Norwich bulletin., 1921-11-09
Special ot The Bulletin.)


 Hampton, Conn, Nov. S.-Clarence T. Miller, s4, well-to-do bachelor living in the Towards Valley section of this town, lost his life early Tuesday morning in a fire that burned his home, where he lived alone, and also completely consumed the barn on the place.
 Ernest Skinner, r, nelghbor, has confessed that he fired the house at a. m, causing Miller's death, because Of hate of him." The young man was taken into custody while he stood looking upon the remains of Miller-a charred torso recovered from the cellar of the destroy ed home.
 Skinner'S confession secured within 6 few minutes after he was taken into cus- tody, Is complete. He was taken to Dan ielson in charge of State Officer Howard A. Elliott, who obtained the confession from him, and State Officer Arthur w. Williams, both officers having motored over to the Miller place. as did Coroner Arthur c. Bill and Deputy Sheriff Charles E. Aver, when reports reached Danielson that there had been tragedy and that there were unusual circum- stances surrounding it.
 Young Skinner d.1 not wilt until he had been subjected to lengthy question ing by State Officer Elliott, at first deny
 
 cause of the fire, but eventually and grudgngly admitting that he was respon- sible after relating a series of fabrca- tions that were easily recognizable at their true worth.
 Skinner has lived since boyhood in an old house short distance back in the field from where the Miller house stood close by the HoYard Valley church and on the highway leading through that sec ton from Brooklyn to Willimantic. He has made a practice for a long time of regularly calling at the Miller home. During the course of his confe&ion on ! Tuesday he said that he developed a | hatred for Miller and in response to ques- tions explained that this feeling was due 1 to the fact that Miller at times had told him to keep away from the place His l own explanation of why Miller objected | to his presence at times was because he went to the Miller place too early in the | morning.
 | Up 10 Monday, according to his state. ment, he had not been near the Miller place for the past morSh, though it is | known that he did make some visits | there, Monday he called on Miller and i talked with him. The neighborhood was aware that Miller had planned to leave | Tuesday on a visit with relatives "ir York state" and this fact was known tc young Skinner.
 | What passed between them during l Mondays visit is not wholly clear as l yet but Skinner says that the meeting | was very friendly and that Miller gave him e quarter and told him to keep il until he came back from his visit in New York state.
 skinner accounted to the state polics for his own activities covering Monday | afternoon and the evening hours up tc | about 9 o'clock, when he says he went tc l his home, where he lived with his father and lay on a couch. At the time Skin. ner. according to his own statement, wa: | fully informed as to Mllers plans fo, Tuesday. even to the fact that Miller in 1 tended to leave his home about 9 a. m on the start of the trip to New Yorl state Skinner lay on the couch fo hours his father in the meantime hay iIg retired, and at about a. m. stealth fly left the house and made his way ove l to the Miller place, where he piled LII | kindlinss and newspapers outside at tn corner of the dwelling and then applied i match.
 When he was certain that the fire wa blazing to his satisfaction he made hI way back home and watched the progress of the fire from a window.
 The Miller home was in an isolated locality and while there are neighbor near at hand none were awakened by tn fire until the house was completely en veloped in flame By tie time aid ar rived what had been the house was onI a glowing mass of embers, beneath whic all that was left of Miller lay cooking i the terrific heat. The barn also wa completely destroyed. The little church standing little out of the direction c the wind which was from the northwes