Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-19


IS follows; On the night Of May 30
4orace F. Smith and a number Of
friends, including Mr.. Halfway, Of Lou
..sville, a relative, went boating on the
placid bosom of the Mississippi river.
Why they went boating at so curious an
hour upon the treacherous wave Of the
Of Waters on that dark night
would never have been divulged had Il.
S. never come to the front again.
Mr.. Smith was an expert and a lover Of
athletic sports. He was an expert oars
man, q practical lover Of baseball and
exercises of an animal character.
We use the phrase " animal" in contra.
distinction to its opposite, intellectual.
he was a popular chap, a hail fellow
well met" associated with the boys and
was regarded as A No. l in all respects.
On that fatal night of May 80 Mr.. Smith
and his friends, who we're divided of
.curiously in two skiifs, pulled over the
liver to Hopedeld on a water excursion.
PUBLISHED ACCOUNTS.
The LEDGER Of Thursday, May 3lst,
announced that "Mr. Smith, general
freight agent of the Louisville and Nash
vile railroad, and his friend and guest,
Mr.. Ed Halfway, Of Louisville, KY,
entered a skiff last night at eight
o'clock for the purpose Of taking q pull.
On the return shortly after leaving the
Arkansas shore Mr.. Halfway states that
Smith stood upin the skiff holding an oar
in his hand and started from the rear
part Of the skif, saying, l feel as if a
blood vessel had bursted,' then tumbliDg
overheard he disappeared beneath the
water, but rising some twenty feet from
the skif. Halfway attempted to rescue
him, but failed. Mr.. Smith was thirty
FIVE years of age, and was originally
from Elgin, Illinois. he leaves q wife
and q child to mourn bis loss. Fol-
years he was in the employ Of the Louis
Vile and Nashville railroad until sp
pointed to his late responsible position
and has resided in Memphis FIVE years
This was startling, and it created 81
great a commotion among railroad mel
that the ticket Office Of the Louisvill,
railroad was draped in Grape.
The LEDGER of Friday, June lst
announced that "a lot Of men will
drags are searching the river to-day foi
the body Of the late Horace F. Smith
The LEDGER Of June 9th says, "a re
ward Of $500 is offered for the recover!
of the body Of the late Horace F. Smith,
etc.
His railroad friends who believed
Railways drowning tale, offered th,
above reward. Tugs ard skiffs we're EN-
ployed at heavy expense to drag th,
Hopefeld saud.bar with f~sh.hooks, ant
for two days the booming of cannon
could be heard reverberating along thu
shores of the Mississippi, all efforts be
ing directed to raise the dead body o
Smith.
INSURANCE ON LIFE.
This was the last that was heard OF tn,
Smith matter, except that i. was statec
that the Insurance. companies, who holc
$l5, 900 in risks on his life, refused tt
pay until his death was s"ubstantiated
Smith held a policy of 5000 in th,
Connecticut Mutual and one for $1,000
in the Mutual of Newark, New Jersey.
Soon afterward a notice appeared in
morsing paper to the effect that it hat
been revealed to Memphis medium tina
the body of Smith was in the san,
near the Arkansas shore, and was bel,
there by the clothing as we'll as o heav,
shot bag Of nickels, which it was sal,
Smith had in his possession when be wa
drowned.
1t was also reported several times tina
the body had been seen floating dow
the river and had been recovered, bu
upon investigation the floating bodie
turned out not to be Smiths.
CAME BACK TO LIFE.
Mr.. Amos Woodruff was appointed ad
ministrator of Smiths estate to receive
the insurance, and for other general pul
poses. Yesterday N. H. Smith, of Lou
i~sville, and brother Of Horace, visite
Mr.. Woodruff and announced the star
ling fact that Horace had not bee
drowned, but was living in Texas; there
upon Mr.. Woodruff visited the Probat
Court and was relieved of his admins
tratorship.
WHAT'S THE MATTER2
Mr.. Smith was receiving a salary {
some four thousand in this city, and 81
parently was satisfied and living in mo-
comfortable circumstances with hi
family. Why he ran away from his hon
and family, and why he wrote back hi
when be left he intended to put salt watt
between himself and this country an
that he does not intend returning
Memphis, are as yet mysterious, but the
: ase rumors to the effect that there was
] woman at the bottom Of the affair.
1 Mr.. Halfway, Of Louisville, who sa
Smith on his drowning trip, should ri
0 and explain again. The whole affair WI
: an imposition practiced upon the col
n munity, and had ii not been for Il
watchfulness Of the insurance compani