Deacon Miller On Western Wednesday...!

Sometimes the outward appearance of some of the most vicious killers in the old west were deceiving, to say the least. While they might appear to be honest and non-violent publicly, some were in fact serial killers. Here is one such story from Listverse.

James Miller

Photo credit: Legends of America

James Miller, aka Miller the Killer, was a murderer-for-hire. He was also called Deacon Miller because he would regularly attend church and seemingly had no vices; he didn’t smoke or drink. Despite his pious behavior in public, James obviously had a darker professional and private life. He would often kill people he didn’t like. When his sister was engaged to be married to a man whom James despised, the fiance was mysteriously murdered. James are arrested and convicted of the murder, but the charges were overturned on a technicality. James would eventually turn his passion for killing into a profession, charging large sums of money to have someone executed.

Because of James’s pious outward appearance, no one in his community had any idea what he was capable of. He actually had a brief stint as a lawman. James’s downfall ultimately came when he assassinated a former deputy US marshal. This caused an enraged mob to lynch him. Right before he was hanged, he reportedly shouted, “Let her rip!

In some cases, their private activities fooled many people, but his true nature was finally revealed.

Coffee inside due to the cool rain that's falling...OK?