The Shadow Over Lake Washington

The fifth day of the Miller trial was occupied by the defense attempting to break the testimony of the witness known as 'Little Jack.' The prosecution presented rebuttal testimony concerning Miller's movements on the morning of February 7th, 1886. Mr. Powell testified that he had known Little Jack for several years and had a conversation with him in June 1886, during which Jack claimed he was on Mercer Island all night on February 7th, leaving the following morning. John Miller testified that on February 7th, he and his brother William were at their father's place before heading to Newcastle. Being unable to find work at Newcastle, they slept outside. John claimed he surrendered himself to jail voluntarily after hearing his father had been arrested. He noted that their father kept a Winchester rifle in the milk room, though its location at the time of the trial remained a mystery. Other witnesses debated whether the boat seen on the lake that day carried a man or a person dressed as a woman, and questioned the credibility of the interpreters used during the proceedings.