drunken men crowded into the cell and tried to force a confession of the
deed from the prisoner's lips. He refused to talk save to reiterate his
innocence. To Mr. Mahaney, who talked seriously and kindly to him, telling
him the mob meant to burn and torture him at three o'clock, Miller said:
"Burning and torture here lasts but a little while, but if I die with a
lie on my soul, I shall be tortured forever. I am innocent." For more than
three hours, all sorts of pressure in the way of threats, abuse and
urging, was brought to bear to force him to confess to the murder and thus
justify the mob in its deed of murder. Miller remained firm; but as the
hour drew near, and the crowd became more impatient, he asked for a
priest. As none could be procured, he then asked for a Methodist minister,
who came, prayed with the doomed man, baptized him and exhorted Miller to
confess. To keep up the flagging spirits of the dense crowd around the
jail, the rumor went out more than once, that Miller had confessed. But
the solemn assurance of the minister, chief-of-police, and leading
editor--who were with Miller all along--is that this rumor is absolutely
false.

At three o'clock the mob rushed to the jail to secure the prisoner. Mr.
Ray had changed his mind about the promised burning; he was still in doubt
as to the prisoner's guilt. He again addressed the crowd to that effect,
urging them not to burn Miller, and the mob heeded him so far, that they
compromised on hanging instead of burning, which was agreed to by Mr. Ray.
There was a loud yell, and a rush was made for the prisoner. He was
stripped naked, his clothing literally torn from his body, and his shirt
was tied around his loins. Some one declared the rope was a "white man's
death," and a log-chain, nearly a hundred feet in length, weighing over
one hundred pounds, was placed round Miller's neck and body, and he was
led and dragged through the streets of the village in that condition
followed by thousands of people. He fainted from exhaustion several times,
but was supported to the platform where they first intended burning him.

The chain was hooked around his neck, a man climbed the telegraph pole and
the other end of the chain was passed up to him and made fast to the
cross-arm. Others brought a long forked stick which Miller was made to
straddle. By this means he was raised several feet from the ground and
then let fall. The first fall broke his neck, but he was raised in th