Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1909 — RELATIVES OF SAYLERS HERE. [ARTICLE]

RELATIVES OF SAYLERS HERE.

Had Crescent City, (DI.) Banker Who Was Murdered Sunday Night. Crescent City and Iroquois county 111., is very much stirred up over the murder of J. B. Sayler, vice-presi-dent of a bank at Crescent City, which occurred last Sunday night In Sayler’s home. Dr. W. R. Miller, also of Crescent City, whose attentions to Mrs. Sayler have been notorious for a long time, was the murderer. An altercation is supposed to have occurred between the two men over Miller’s visits to Mrs. Sayler, and Miller claims Sayler attacked him with a hand axe, when he pulled a revolver and fired three bullets into the banker’s body, killing him almost Instantly. Miller and the woman were arrested and lodged in jail and there was talk of mob vollence. The dead man was held in high esteem, while the actions of his wife and Miller were notorious. Mr. Sayler was related to the Saylers of this county, being an own cousin of Benj. Sayler of this city. A Watseka paper in its write-up of the murder says: “The Sayler family consisted besides himself, of his wife and daughter. a young girl 17 years old, the daughter, however, being absent in another town on the fateful night of her father’s death. She attended Grand Prairie Seminary )gst year. “Mrs. Sayler is about 36 years old, prepossessing in appearance and if common report is to be believed, not averse to attentions from men other than her husband. Crescent City people agree in saying that the relations of Mrs. Sayler and Dr. Mill-

er had been unduly intimate for the past two years- They were together much of the time, the woman was in the habit of going to his 1 office at any hour of the day or night, and he was a constant visitor at the Sayler residence. She often went with him on his professional trips and on hunting expeditions, sometimes it is said wearing men’s clothes. Their intimacy was notorious and neither made any effort to conceal or minimize it. “Mr. Sayler himself must have been fully aware that rumor was busy with his wife’s escapades, and he was a daily witness of behavior on the part of the pair that would have precipitated a crisis in the case of a less patient husband. That he did not actively interfere long ago was the mistake that cost him his life. Dr. W. R. Miller came to Crescent City about three years ago. He had previously been located at Danforth for a short time. He originally came from Pennsylvania. He is a married man, his wife being an estimable woman. Her family are residents of Pennsylvania and she had gone a day or so before the tragedy to visit them. The pair have a son about twelve years old. Miller’s age is about 40. He is of middle stature and of rather good pearance.”