The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-05-12
IH, MILLER FOUND DEAD ON ROADSIDE
NEAR CADES EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
On Road to Kingsree from Lake City when Run Into by
Car Occupied by Tom Poston and Gladys Coker.
Tragedy Follows Collision and Poston
Admits Shooting is in Prison.

tablishment and later taken to the
home of Mrs. Roger, where Mr.. Mil
Ter, his wife and their adopted daugh-
er have made their home during their
six years residence in Kingstree.
Body Taken to Hartsville.
At 4:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon
funeral services were conducted at the
home by the Rev. E. A. Mcdowell of
the Baptist church with which Mr..
Miller affiliated. The funeral was at
tended by large gathering of friends
from this place who held the deceas-
ed in high esteem, also darge num-
ber of Lake City people, including a
delegation from the Lake City Mason
ic lodge which took charge of the body
Immediately after the funeral and ac-
companied it to Hartsville where in
terment was made Monday afternoon.
The casket was covered with floral Of
ferings, last tributes of respect to a
fellow citizen who had come to an un-
timely death.
Jas. Henry Miller was born in New
York, December 25, 1880. For many
years he made his home in Savannah,
Ga. He was an expert electrician
and a man that made friends where
ever he went. For number of years
he has made his home in South Caro-
lima, having lived in Columbia, Harts-
vile, Lake City and this place. Some
years ago in Hartsville he married
Miss Ethel Laney. Of his immediate
family there survives one brother,
George A. Miller Of Savannah, Ga.
and his little daughter, who is the
adopted child of the deceased.
Developments at Inquest
Mr.. Miller's death, once under in
vestigation by the sheriff and the COR
oner's jury. facts soon begun to un-
fold, although it is the, general be-
lief that the absolute truth in some
respects as to what transpired on that
lonely spot near the cross roads will
never be revealed. There were three
people present, one of them, Jas. Hen
nv Miller, was shot to death; Tom
Poston, another admits that he killed
him; the third, a young woman, Miss
Glady Coker, who was nj the car
with Poston has thrown very little
light upon the tragedy.
But it was soon revealed that Poston
and A. R. Brockinton had the Coker
girls out for a ride. Poston had gone
to the Coker home, got Gladys Coker
and her sister, Bernice, and took them
to a community church where, by prev
ious arrangement they were met by
A. R. Brockinton, rural policeman,
who took one of the girls, Bernice,
in his car. They all left the church.
Poston and Gladys Coker were in the
Ford runabout that is alleged to have
run into the Ford touring car driven
| by Mr.. Miller. Brockinton and Ber-
nice Coker were following Poston and
Gladys Coker over the same road, per-
| haps an hour behind. When Brockin-
ton arrived at the spot where Mr.. Mil
ller had met his death, he found the
two cars in the road. He could not
pass without difficulty and ran into
the ditch. Upon making survey OF
the situation. He found lying dead
at the side of the Ford touring car
man, stranger, a pistol by his side.
He and the young woman walked 30
Poston's house and called j. c. Calder
who went back with him to where the
body was lying. He recognized u. f.
Cox's car and knew that Poston was
driving it, and believed Poston was
drunk. He did not call Poston when
he went to his house. Later Mr..
Brockiaton went to notify Coroner
Brown.
Coroner Brown did not know the
dead man when he first viewed the
body and at once set about identlfl-
cation. On the dead mans clothing
he found the initials: ~. H. NJ" which
was indefinite, but there was a hand
| bag in Mr.. Miller's car, the coroner
opened it and found batch OF mail
addressed to 81. H. Miller, Kingstree,
S. c." This address bore out by the
initials on the clothing and was con-
elusive. Rural Policeman A. r. Brock
inton then came to Kingstree to re-
port to the Sheriff.
Testimony of Gladys Coker
"We left home about 7:30 p. III. and
went to church, me Tom and my SIS