attracted by the offers
of the old New South Farms &
Homes Co. Later he. purchased a
small place at Wigg's Lake.
/ He was quiet, unassuming and
hard working man, and his wife was
a peaceful, home-loving wife and
mother. Their son, John, has been
'erratic for some time. The mother
intended him for the ministry of the
Baptist faith, but after an effort at
Theological study it was determined
that the boy was not adapted to it.