Edward T. Miller (ca. 1856 – October 1881) was a Missouri-born outlaw.
Edward T. Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1856 |
| Died | 1881 (aged 24–25) |
| Occupation | Outlaw |
| Organization | James-Younger gang |
| Relatives | Clell Miller |
He was born in about 1856, he was the son of Moses Miller and had an older brother called Clell Miller.[1] Little is known about Miller, except that he took part in several robberies with Jesse James in Quantrill's Raiders,[2] and especially after the downfall of Jesse's James-Younger gang. They robbed a train in Glendale, Missouri, in October 1879 and one in Blue Cut, Missouri, in September 1881. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, but was released when he turned state's evidence on Bill Ryan.[3]
Miller was killed by Jesse James in October, 1881 in Southwestern Missouri, close to the Arkansas line, confirmed by a former friend of the James brothers and authenticated by gentlemen from the country district who were in the city. Jim Bush, member of Quantrill's band, said that Ed Miller and Jim Cummings had both been running after the same woman and had a dispute about her. Jesse James inferfered as their leader and warned them not to quarrel over a woman and go to killing each other when the gang needed all its resources for mutual aid and protection. Afterwards the name of Jesse was drawn into the woman scrape, one of the men alleging that Jesse was after her himself. Jesse heard of this, rode to where Miller was, met him near a camp which they had been using for a general rendezvous, and shot him dead in his tracks without giving him a chance to defend himself. His body was taken away that night and it was secretly buried.[4]
According to some sources he was killed for talking too much about the Kansas City Fair robbery, which took place in 1872. Others say Miller became drunk one night and told a marshal about a train robbery that was to take place in the near future. The Times story speculated that a woman was involved. According to family history, however, Miller and James faked Edward's death in order for him to leave the James gang and to moved to Kentucky where he lived the rest of his life.[citation needed]. It is considered possible that the members of the gang have given rise to this rumor for reasons of their own, but it is hardly probable that the shooting took place almost in October.[4]
Popular culture
edit- Ed Miller was portrayed by Dennis Quaid in the movie The Long Riders.[5]
- Garret Dillahunt portrayed Ed Miller in the 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.[6]
References
edit- ^ Rule, D. H. (2002). "James-Younger Gang:The Outlaws". FortuneCity. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ Breihan, Carl W. (1959). "Quantrill's Guerrillas". Quantrill and his Civil War Guerrillas. Denver: Sage Books. OCLC 1483622.
- ^ Ensminger, Richard A. (22 March 1996). "Members of the Jesse James Gang". The Jesse James Gang: What Happen to Them, Old West Kansas.
- ^ a b "The Clan in Confusion. Ed Miller Shot and Killed by Jesse James". The Kansas City Times. 31 October 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ Abele, Elizabeth (3 December 2013). Home Front Heroes: The Rise of a New Hollywood Archetype, 1988-1999. McFarland Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 9781476612119.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (5 November 2011). "Garret Dillahunt". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 6 October 2019.