Love, Booze, Temper, Murder

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ANOTHER MURDER.

Again Love and Booze and Temper End In Murder—Inquest Held on Saturday.

John Miller, a Slav, was shot and killed during a quarrel at the tipple at Sample Run, near Sample Run schoolhouse. It is the old story of jealousy, maddened by fiery liquor. Miller, it is alleged, was to have been married two weeks ago, but after his sweetheart, Lizzie Telli,[*] had danced with one Pete Horwath she would not live up to her promise, and Miller accused Horwath of meddling and made dire threats of what he would do.

Both men went to Clymer Saturday and both indulged in that which maddens the brain of a sane man, and it is alleged that Miller threatened death to Horwath, who took the precaution to secure a revolver before starting home in the evening.

About 8 o'clock in the evening the men met at Sample Run tipple, where, according to Horwath's testimony, Steve Honesky hit him over the head with some weapon, knocking him down, and as he lay he shot at Honesky, who ran, and then at Miller, who fell. Horwath went to his boarding house and told them he had shot Miller because he was attacked and then went to the office of Squire France to give himself up and prefer charges for assault and battery against Honesky and was met by the latter, who had preceded him to the squire's office to prefer charges against Horwath for the murder of Miller.

Honesky said it was one John Urchuk who struck Horwath. All three men were arrested.

Dr. Ney Prothero, who attended to Pete Horwath's injuries, Oliver Householder, Earl Fleming and Joe Kauffman drove to the scene of accident, and each walking on separate tracks at Sample Run tipple with lanterns Dr. Prothero discovered Miller's body beside track lying on his face and a bullet having entered left chest. The man was still warm but life extinct. The men carefully placed the body in schoolhouse for night and Coroner Gates was notified and at 9 o'clock Saturday morning held an inquest, the jury consisting of Howard Smith, Oliver Householder, Ezra Helman, John Byron, William Laud and Lew Helman.

The jury rendered a verdict as follows: "John Miller came to his death from a gun shot wound, said gun fired by Pete Horwath."

The deceased and accused had been the best of friends and worked in same room in Sample Run mines. But a week ago, September 7, they had words over the girl named Lizzie Tilli, whom Miller intended to marry, but she turned him down for Peter Horwath. Miller had not touched liquor for two years until this time and he started drinking and claimed he and Pete must fight it out for the girl, and the Saturday following he or Pete would marry the girl, depending on who survived.

Miller was dead Saturday, September 14, the girl fled to Barnesboro two days previous and Peter Horwath, Steve Honesky and John Urchuk all lodged in Indiana jail to await the decision of the December court.

--The Indiana Weekly Messenger, Indiana, Pennsylvania, September 18, 1907, page 1.

[*] Lizzie's last name is spelled two different ways, Tilli and Telli. A couple other papers from the region only have Telli. But in one, the Indiana County Gazette, Indiana, Pennsylvania, 9-18-1907, Honesky is Honskey and Horwath is Horbat . And I'm not going to sort that all out!