Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-06-29
OAJLY DEMOCRAT.

a Washiagten Trage4y = The
Cole.llisCoek TRmge1y B0.e0s
acted AZ the National Capital.
From the " Washington Republican. June 81.
Yesterday afternoon. about ~ o'clock, one
Of the most appalling tragedies occurred in
this city that it has ever been our province
to record. The Sickles tragedy 10 naught
to it. As pales the moon before the dawn
of day, so does the rcmsmbsances Of Lafsy
cite Square sink into insicni6cance when
compared with The sickcning horror that
hung around the booty corpse Of Thomss
Smoo. as he lay in his gore, fearful sight
10 look upon, in the room where he me. his
death. Yesterday afternoon. about y
c'elock, the reports Of pistol shots were
heard by neighbors a. coming from the
house 223 Sixth street north, beiwesn Mas
sschusetts avenue and X street. A few
moments elapsed when young woman
came running out Of the house, and cried
out that . man had bseo shot. Another
moment ard man was seen coming out Of
the house and walking quickly down the
street. No attempt vas made y any one
to stop him. and he, who proved 70 b the
murderer. kept on, and making to tho Cen.
trail Guarohouse, delivered himself up to
the officer in charge, Thomas Sneed, ssyiog
he had shot wsn whom he had found In
bed with his wife. Ia the meantime The
news spread like wildfire in the vienity Of
the house in Sixth street, large crowd.
soon collected. Drs. Behrend and Bowen
had been sent for BY some Of the women in
the house, aud these gentlemen shortly
made their appearance, and passing into the
house, up the stairs, into the room OF the
second story, north aide, discover the body
Of . man living on the floor, literally bathed
in blood. lie still breathed, but uncon
scious. In the forehead, above the right
eye. was discovered . bullet wound, and in
the law was found another-a bullet having
passed from the left side Of the jaw over in
to the right, and through both. The ullet
| in the forehead was probed for, but only
small fragment Of it could be found, the
larger portion Of il being evidently imbed-
ded in the skull. Lieut. Ecklof, Of the
Seventh Precinct, who had been sent for,
arrived ut the house some twenty minutes
after the occurrence, and in few minutes
after his appearance the man breathed his
iaat. By this time an immense crowd had
ssse mblsd, and IL was soon known that the
man shot was one Thomas Smoot, . butcher,
and The murderer, . Henry johnson, and
the cause Of the shooting being the illicit
connection Of Smoot With Johnson's wife.
At the coroner's inquest the tssti0ony
ELECTED these facts: Mrs. Sawyer, who kept
the boarding house where the tragedy was
enacted, was a clairvoysnt, and made her
living by practicing that Art. Smoot and
the woman johnson had been rooming ae
| Mrs, Savers since last fall. Mrs. johns
son had always eaid that Smoot WAS her
husband, and Smoot stayed in tho house
every night but Saturday night, aud took
his meals there. The day before the TRACE
dy, johnson came to Sawyer and told him
that Smoo.'s paramour was his (Johnson's)
wife. Witnesses who lived IN the house tes-
| tilted that = strange man entered the room
| where Smoot and Mrs. johnson we're, and
shortly afterwards the report Of pistol was
heard, and Mrs. johnson rushed out scream
ing, "Oh, my man is shotw johnson then
passed down stairs with the pistol in his
hand. Mr.. Smoot was about 80 years Of
age, and Is . son Of Hezekiah Smoot, the
butcher, in Alexandra. He has been in
business for himself both in Alexandra
and in this city. lie was q man about ti-e
feet eight inches in height, dark hair
and eyes, smooth face, and has a wife and
| IOuT CuiluIcu SessuiuS WI AicAahutio. IAAic.
johnson is said to be a woman Of some for
~ years Of age, and is the mother 0f three
children, one OF whom, n daughter, has
been married and is now widow. She has
resided with her husband and family in
Bridge street, near tho college in Georges
town has for SOME time past been away
| from her home 80 much as to arouse her
husbands suspicious, and which finally led
70 the commission Of the homicide.
Henry johnson. the prisoner, Is butch
er. and had stall in the corporation, mar.
ket. lie is about "A years Of age hes
mild, pleasant look, and blle eyes, sandy
hair and whiskers. The pistol he used was
4 revolver Of the Allen and Wheeler pat.
tern; and johnson told officer Smeed that
he had fired three times, but that one bullet
had exploded outside Of the barrel. He
was allowed last night 10 see couple Of
friends who came from Georgetown 10 see
him, and who brought him his supper He
was sleeping soundly when VIC visited the
| station, at late hour last night.
| There are several Tumovs afloat IS re
CARDS the whereabouts Of Mrs. johnson. and
up to an early hour this morning nothing
definite had been heard Of her. One officer
stated that \ woman answering her dcscrip
ton had been seen going out the Seventh
street road about 81 P. NJ. yesterday. Ans
other account is that she was seen IN
Georgetown after the murder. II will not
be long ere she is found, and more light
thrown rpon tragedy about which there is