, 1872-12-07
TRAGEDY IN MISSOURI,
4 man Shot and Instantly Killed by
Ellis Mi8tress,

|
From. the ssdala {lfo) Bazoo, Dee, 2,
Our special dispatches, last Saturday, IN,
| formed our readers that terrible murder hai
eean nfon committed ama that IN the nsshbog toT9
Smith had been shot and killed while asleep, b.
| his wife, Mollie Smith, =
The victim. Harry Smith, IVES born in Liver
pool Eng, OF Irish parents, and at the tims o1
sailor by profession followed his vocation from,
youth to manhood, and became fully imbued
with that characteristic TeoklessnesB that is too
| often the accompaniment and characteristic of a
sailors life At length he became tired Of the
| sea and settled down in Chicago, where he
| opened saloon. Whilehe xaB keeping this
place be got acquainted With the woman who
killed him, who WIS then young girl Of Is.
True to his brutal passions, he succeeded in ac-
complishlug her ruin, and making her his elaye.
! In 1869 he married her, and kept her at his den.
where abe received his kicks or careaBes as whim
or caprice dictated At times she WAS subjected
to the most inhuman treatment, aud within one
week after their marriage he drove her out upon
der to make the money to pay his rent. After
leading life Of infarny in Chicago for about a.
year, he removed to Kansas City, where he pur-
chased and ran the Globe saloon, at the
foot Of Min street, On the Leyee- Hero he
kept q general headquarters for prize-hght-
ers and desperadoes, and in the same building
his wife was mistress Of q house Of ill-fame.
This house had q terrible reputation, and was
dreaded BY the police and the more respectable
portion Of the community. Wild and drunken
orgies and midnight affairs became Of such fro
quent occurrence that public indignation was
aroused, and Smith at length disposed Of the
place. He established himself in Clinton Little
over year, ago, Here he bought 3 piece of
came . nuisance to the community, and resulted
in an Indictment being found against him. He
took change Of venue to Vernon County and
went to Fort Scott, where he opened saloon
and dance-houae. The Same scenes Of DISCO
luteness and debauohery characterized this sas an
his former places and after short career Of in
fanny he again returned to Clinton, the Vernon
Court having decided the suit against him with 9
hne Of 80. Here the Same old scenes we're re-
enacted, and they quarre1led constantly She
AYERS that he beat her brutally, and upon any or
no proVocation.
About si1 weeks ago he sold her the house,
and she has deed to the property in her own
name. After the sale he departed for Red River,
posed to ba final riddance Of his presence. But
it Is, presumed he lost all his money in gambling
and dissipation at Red River, for about week
ago he returned penniless and more brutal than
ever.
Upon the fatal night they occupied the same
bed; but before going tobed he best her unmer-
cifully. And even at midnight the inmates Of
other parts Of the house say they heard her
screams Of pain or for help. It is then suppos-
ed after be had gone toEIeep that she lay beside
manity Of theft end who had made her what she !
was. At all events, about o'clock in the morn |
ing pistol shot was heard in her room, and
when the frightened inmates Of the house en-
tered it there lay Smith, shot through the head,
md weltering IN his blood. He must have died
After Harry was shot (and Mol1ie don't deny
the charge), she fed from her house in her /
to one Of the hotels, where eha
VAS assigned q room by the negro porter. At
daylight search was instituted Tor her, but her
hiding-place WAS not discovered by the hotel
keeper or the authorities until about noon on
and taken to her house Us witness before the |
Coroners inquest, which was held in the room
where Smith WAS killed
Public sentiment Of Clinton is with this fallen
tation OF Harry Smith when he Was alive, and
they rejoice that he is now beyond the power
Of doing them any harm, for his character and
reputation we're such that he Was q terror
wherever known. Il is confidently believed at
Clinton that she will ultimately be cleared
Yesterday our reporter went to the Jail in
Clinton, and had an interview With Mollie
Smith. Upon entering her cell. the officer in
charge said to her:
"alolie, here's q newspaper reporter from
Sedalia, who wants to talk with you. Come, get
She has very preposHessing appearance, Of
rather slight but graceful form, and has BEAU
!iful head Of brown hair. Her bearing is re-
1ned and 1auY.nke, and totally de7o1o o. prazen
aftontery which generally characterizes the
,ourtesan, and from her manner it is evident
she had good and pious training in her girlhood.
She is quite young, her twentieth birthday being
N the I'd Of January next.
Upon the approach Of our reporter abe said,
4 don't want anything published about my
rouble fear my poor mother viii hear OF it, -
Ind then ehe burst into tears and sobbed some
minutes. After an interval our reporter had d
ong conversation with her, during tho course Of
7hich abe recounted the above facts, occasion-
lily remarking, ~ do not feel as II have done