Horrible Crime In Scio

A shocking tragedy occurred in Scio, six miles and a half west of this city on Tuesday night. Ludwig Miller, a farmer of considerable iroperty and of good social standing was MURDERET) IN COLD BLOOD. ?he deed was conimitted by an adopted son only iteen years of age, who bears the name of George Luman Burkhardt. This lad entered he bed room ol Mr. Miller, where he was in ed and asleep with his wife and a young luid, and deliberately shot him, causing his Imost instautiineous death. The lad had made careful preparations for this deed, some ime in advanco, as au extra gun loaded and ocked and standing against a brick oven in ae rear of the house, seemed to indícate, he vidently iutended to use this if the other i lied. An old bookcase or cupboard in a room ver the wooodshed, in which Mr. Miller kept is powder and shot, and which was securely ocked, was found to have been brokeu into, nd a portion of the conteuts taken. Sus)icion early fastened upon him, and when jreats were made in his presenee he ran Wivy. He was soon caught however and put nder arrest. For a long time all efforts to get a confeasion from him failoil, but at length lie made a olear breast of the whole matter, and said that he had killed Mr. Miller because he had recently whipped him and since that time lie did not like him. fíe said he had prepared the guns iu the evening, and wheu all vrere quiet and asleep, between eleven and twelve o'clock, he approached the bed of Mr. Miller, which was plamly seeu by the light oí a burnng lamp in an adjoining room, and aaw him ying on his right side and well up on the pilow. He took delibérate :iim at his breast and ired. He then replaced the gun beside the ther at the brick oven, and returned to his oom up stairs. He was afterward on hand when the alarm was given, and ran to one ol ie ueighbors to tell them that Mr. Miller had een struck by lightning. Mrs. Miller does uot kuow how she was roused, but when awake, she snielled the urniug sleeve of her husband's shirt, which ad been ignited by tbe wad from the gun. ixtingishiug tilia slie noticed his unnatural reathing, and tried to arouse him, but failing ie thought he must have been struck by ightning and immediately called a hired man rom the chamber. He ran to a neighbor to onvey this intelligence, but before he had reurned the unfortunate man HAD BREATHED HIS LAST. Tot till after this did they learn what was the ;rue caused of his death, as but few drops of )lood carne from the wound. On a post mortem exammation performed y Dr. Frothingham, it was ascertained that ie charge from the gun had entered the ireast just below the left shoulder, passed be;ween the second and third ribs, through the wo lobes of the left lung, shattered the venth and eighth ribs aud liually lodged ithin the body. The hardened youth took the matter of his rrest very coolly, and BTJBST INTO LAUGHTER hen the handcuffs were put upon his wrists. n coming to this c:ity he asked of the sheriff hat work he would probably have to do in tate Prison, and seemed to look torward to it ith some degree of pleasure. It is hardly onceivable that so unprovoked and proinediated a deed could have been wrought by the ïauds of this young boy, who had uever wantd for anything that would make him indus■ious, honest and educated. Mr. Miller had wayatbeen very kind to him, using no more ïastisement in his training than any father jon his son. He had endeavored to keep hun ; Sunday school instead of having him roaning in the fields or woods huntmg on the Sabath, and this curb on his vicious spirit had irovoked to this horrible deed. The boy was Iways well clothed, and had plenty of spendng money when he needed it ; the verdict of 1 Mr. Miüer's neighbors is that he treated him oo well. THE BOY'S HISTOEY. The earlier history of this boy murderer is s follows : Mrs. Miller's brother, a Mr. Burkïardt, shortly betore the war married a youug i'rench woman. Two sous were the fruit of hm uuion, when the father joined the army, nd not long atter was killed, leu. ving nis widow with these two children, one of them George omething over two years old. Their mother eing poor and not enting to be burdened, put tiein into the County House. One of her husand's relativea, in pity took thera to his home nd reared them up till George was eight years ld. At this time Ludwig Miller was married, nd George Burkhardt was bound over to Mm as an adoptedson. But alas ! for human calcuatious, the efforts of au honest, hopef ui man to eelaim acast-off child have recoiled apon hun, and caused the shedding of his life's blood. The annals of crime present scarcely anything o repulsive as this horrible murder, and we can hardly fee! satisfied with the leniency of ustice-in the punishment of its perpetrator. t is almost beyond comprehensionthat a youth of his age could become so hardened as to deiberately shoot his own benefactor. Even the rute creation have more feeliug than this ! MB. MILLER'S FAMILY. Mr. MiUer, by his death, leaves a wife, two small chüdreu and a widowed mother. But they are not without abundant means of eubsistence, as a farm ot 246 acres is lett for their support. A largo number of weiilthy relatives and kind frieuds stuud ready to offer their assistance and sympthy. Mi. Miiler was a nephew of Mr. Heury Paul, of this city, anti brother of J. G. MiUer who died recently anc quite suddenly on Detroit street. He was about tnirty years ot age, and was doing finely in the way ot the world's possessions. His funeral will be held at his residence this mornat teu o'clock. I The crime has given the community a shock from which it will not soon recover, and wil form one of thedarkestchaptursin the histor' of this county, if not the State.