Paulding County GaArchives Obituaries.....Roberts, Hogan 1895 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Skye Sonczalla-Driggs skyeld@comcast.net July 2, 2006, 9:57 pm The Daily Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 3, 1895 Roberts, Hogan 3 Mar 1895 (The Daily Constitution - Atlanta} Murder In Paulding. Villa Rica. News reached here today of the murder of Mr. Hogan Roberts, up in Paulding county, at his residence, near Embry’s store, by parties unknown. They went to his house, broke down the door and shot him. His daughter returned the fire. The parties ran off, but returned and shot another volley through the door. Mr. Roberts was an inoffensive old man. It was known that he had some money. It may be that he was shot to prevent him testifying against some moonshiners. Mr. Roberts came to this state from South Carolina about fifty years ago, and once taught school in old Villa Rica. 27 May 1896 (The Daily Constitution - Atlanta} Miller and Parton Charged with Murdering Hogan Roberts. Special session of Paulding superior court for the trial of jail cases convened here at 2 o’clock p.m. On account of sickness in Judge Janes’s family. Judge Henry, of the Rome circuit is presiding. The case of the state vs. Clabe Miller and Parton, charged with the offense of murdering Hogan Roberts, a good citizen and well-to-do farmer living in the western part of the county, on the 2nd of March, 1895 was called. The defendants severed, and Clabe Miller was put on trial. A Jury was stricken and the evidence of the state commenced. Clabe Miller was tried for his offense in August last, and a verdict of guilty rendered on circumstantial evidence. A motion for a new trial was filed, heard and over-ruled, and the case went to the supreme court. The supreme court reversed the judgment of the court below, and this is the second trial, which will take several days, as there is a goodly number of witnesses from the state and defense. Solicitor Roberts, assisted by Colonel Bartlett, is prosecuting, while the defendant is represented by Colonels W. E. Sparks, Washington, and Joe Northcutt, of Acworth. The circumstance of the killing is this: On March 3, 1895, old man Roberts and his family, were sitting around their fireside, between sundown and dark, when two men, disguised, stepped into the door with their guns presented, and said “hands up!” and immediately fired on old man Roberts, shooting of his left arm and the shot penetrating his left side. He lived until next morning at 4 o’clock, when he died. The motive of the murderers was thought to be robbery, as it was known that he had money, but they made no attempt to rob, as they disappeared in the dark after the shooting. Miller and Paton were arrested shortly afterwards under a warrant charging them with the killing. The waived a preliminary hearing and went to jail. In August, 1895, the grand jury found true bills against them. Clabe Miller was put on trial. Mrs. Roberts wore she recognized Clabe’s walk as he approached the house. Nancy Roberts, the daughter of Hagan Roberts swore she recognized Clabe’s voice when he demanded that they throw up their hands. There were also found tracks of two men approaching the house, one of which was made by a person wearing a sharp toed shoe, such a shoe as Clabe Miller wore-at the time of the killing. This was the main feature of the evidence, together with the fact that Clabe, in big statement, did not account for his whereabouts on the evening of the killing to the satisfaction of the jury, and he was convicted, with a recommendation of the jury for mercy. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/paulding/obits/r/roberts4643gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb