John Milliam

Case summary

John Millian was convicted of murdering Julia Bulette and was hanged in Storey County, Nevada.

The offence

On January 20, 1867, Julia Bulette, a prostitute, was found dead at her home on the corner of Union and D Streets in Virginia City, Nevada. She died of strangulation, and from blows to the right temple and right eye by the use of a blunt instrument. Some of her costume jewelry and fancy dresses were missing.

Investigation

On January 19, 1867, Julia Bulette dressed and went to see a performance at Piper's Opera House. Prostitutes were required to sit in a special viewing box with the curtains tightly closed so the “proper ladies” in town did not have to see the “working girls.” She refused to sit in the section reserved for women of the red light district, she was escorted out of the theater, and she was returned home to enjoy a late dinner. The following morning, when Julia's next-door neighbor Gertrude Holmes brought her Sunday breakfast, Holmes found Bulette brutally murdered.

Authorities attempted to capture Bulette's killer after her death, but due to a lack of evidence no one was apprehended. The Gold Hill Evening News insisted on an immediate hanging as soon as the culprit was caught.

Several months later, prostitute Martha Camp was awakened by someone approaching her with a weapon. Her screams sent the man fleeing, but she later recognized him on the street. He was identified as Jean Marie Villain, commonly known as John Millian, a French baker and drifter.

Arrest

Millian was arrested and thrown in jail. The next day, a search of Millian's house and storage trunk at the bakery revealed some of Julia Bulette's possessions.

Trial

Millian was tried for murder, and jurors quickly convicted Millian. He was French and spoke little english. The trial did not last long, and he was sentenced to death by hanging.

Appeals

Millian's appeal went to the Supreme Court of Nevada. The Court refused to reverse his conviction.

Sentencing

Millian was sentenced to death by hanging.

Outcome

On April 24, 1868, John Millian was escorted to the gallows in Virginia City. More than 4,000 spectators witnessed the execution. Mark Twain was among the spectators and was touring the country following a trip to Europe and the Middle East.

Aftermath

On Monday, January 21, Julia Bulette's funeral was held at Engine House No. 1. It was a bitterly cold day, with gusty winds and snow squalls. Despite the adverse weather, hundreds turned out to hear the Reverend William Martin's eulogy.

The Virginia City Territorial Enterprise described her as “being of a very kind-hearted, liberal, benevolent and charitable disposition few of her class had more true friends.” Her fellow firefighters in Engine Co. No. 1 took up a collection and purchased a handsome silver-handled casket.

After the sermon, the Metropolitan Brass Band led about 60 members of the fire department on foot, as well as 16 carriages of mourners, to the Flowery Hill Cemetery. Attendance would have been greater, but the snowstorm and muddy roads kept many at home.

Julia Bulette was given a Catholic funeral, but the populace could not let a woman of easy virtue be buried in consecrated ground. She was entombed in a lonely grave half a mile east of town. A simple wooden plank with the name “Julia” painted on it was all that marked her final resting place.

As the mourners slowly filed back into town, the men of Engine Co. No. 1 sang “The Girl I Left Behind.” Virginia City was draped in black, and for the first time since President Lincoln's assassination, all the saloons were closed in respect for the somber mood.

Other details

Julia Bulette lived and worked in a small frame house on D Street in Virginia City, Nevada. In 1861, Nevada Territory adopted the English Common law that deemed brothels public nuisances but not illegal. For her customer's enjoyment, she stocked a small bar with whiskey, port, claret and rum.

Her reputation as an “accommodating woman” grew over time, and she was described as having been elected as an honorary member of the Virginia Fire Company No. 1 “in return for numerous favors and munificent gifts bestowed by her upon the company.” Fire Co. No. 1 was comprised of the city's elite firefighters, and Virginia City was built of wood and perched on a wind-swept mountainside. Sparks from wood burning stoves frequently set the city on fire.

The fire company carried 600 hundred feet of hose and was manned by 65 men. When the brave men of Company 1 were on the scene fighting a fire, Julia Bulette could often be found working the brakes of the hand-cart engines.

On January 20, 1867, her death caused quite a sensation because she was extremely popular in Virginia City.