The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-30
RIcnARDs THE MURDERER,
On His WAY west Is interviewed nj
Chicago.

chlcAsO TriIOns u Friday .. 81.
In one OF the cells Of the Harrison Stree
Station stood, smoking cigar and chat
ting freely with small group Of polic'
officers, young man whose deeds o
bloodshed are probably unmatched ii
their cool atrOeity by any Of the human
tends, who have bernhard Of in our day
This was S. D. Richards, the murderer o.
the HARRISON family. The stories OF thu
villains exploits in Nebraska and else
where have sent shudder Of horror
through the country, and yet, to look al
him as he stood there converting afably
with his visitors on the subject Of murder
1t was almost impossible to believe that he
was the veritable mantle inhuman
butcher OF poor woman and her three
children, and the slayer OF We know not
how many more. One man who had lis
tened to the easy conversation Of the
young brute went away from the cell with
the impression that 1t was case OF mis-.
taken identity, and that the prisoner was
simply putting up a job upon the inter.
viewers.
As seen in the dim light OF the cell Rich.
ards appears
MAN OF MEDIUM HIGHT, WELL BUILT,
with strong, brawny arms, hairy hands,
and face that shows unmistakable evil
dence OF its Hibernian origin. There is
nothing unpleasant in the countenance.
On the contrary, it has rather an agreeable
expression, and, when he talks, is prone 10
break into smile-a good.natured, easy
smile as that OF man quite at peace with
himself, with the world and with God
One looks in vain for the sinister looks,
the eye with blood in 1t, the scowl, the
hardened glare, the brazen front that is
generally supposed to pertain to the man
OF blood. The mark OF Cain Is invisible.
His dark brown hair tumbles around the
temples in wavy locks; the nose is slightly
top-tilted, therilouth wears III agreeable
expression-and, in brief, he ght easily
be taken for well.to-do young mechanic
who had Just come into town after long
journey and had not had time 10 visit the
barber.
Neither could one perceive in his de-
meanor anything Of the brayado. For
cutthroat that c0nfesses with astounding
nonchalance that he has within two years
murdered six people, he behaves with sim
gular modesty. He said, during the con-
yersation with our reporter, that
lie nm Not WANT TO DE- BoAsTRuL,
and throughout the interview conducted
himself with genuine modesty. Only once
did there CLEAN in his eyes something OF
professional pride when he spoke OF the
fear h inspired in his pursuers. They
all knew was a pretty hard man 70 get
away with" he remarked, "and II It
hadn't been that Twas with q couple Of
very nice ladies about the time l was
taken, and had put away my little six.
shooters, guess | would have added the
Sheriff to my list"
"Are YOU sure that Anderson know
your asked one OF his visitors. Didn't
he make some mistake in his MANI"
Richard smiled quiet smile as he re.
piled, 30 no, Anderson could make no
mistake about that. lie knew me very
well, or at least he ought to. know I
made no mistake about him. He was dis.
guised, and had his hair dyed, but knew
him in a minute, and would have given
him tough fight il had been alone. The
man who gets there first, said he-mean.
ing the man who gets in the first shot,-"is
the lucky man.
~ have nothing tn say against Ander.
son" he continued; "he'sa tirst-class man
and knows his business, and he knows me,
too. He'll take his man alive II he can,
but il he can't, why, he'll put hole
through him. lie has used me tirst.rate,
but il had had the chance I'd have
thought nothing OF putting bullet in
him. It's all one to me-"
Here the desperate took a long Whit at
his cigar, and looked camly at tho faces OF
the little groupe around his cell.
"l've no objection to tell you anything
you want TO know" said he, in answer 10
The Tribune reporter. ask anything you
like; have nothing TO hide"
"wHAr INDUCED You TO MURDER THE HAR.
RELsoS FAMILY?
Had you any spite against them, or was
there any quarrel between you?"
"Never had cross word with the NO.
man in my liie," he said.
Then what on earth tempted you to do
such thing?"
"well," said the murderer, smilinsly,
81 have not made any statement as vet as
to why did it, and that's all have to say
asto that"
"Do you feel bad about il now when
you think OF Il? Does your conscience
trouble you about killing those young
children and their mother" 49,.
Richards looked al his qucstioner as
calmly as II he had been asked about the
killing Of rat. mo. not Bit" he re-
piled, 81 don't feel bad about anything I
ever did in my life. I've never lost
nights rest yet about that or anything
else"
"Was It for the sake OF the money YOU
did it?"
"No, that's n lie, and ] have contradicted
that before. That matter OF the transfer
was all fixed between us before ! ever
thought OF killing them. The money had
nothing to do with II at ALL"
GLOW old are your"
81 will be % next March,"
"Wherc do you come from7"
81 was born at Wheeling, ". Va, and
began to travel in the West about two
years ago."
Have you ever had any regular occu.
ration?"
"No, only for a while, when Twas a
keeper in tho Insane Asylum ut Mount
Pleasant, Henry County, Ia. Since left
there have done various things for liT.
ing"
fare your father and mother livins?"
Ny father is, bnt my mother Is dead.
Ny father Is living in Jefferson county,
Ohio, and I have Ave sisters and one
brother there"
"What kind Of man Is your father?"
"He Is a good, straightforward man-as
good man rs you'll find anywhere
Have you seen him since all this came
10 beknownH lt
81 haven't seen him for three years.
have seen two OF my sisters"
"How do they feel about the AFFAIR.""
II don't know" said he In an indiferen.