N IB DO YOU WANT ANYTHING? ONE CENT A WORD IS AIX IT COSTS YOU TO IXQUIRE THROUGH THE DISPATCH. . rW P O at. V unLi uric ucwi m wunu a ORTY-SIXTH YEAR 0 GLEAM OF HOPE For tlie Anxious Ones Who Surround the Scene of the I'ew York Horror. SOTHIXG J3UT DEAD BODIES Yet Removed From the Ruin, and the Long List of the Missing Is Hourly Increasing. MORE THAN A HUNDRED KILLED. Hard to JIake an Accurate Estimate, but Probable That the Total Will Ex ceed That Xumber bj 50. THE SLOW MOGRESS OF THE ITALIANS. M of the Circumstances Tend to Ditprore the Ex plosion Theory, and Favor That of a Simple Collapse. A"D LAW IX THE STATE THAT MEETS THE CASE tfPECUL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCn.l Ntw Tor.K, Aug. 23. The exact loss of life in the Park Mace disaster of Saturday afternoon has not yet been ascertained. According to the best information obtain able it is estimated that the total number of Icillcd would be considerably more than a hundred. Up to midnight to-nicht 15 bodies had been recovered from the ruins. The lit of known missing alone now num bers more than a hundred. The gangs of Italians employed on Satur Iav night have been kept constantly at work removing the debris, but the ruin was so complete and the mass of bricks, beams and iron was s-o tangled and jammed to gether, and so pinned down by the weight ot ponderous printing presses that progress wa slow ana uncertain. ine xiaiians worked under the supervision of the fire men. .Tn o truck companies were kept at wsrk all the time. A NEW DETAIL OF IJEhCUEES. At 9 o'clock this morning the tired men wko had worked all night were relieved by a new detail. The men of 10 truck, who bore Fueh a conspicuous part in the haru nt of Saturday, were again called upon ifeU morning to resume the work of digging away the wreck. The evcr-ehaiiging crowd which gathered outside the fire lines within nc minutes after the building fell has stood.its ground tiiiee at has taken up its position, nnd until the wreck is tntirely cleared away and the Iat Lolv recover-! tke crwrd of watchers v ill stsud anxiously, curiously, idly out fide the fire lines, surging in now, and then drivrn back by the police, only to wait a few minutes nud try it again. It is a fluctuating crowd. As the night of Saturday wore on those who had been waiting, prompted only by that mysterious, morbid curiosity which attracts people to The scene of disaster, grew tired and went awav. They left only those tireless watch ers who sat with cold fear gripping at their hearts waiting for what the tearing away of the ruins might di'-elosc. . ANXIOfS RELATIVES WAITING. There were many of these waiting -ones. Ike news of the awful disaster had been spread with all the speed ill news com mands. From far and near the watchers liad come. Some of them had relatives in the building when it fell. Others had friends who worked there. Still others had friends or relatives whose places of business were near the death trap, and who got their midday meal in the little restaurant. Thoe who were permitted to go inside the fire lines stood or sat on the piles of' bnck and watched the slow Italians as they went through the motions of working. They formed in line from the edge of the ruin to the piles of debris and passed from man to man a brick or two at a time. If some sympathetic onlooker vol unteered to help without pav he was bus-. tied back outside the fire lines. One man who Eaw what little progress. was making offered to bring in a hundred volunteers, who would work all night un der the direction of the firemen and who would ask no pay or reward. NO VOLUNTEERS WASTED. "Put that man outside the lines," was the answer to his offer. Two or three gasoline lamps furnihed light for the Italians to work by. And whenever a body was re covered, it was placed in its rude pine coffin cud set down for a few minutes under one of the lamps, when those inside the lines gathered around the coffin and speculated as to the identity of the body before it was taken away in the dead wagon. "When jnorning dawned the crowd began to grow again, swelled by those who looked on timply from curiosity. All daylong people flocked into Park Place trying to get a glimpse of the place. The buildingb near the ruin served as ob servation points for their janitors and their friends. The roofs were crowded all day long, and when rain began to fall late in the afternoon the watchers on the roofs were re luctant to give up their vantage points. NO ONE ALIVE THERE. Early in the morning Inspector Williams raid lie would not keep the men at work for another night It was impossible, he thought, to do anything for anyone under the ruins, and it seemed a needless strain on the toilers to keep so constantly at work. "When this word went around a growl of displeasure ran through the crowd. There w ere men there who were waiting in fearful suspense for the recovery of the Ixtdie- f lovtd ones. Then" were women almost crazed with the agony of waiting, and to think that the tuspense was to be prolonged by a night of inactivity was terrible. Later in the day the inspector changed his mind and con cluded to keep the men at work. All day long inquiries kept coming to the men in charge about missing persons. It was meager information that the answers contained. Every time a body was re covered the questions were renewed, and if the answers seemed to any of the ques tioners to indicate that the body was that of a friend, off they went to the morgue, where the bodies were ranged for identification. AN EXPLOSION- NOT PBOBABLE. The theory of an explosion is as improba ble as the old theory is likely. It is said that there was a boiler in the basement of 08, but that part of the building was unoccu pied. There was also a little receiving boiler in the basement occupied by Andrew Peter son. Neither of these boilers could have caused the accident Denutv Superintend ent of the Department of the Inspection of -iuliuius jucixiuieF gam inisaueraoon mat it seemed most probable and plausible that the building had been overloaded. "It is untortunate," he said, "that there is no law regarding the overloading of buildings. The Legislature has been asked to enact such a law, but it has not heeded the requests. The buildings department had requested the owners of buildings to post notices in the hallways of how much weight each floor would sustain. This was all the department could do, and as it has no authoritv to enforce compliance with its request it has naturally been very little heeded." All estimates of the total loss of life must, in the nature of things, bo for the present uncertain. They are based on re ports which are comnaratively accurate in the majority of the cases. But concerning one ot the most important elements in the calculation, that is as to the number of per sons in Petersen's restaurant, no definite in formation could be obtained. FIGURING UP THE MISSING. It is known that there were at least 30 employes of Liebler & Moss who went down .in the crash. Eight from the South Pub lishing Company were caught Six persons vere killed in the street. In Kosenfeld's bronze powder factory were five girls and four other persons. The best information obtainable about Ellis & McDonald's place is that from 10 to 20 persons were lost Both the members of the firm are among the miss ing, and no absolute information can be had as to the number of their employes. It is learned that there were 14 employes in Petersen's restaurant. Three of them are believed to have escaped. There the uncertain element comes in. The restaurant has a seating capacity of about 50. It is said that it was lull) and that men were waiting for seats. But if it were but half full there would be in all 100 lives lost So that with the best estimate which can now be made with any accuracy, it is probable that more than a hundred per sons met their death by the fall of the Tay lor building. If Petersen's restaurant was full, probably the total loss of life will not fall short of 150. In the list of missing there are more than a hundred names. Sixteen bodies had been taken from the ruins up to midnight to night It is now so long since the accident that it is not likely that manv of those re ported missing will turn up alive. On this basis of figuring it seems certain that the death list when completed will be more than five score. POSSIBLY A MISTAKE. AN ALIBI CLAIMED FOR TIIE COLUM BUS GROVE BOSFECT. The Hntl Carson Who Identified Ilim Charted With the Motive or Sccuringtho Reward Would-Be Lynchers Balked Officers of the Lr.w Robbed. rSrECIAL TELEGBAM TO THE DISPATCH.! Lima, Aug. 23. This city is excited to night over the reports of another bold rob bery in connection with the Columbus Grove affair and a reported lyching of young Boberts, the murderer. Investigation proves the robbery true, but as yet no lynching has occurred or likely. At 2 o'clock Dep uty Sheriffs Miller and Itecder, of Putnam county, arrived here from Ottawa, intend ing to go to If cw "Washington by way of Bncyrus to take James Roberts, the Colum bus Grove bank robber and murderer. The two officers at once took rooms at the Ar lington Hotel, near the Fort "Wayne depot. They arose at 7 o'clock this morning, and discovered their room had been entered and their pockets cleaned out, missing among other things a gold watch and 850 in cash and railroad tickets. The people of Ottawa and Columbus Grove were out all night, and watching the depots early this morning, in the hopes of being able to lay hands on Bobert6. This evening at least 2,500 people gathered at the depot at Ottawa, to meet the officers and prisoners, whom they expected on the 6 o'clock train, but again were thev disap pointed, the officers tearing to bring him back in the face of the enraged mob. The whereabouts of Eoberts and the officers are unknown, but it is now supposed they will return in broad day to-morrow, or leave the night train near Ottawa and drive to the jalL The people are beginning to waver in their first announced intention of lynching Roberts, owing to the reports received from Toledo, to the effect that Boberts' parents, who live in that city, will testify that he was at home on the day the bank was robbed; that the father was sick in bed at the time, and the son acted as nurse. The old gentleman has already employed an attorney and will try to prove an alibi for his son. The father claims that Carson, the New "Washington man, is no blood relation, and is working with a sinsster motive in trying to place the crime on young Boberts in order to secure the 52,000 reward. Late to-night the excitement is cooling some what in the several towns through which Boberts must pass on his way to jail, and should the affair be conducted quietly he will be landed safely behind the bars. C0-0PEEATIVE STOKES. They 'Win Be Established in Every County ifi Kansas at Once. SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. Topexa, Kan:, Aug. 2a The commit tee appointe d by the Alliance Commercial Convention to consider the scheme for es tablishing co-operative stores in every county in this State completed its investi gation at midnight last night, and reported unanimously in favor of the plan. The re port is a voluminous affair, giving the de tails of the scheme as outlined by the National Union Company of New York, and concludes with the statement to be sub mitted at the Alliance State Convention, showing why the conditions in Kansas are more favorable for a test of a co-operative mercantile sy-teiu than any other State in the Union. G. W. Sandusty, Secretary of me Liiiauue .jLcuuui;es, win dc maae gen eral manager of the co-operative stores in this State. It is proposed to begin the establishment of these stores the first of the year, which is the close of the fiscal year for the Alliance Exchange. Secretary Sandusky's state- , ment shows that since Januarv 1 tho Alli ance Exchanges have done 3,000,000 worth of business, .which will, of course, be trans ferred to the co-operative stores. The scheme; if successful, will result in driving many of the country merchants out of business. TWO MAIDENS DE0WNED. Three Girls Upset From a Uowboat, bat One of Them Is Rescued. Lansing, Micil, Aug. 23. By the overturning of a rowboat Pearl Scholy, 11 years- old, and Ida Smith, aged 19 years, were drowned in Pine Lake, nine wiles northeast of here last evening. The bodies of both girls were recovered within an hour and conveved to Hazlett Park, a resort on the banks of the lake where the canipmceting of the State Spirit ualist Association, which tho families of the girls hnve been attending, is in progress. Kitty McCurdy, who was also thrown from the boat, was rescued. SWUNG AT MIDNIGHT. Judge Lynch's Vengeance Follows Swift Upon a Hoosier Murder. AX OFFICER IS ASSASSINATED. He Arrests His Slayer After Receiving" His Mortal Wounds. THE JAIL IS ATTACKED SOON AFTER Shelbyvtlle, Ind., Aug. 23. Don Bruce, City Marshal, was shot and fatally wounded last night by Charley Hawkins, a desperado, who was lynohed by a mob a few hours later. Hawkins was engaged in a quarrel, when Bruce came upon the scene and requested him to cease his disturbance. Hawkins then reached for his revolver, and with an oath fired three shots in succession at Bruce, each bullet taking effect. Haw kins fired twice more, but missed, and started to run, with Bruce following. "When about 150 feet from the place pf the shooting Bruce caught Hawkins, placed him under arrest and immediately felL He was taken to his residence. At 11 o'clock Bruce was vomiting blood and his case was con sidered hopeless. THE CAPTUP.E BY THE MOB. At 12 o'clock' last night a mob of 500 col lected in the court house yard and proceeded to the jail without a word. The Sheriff de manded to know who was there. One of the mob impersonated a Deputy Marshal and said he had a prisoner. The Sheriff then opened the door, when 12 men en tered the parlor and seized him by the throat He was then tied hand and foot and a handkerchief was stuffed into his mouth. One of the mob secured the keys of the jail and the barred doors were thrown open and guards placed at the entrance to keep back the other prisoners. Hawkins was in a rear cell, and when the mob reached that portion of the jail he fell upon his face, placed his hands over his eyes and said: "Please let me pray." The committee did not wait but proceeded to tie his hands and feet and to adjust the rope about his neck. In a moment six men came rushing out of the jail, pulling their victim by the neck, dragging him on the ground. Twenty feet from the jail door, a tree was found and the rope was thrown over a limb, and a second later Hawkins was suspended in mid air. Eight shots were then fired into his bodv and the dreaded work was over. The mob immediately dispersed, and in five minutes everything on the streets was as quiet as a graveyard. At the hour of the hanging Bruce was reported as dying. EVIDENCE OF PREMEDITATION. It is said that Hawkins' deed was pre meditated. A week ago the Marshal ar rested Hawkins' 12-year-old son, who had thrown some stones through some plate glass windows, and Hawkins boasted that e had come to the city prepared to get even with Bruce. He had sought trouble with several persons, but all were afraid of him and avoided him. His father and son were left in jail unmolested by the mob, although each participated in the shooting of the City Marshal. After Hawkins had emptied his revolver, which he had borrowed for the occasion, his son stepped up and handed him another well loaded, but of this he was disarmed by other officers. The father of the assassin, a very old man, came upjust as the Marshal started to fall, and going tip to the dying man drew a club and was about to strike him when a bvstander caught him. The mob, however, let him go on account of his age and the boy on account of his youth. The Coroner, Clarence Bruce, a brother of the Marshal, was called to the south part of the county to hold an inquest, and to-morrow will hold an inquest on the body of his brother's assassin, and will most likely be called upon to investigate the cause ot his brother's death. The assassin leaves a wife and family who are in almost destitute cir cumstances, ilie Doay was iett hanging in the court house yard. WBECXED THE SHOW. Circus Performers Strike, a Blot Follows and Wagons and Tents Are Fired. SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. Thompsontille, Conn., Aug. 23. There was no performance of Harper Broth ers circus here last night because of a strike and a riot Just before the show began the actors and actresses presented themselves in a body at the office and demanded the back wages due them. H. N. Harper, the proprietors refused to pay them, whereupon the performers declined to go on with the show. As soon as it was noticed out among' the crowd that the performers had struck a demand was made by many for the return of their money. Harper was in the ticket office. "While the excited crowd was shout ing lor their money he hastily placed the receipts in a satchel and slid out the rear with all tho cash. As soon as this trick was discovered some one cut a guy rope, which was the signal for the general demolishment of all the circus property. A part of the mob went for kerosene oil, and soon the tent was saturated and the match applied. The big tent burned like tinder and was soon consumed. All the horses were cut loose. They stampeded through the street and many of them were caught and stabled. After the wagons had been fired the mob retired, leaving the police in charge of the ruins. TWO SAB ACCIDENTS. A Noted College Athlete Browned and Jack Barnard Fatally Injured. SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. Bay Shore Depot, N. Y., Aug. 23. Albert Mapes, the well-known Columbia College athlete, was drowned in the snrf at Eire Island this afternoon. He and his brother James were in the water together. They were both strong and experienced swimmers, but ventured out too far. Dr. Mapes turned back to-swlm to the shore. Thinking his brother was following him he never looked. Suddenly the crowd on the beach saw young Mapes throw up his arms. He went down like a shot Several of the bathers tried to get out to his rescue, but all efforts to recover his body proved futile. Young Mapes was about 23 years old. He was a well-known athlete," and with his brother Victor has competed in nearly all the large athletic meets about New York City. He was a nephew of Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge, the well-known authoress. Another sad accident occured about here to-day. Jack Barnard, the sou of Judge Barnard, was thrown from his wagon back ward at the race course this morning. At the time he was racing one of his last horses to get him in practice for the races this week. His horse shied and Barnard was thrown backward out of the seat to the ground. His back u as broken and he will probably die. AN HIST0EIC CHUECH. Its Centennial Fittingly Celebrated In an Old-Faihloned Way. rSrECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCII.1 I INew Yoke, Aug. 23. The First Method ist Episcopal Church of Upper 2few Bo chclle, was 100 years old to-day. The cen tennial was fittingly celebrated. In tho morning there was preaching by the Bev. C. S. "Wing, Presiding Elder of the New York East district. Au old-fashioned lore feast, PITTSBURG, MONDAY, with old hymns bet to old tunes occupied a part of tho afternoon, and historical notices and personal reminiscensces by representa tives of the early Methodists took up the re mainder. In the evening the celebration closed with the Lord's Supper and praise service. All the old parishioners for miles around gathered in the little white church to join in the centennial festivities, and many preachers who have stood in thepnlpit there were present. The church was the third society organized in this State. Its history is properly the commencement of the history of Methodism in this country north of New York. The first Methodist Church in this country was established in John street, this city, by Philip Embury some time before the year 1769. ' LABORING ON BLAINE. COLONEL SNOWDEN SPENDING TIME AT BAB HARBOR. HIS He and General Kasson Believed to Be Urg ing the Plumed Knight to Accept the Presidential Nomination The Secre tary's Family Thought the Other Way. CSFECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. Bab Harbob, Aug. 23. Mr. Blaine is seldom alone since the arrival of Colonel A. Loudon Snowden. The latter lunched with him to-day, drove with him over the island this afternoon and dined with him again this evening. In short, although Mr. Snowden stays at the Malvern, he practi cally lives at the Blaines. Mr. Snowden came but to s'tay a few doys, and has not yet fixed the date of his departure. Evidently his business with Mr. Blaine is not yet over, and it is an open secret among Blaine's friends here that the business is to urge Mr. Blaine to prepare for the nomina tion, and to arrange matters toward work ing for that event Everybody at all inti mate "with the Blaines are of the opinion that the whole Blaine family is working upon the head of the house not to enter upon the con. test, believing that his health is not equal to it, and Mr. Blaine himself shows signs of being averse to public life it he could retire from it with honor. Just what the result of the present conference will be, therefore, is not quite certain. General Kasson is an other who is believed to be working with Mr. Snowden upon Mr. Blaine. The certainty that prevailed two days ago regarding the President's coming seems to have met with a check. De Grasse Fox, who was sure of his coming, had arranged for an immense dinner and reception at Kebe Valley Tuesday night, but the order has been countermanded and the dinner postponed until further notice. That, to gether with other signs, indicate that Sec retary Tracy is still uncertain about the President's coming. John McLean, of "Washington, is to give a grand dinner at Kebe Monday night About 100 guests will be present Ad mirals Gherhardi and "Walker, several of the principal officers of both squadrons, aswell as the Secretary and several ladies, Colonel Snowden, General Kasson and everybody of note will be present. Monday the ships will put ;out to sea for practice and Tues day the great parade will take place. CAN HEAB COEN QE0W. Past Hot Weather and Present Rain the Very Thing for It. !! Cincinnati, Aug. '23. A general rain has been falling all day here, just enough to keep up the life in the blue grass over the river in Kentucky, and not enough to hurt the growing corn on either side of the river. Corn in all this valley has had ideal August weather. Farmers "say one could hear it grow nt midnight. A dispatch from-Indianapolis says: It has been raining in nearly all parts ot Indiana almost steadily for the past 60 hours an almost constant downpour, unaccompanied by wind. In this immediate vicinity corn has been in good condition, but in other sections, noticeably in the "Western and Southwestern sections, there has been con siderable damage from drought. However, the soaking the ground has received will insure a good crop even in the districts affected. PEEHAPS CAUGHT IN THE FLUEEY. The Body or a Prominent Grain Man, Weighted With Stones, Is Found. St. Paul, Aug. 23. On Friday night the body of a well-dressed man was found float ing in the river near the city and was taken to the morgue. The body remained uniden tified for two days. This afternoon it was recognized as the remains of George J. Os borne, Superintendent of the Milwaukee Company's elevators at Minneapolis. Mr. Osborne mysteriously disappeared nearly a weekaso. An investigation into his af fairs was ordered. v The fact that two ten-pound stones were found in the pockets of his coat, clearly in dicating suicide, is considered a suspicious circumstance. Mr. Osborne was quite a well-known character about the Chamber of Commerce at Minneapolis. It is said that during the recent flurry he got caught for quite an amount. THE PRESIDENT'S H0ESES Indulge in a Runaway at Cape May and Damage the Carriage. SPECIAL TELEGBAM TO THE DISPATCH. Cape May, Aug. 23. The Presidental team ran away last evening and tore a fore wheel off the carriage. Soon after the car riage had brought the ladies at the Presi dental cottage to Congress Hall to attend the Children's Carnival, Coachman Turner drove the carriage up "Washington street to a drug store. Turner alighted and went into the store, leaving the horses. During his absence they became frightened and ran down Decatur street two squares to Beach avenue and turned toward Cape May Point When they had gone three squares they collided with another carriage and disabled the running gear of the Presidental car riage. The ladies had to be driven back to the summer cottage in a private carriage. TWO MILU0NAIBE8 FIGHT. They Were Abontto Fire Upon Each Other When Friends Interfered. Kansas City, Aug. 23. The rotunda of the Coates House was the scene to-day of a personal encounter between J. E. Mclroy and T. H. Swope, two millionaire capital ists of this place. Mr. Iclroy and Mr. Swope had had a misunderstanding concern ing an investment. To-day Mr. Mclroy was conversing wjth a friend in the hotel, when Mr. Swope stepped up to the latter and told him that Mclroy was a thief, a liar and a villian. Mr. Mclroy thereupon felled Mr. Swope to the floor by a blow on the head with his walk ing stick. As Mr. Swope arose Tie drew his revolver. Mr. Mclroy followed suit, and the men were about to open fire on each other when friends separated them. WEECKED ON LAKE SUP2BI0B.. A Tachtlng Party Thrown on a Besolate . Spot Without Food or Shelter. Marquette, Mich., Aug. 23. The Brainary party from New York had their steam yacht Cruiser driven ashore Thursday night at Pictured Koeks, fortunately strik ing Chapel Beach. A man got through the wood to Munising at 2 o'clock yesterday, and reported the whole partv, three women and four mcn,on the beach without food since the wreck. A heavy sea makes it impossible for boats to venture along that shore, and provisions were sent by guides through the wood last night AUGUST 24-, 1891-TWELVJS JAU-JfiS. xmkj ujvj.0. j INI SIHHBE A Story More Remarkable Than Any Ever Penned by Hugo or DumasThe Result of a Searching Investigation Covering Four States Given To-Day. HE WHO IS BEST, KNOWN The Affidavit of Dunn, the Man Accidentally Shot on the Night of the Bond Robbery, Corroborated by the Sworn Statements of His Wife and Other Witnesses of the Affair Two Parties of Robbers Visited the Connors House A Notary Called to the Sick Bed of Colonel W. D. Moore to Swear Him to a Most Sensational Narrative The Inside History of the Remarkable Escape From the Western Penitentiary Given From Miller's Own I was sent out ten days ago by The Dis patch to examine, with others, into the guilt or innocence of James "W. Miller, who for the past decade has been famous throughout the entire country on account of the strangeness ot his case and the bril liancy of the escape that he made from the "Western Penitentiary in 1881. In company with Mr. Miller I made a personal investigation and assisted him in following up the thread of a most wonder ful story. A Well-Known Pittsburg Detective Along. On the fourth day after the search com menced we were joined by Detective John P. McTighe, of the city force of Pittsburg. Together we worked in gathering the evi dence. Every part of it was given freely, and we can attest that it is a pure recital of fact so strong that no one can read the story of Miller's most eventful life and believe he was ever gnilty of the crime for which he was sentenced. The proofs certainly seem conclusive. Miller is the American "Jean Valjean," though, unlike Victor Hugo's famous hero, he was not guilty. Yet there is a wonder ful similarity in their lives. Though proving himself innocent of the crime which ostracised him from society he bore without a murmur the burden thrust "upon him by fate that he might save from shame one of the most illustrious names of America A Commentary on Circumstantial Evidence. His case is a commentary on circumstan tial evidence that will live as long as courts of justice are a feature of civilization. At the hour, almost the very moment, when the robbers with masked faces were taking from Farmer John Connors in Clarion that wealth which it had taken him fourscore years to accumulate, Miller, the man who suffered for the crime, was fleeing from the .officers hundreds of miles distant, while the iranwhom he had accidi ntally shot lay in a Httreroom on Shoriff street, Cleveland, just as he had fallen with a bullet wound in his breast Three months later he was arrested in Pittsburg for the Catfish robbery and within 27 days thereafter he was convicted and in the penitentiary serving a sentence of seven years. Frightened Children With His Name. The evidence was purely circumstantial, yet the odium was as great as if it had been convincing. "What he suffered unjustly none may ever know. Old women shud dered when his name was mentioned, and in Clarion county when the children were peevish or refused to sleep the mothers would scare them into submission with the dread statement, "Miller will catch you," or "We'll give you to Miller." That was a decade ago. Now publio feel ing has fallen and when a few days ago he visited there scarce one could be found who would not admit that he had been unjustly convicted. All were ready to take him by the hand and in looks if not in words ask forgiveness for the great wrong that had been wrought The real perpetrators of the Connors rob bery were Hamilton, alias Archie Mon tague, George Foster, Yank Sullivan, alias Adams, and a fourth person now liv ing on the Southside whose name is un known,but which is believed to be Kresinger. The second band which repeated the rob bery that same night was made up of Har rop, Jackson and Ott. The Way of the Transgressor. The curious part of this drama of crime astonishes even the nineteenth century novel-reading public in this that while Miller suffered in that modern purgatory called a penitentiary, the real perpetrators of the crime each met a fate which seemed to bear out the truth of that old Mosaic law which said: "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Hamilton was killed while escaping from a penitentiary in a "Western State. Foster was killed in the very house in Cleveland in which Miller accidentally sho't Dunn. Bow land was filled with buckshot as he lay with an extended hand pleading "Boys, I had a good mother." Adams was garroted in the City of Detroit by a fellow criminal, who mistook him for an oppulent citizen. Kis senger to-day toils in a mill, endeavoring to win bread for a wife whose tears and en treaties won him from a path of crime. The remarkable feature of this crime of the last decade is that the second band of robbers Vhich visited John Connors' that night, and were pardoned be cause of popular clamor and have met the same fate. Harrop dies in Texas he whose confession shall grace these pages, dragged to death by the lariat of a runaway horse. Another toils to-day in a coalmine shunned by his fellows and ostracized by the com munity in which he dwells. The third re iterates his innocence to unbelieving ears and the shadow of the crime which the father committed makes his children walk alone among their playfellows. All miller's Energy Brought Out As jockeys sometimes carry weight in a race which enables a second-rate horse to obtain a record which embalms him forever in the memory of the sporting public, so this boy, imprisoned, seemed to gather ail the marked energy and determination which was the birthright of his race. What men had overlooked for years he saw at a glance, and with steadi ness of purpose grasped the chance which enabled him to pass beyond the wall of a seemingly impregnable prison. True, his liberty was of short duration, but not until nations had been involved in controversy which lead to the abolishing of treaties and SECRETS OFTEN TO THE -WORLD AS SHOEBOX MILLER PRESENTS EVIDENCE OF HIS INNOCENCE, Lips for the First Time A Devoted remodeling of laws did he give up the struggle, while it held forth the shadow of a hope of escape from that punishment which had been unjustly inflicted upon him. "Whenhe was extradited andplaced in the cell from which he had escaped, he sought to mitigate the rigor ,of a long imprison ment by obedience to the commands of his jailors. He found, to his astonishment, that obedience to the rules which govern the institution was not sufficient to satisfy the feelings of his captors, but, do what he would, he must undergo the severest pun ishment which they could inflict. No let ters, no papers, not even the sound of a hu m1 an voice broke the solitude of this proto type of Dumas' "Monte Cristo." Beginning a New Life. "When at last the prison gates swung back and allowed this man to emerge from the solitude of the dungeon there began a strug- JAMES 'W. MILLER, BETTER gle which was devoid of all that romantic interest which novelists surround their he roes. From a lumber yard where hard man ual labor filled at least one-half of the 24 hours which constitute a day, he with stern face and unwavering purpose gradiated up ward until those luxuries which civilized man think necessary were within his reach. One of the names that shall always be embalmed in the memory of this man, and at whose bidding he will come with bowed head, is that of Mrs. E. D. C. Mair. She was one of the members of the State Board of Charities in 1886, and when importuned by a guard in the prison to visit Miller she was informed by the warden that it would be necessary before she could accomplish anything in this man's case that another Christ should be born.. Strange Story of a Plighted Love. A year ago, having gained a position among his fellows that entitled him to the recognition of the foremost political men of the land, and having done services in the last National campaign, which had gained him the thanks of the chief executive of the country, he visited the National Capital. "While there he was introduced to Miss V. Stewart Mosby, who, in time, came to re- j FRANK DUNN, THE MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BY MILLER. gard this man with feelings stronger than friendship. To her he related the dark passages in his life, and, Othello-like, that was the only witchcraft that he used. She, bclicing, placed her hand in his, and said:' "Your God shall be my God; yout country my country; your people my people, and wheresover thou goest, I go, too." Later on. when this man had related to the family of the woman whom he loved LONG YEARS REVEALED AT LAST 1891 Worr Urges Him to Free His Name f ?.&: fir. 'ii '", Vn the trw.7? O Ms A life, and at their re- tucak uuu I'.ff, Vv secure the nroofs toX -r ' 'V; rj. -l- - . n ecessary innocence, they, inspired byx. ' J y-ide, gathered together to arrange . P by which his character could be still "x .er blackened, and thus separate him from the woman of his choice. Then it was that this devoted woman voluntarily visited the office of a newspaper and gave her version of the story of the crime, of which the man she loved was accused. Goaded Almost Unto Death. Miller was then in Clarion county secur ing proofs which would rehabilitate him among his fellows, and when the press of the land chronicled the old charges which he thought he had lived down he bowed hi3 head, and but for the encouragement of friends he would, like one of the stoics of old, have covered his head and passed over KNOWN AS "SHOEBOX" into that unknown world where men expect to find mercy from the infinite which they cannot secure among the finite. A letter from this devoted woman spurred him on to gather together the proofs which would es tablish his innocence beyond any donbt I was with him at every move. "What we accomplished the publio can judge. Here is the story of the crime, Miller's life and his vindication. STORY OP A DUAL CRJ3IE. ONE MTSTERT OF THE CONNORS ROB BERY MADE CLEAR. Two Parties of Bandits Tlslted the Old Man's House on That Memorable Night The Arrest of Those Who Were Xast Upon the Scene. On the morning of the 23d of March, 1881, were gathered together in a back room of a notorious dive called the Little Lamb Sa loon in Pittsburg, a group of men who fig ured afterward in many crimes and ulti mately met the fate which proves the truth of the saying that "The way of the trans gressor is hard." Hamilton, alias "Archie Montague," was a clerical looking individual' who was com monly known under the soubriquet "of "his reverence," because pf his resemblance to a priest. He had served several terms in the Western Penitentiary and had been outlawed in several states for crimes which in any other country would have cost him his life. He afterward was shot while attempting to escape from a Western State prison. George Foster was an aquiline featured From All Stains. man descended from a family of outlaw whose boast was that for four generations, they had always died with their boots on and he did not break the family record Yank Adams, alias Sullivan, was a tall stalwart specimen of manhood, who found mill-working in the Smoky City too hard an occupation and the remuneration too small to furnish means to satisfy his appe tite. It is. supposed that the fourth man was Kissinger, who was small and wiry. Real Story of the Robbery. These four men discussed the possibility of securing John Connors money, and hav ing come to the conclusion that they could induce him to part withit, they betook them selves to the Union depot and arrived at Brady's Bend at dusk in the evening. Pro ceeding from, the station to Jim Connors house they committed the robbery which has become famous in the annals of crime. Conuors and his wife were both very old and feeble. They had been hard-working people and had amassed o er 5100,000. In. an old safe in one corner of the room were bonds and securities to the amount of some 20,000. Down in the cellar it has since been learned, were concealed about 80,000 in money and securities. The robbers simply bound and gagged the old couple and went through the sate. Aftur obtaining all that was in the safe the burglars left, leaving the old couple still bound and gauged. Then came the strangest coincidence ever known in the history of crime. As Mon tague and his men passed down the trade toward Brady's Bend to take a train for Tittsburg they were compelled to hide in the bushes because of the approach of an other gang of men. The second gang passeil on up toward Catfish, while the first band of robbers succeeding in cetting on a train which landed them in Pittsburg that night with the stolen booty. Tho Second Party of Robbers. In the meantime the second party of rob bers, who were all miners and residents of that localitv, had gained the Connor's farm house for the purpose of robbery. . When they reached there they found they had been forestalled in their work by the pro fessionals from Pittsburg. The couple were still bound and gaeged, and if there was any torture inflicted it was done by the second gang. In huntinsr through the house they found about JtfO hidden in a clock. Mrs. Connor's had placed it there without her husband's knowledge. The robbers then left. The existence of the two gangs of robbers explains the mystery which puzzled even old Connors. He did not know that there were two gans, but said that after the rob bers had pillaged the safe, they returned and ransacked the house. As both of the gangs had been masked it was easy for the old man to make this mistake. How They Were Captured. The way the second gang came to ba caught was by the fact that when they crossed the brfdge at Brady's Bend they did not have money for toll and when they re turned the Dutchman Ott threw down a large bill and, with a curse, told the toll collector to take his money out of that Almost immediately after the robbery at Catfish of John Conners the three men, Jackson, Harrop and Ott were arrested and confined in the county jail. It was a crinra that puzzled the best detective talent in the country. While they believed the men guilty they could not trace any of the stolen property. Thus the matter remained in statu quo until the arrest of Miller in Pitts burg, charged with having sold the stolen bonds. THE SWORN STATEMENT OF THE MAN MILLER SIIOT ON THE NIGHT OF THE ROBBERY. His Story Ig Corroborated by nis Wire and Other Witnesses of the Affair, All of WhomMake Affidavits An Alibi Which Seems Complete. On the night that Conners was robbed in Clarion county Miller was in Cleveland, O. While carelessly handling a revolver and under the influence of liquor a shot was fired which wounded Dunn and cost Miller the seven best years of his life. Both Miller and Dunn had been gambling. The bullet struck a beer glass, was deflected from its course, and while it seemingly entered about the center of the chest and passed through the man's body, it in reality had passed around the ribs under neath the skin, inflicting what appeared at first glance a mortal wound, but in reality a slight one, from which he recovered with out any permanent injury in the course of a few weeks. The place in an instant was in an uproar, and during the confusion Miller made his escape. He sought a friend's house and remained concealed for several weeks, during which time tho police in the city vainly hunted for the perpetrator. Showing of the Affidavits. As for the story of the affair, here it is la the affidavits that I saw made and secured in Cleveland and Cincinnati last week, by the persons who were present at the time the shooting occurred: Statoof Ohio, .. Hamilton County. J s3 Personally appeared before me, the under, signed, in the foresaid county and State, Frank C. Dunn, who, being duly sworn, says that he is a resident of Cincinnati, O.; that on the night of the 23d of March, 1881, James W. Miller, while carelessly handling a revolver, inflicted a wound accidentally, which confined me to my bed for a period of six weeks. I cheerfully say that I have fully recovered, and am at present employed at Cincinnati, O., and that the above facts ara true. Signed Frank C. Dunn. Sworn and subscribed before me this 20th, day of August, A. D., 1891. Cubtis C. Mabsh, Notary Pnblic, Hamilton County, O. Attested by Detective John P. McTighe, of the city of Pittsburg; Edward J. Moses, a detective on the city lorce of Cincinnati, and Edward O. Christy, Staff Correspondent ofthe Pittsburg Dispatch. Sworn Statement of Dunn's Wife. State of Ohio, Cuyahoga county, g-s. Be it remembered that on this 18th day of August, in the year 1891, personal appeared H I T i 4 '! tU fl';iK
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers