, 1881-01-27

MRS. CROCKEn.
Special Dhpateh to The Chicago Tribune.
M1LwArHEE, Jan. 20.-The interesting case
Of tho State against Mrs. Frank Crocker, who.
Is charged with attempting to kill Mrs. j. u
Smith, her stcpnlother, Is at last ready for
Judge and Jury. Both sl,lcs have made e1at,-
oratc preparation. nntl the trial will occur
during thu coming term Of tho Criminal
Court. TlslnCSE readers will remember the
circumstances Of tie crime, which was conf
nltted about Sept. i. Mrs. Crocker and Mrs.
Smith met by appointment III tho Inv Of
t!co Of James Flanders to discuss
the questions III property controversy. I'M
nlediately after Mrs. Smith appeared her
stcndaushter, untler great excitement, md
before MY conversation had occurred, drew
pistol anu shot at the other. On account
Of cxtrc'nc nervousness she missed l1cr aim,
nnd. although Mrs. Smith was not ten feet
distant, tho bullet did not touch her. III dis
charging tile weapon tie wotId.be lnurderess
Injured her own left hand, which was
alnust over the nla1zzle Of the weapon. She
WIS arrested without difficulty, md hns
been MI occupant Of the County Jail ever
since, having been held to trial after q brief
examination.
1itls extremely sensational event brought
backa n f1nod Of recollections regarding the
peculiar family Of which Mrs. Croker is tho
offspring. J. u. Smith, her father, had been
known as one Of tho most eccentric pioneer
citizens Of Milwaukee. IIo Ind grown
wealthy By tho appreciation of real estate,
ind would have died millionaire
but for recent rcyerscs Of fortune.
Ills death took place about three years
ago. and lie had saved enough to render Ills
widow, second wife, comfortable In tlo
matter Of worldly possessions. The children
wcro dissatisfied with tho provisions Of tho
will, anil one Of the sons committed suicide
owing to the domestic ftnbrogl!o which had
arisen. priar to the old gcntlrman's demise
another son had killed himself, In MI insane
freak, OF, MS many Affirm. because Of tho In
ccssant turmoil In the family, arising from
MI unpleasant Development Ut eccentrlcity
OIL MI sides.
Mrs. Crockcr, c11cst child of the deceased
Smith, being divorced. had gone away from
homo at tlie time Of his second marriage, ten
Or twelve years ago, making sc,ni-occastonal
drafts upon tho home cxchcuuer from all
auartcrs of tic lalt. For Il seasol, or two
she inado Il good deal Of coullnotlun ut
Washington. Then sl1o was lost sight of, to
solno extent, by tho general public, until she
turned tip III company with tho ui,lucly atl-
ventures Mrs. "11arr1s," alias. who WINS
killed Mt st. Paul tho past summer
by runaway horse. Just prior to tue Shoot
Ing 1lrs. Crocker Ind disturbed several
Wonon's rights meetings hers and elsewhere,
seeming to grownlorc cxcttnblc, misctieyous,
and adycnturcsolne each day. Her effort to-
slay llcr step1nothor only 1ntscarrIcd by rca-
solt Of tho very nervousness which had been
fiH 1f harco1f Iii rFott iii 1,nf
lives. This Is seemingly paradoxical. but an
Interesting fact Nil tho sume. 1Ior
:aHr seca to a ase of s' srss su'WS Wllnef, &c,
who murdered Or. Garner In 1s7A III Mi re.
spccts they arg utmost exact counterparts Of
eafl1 ;l, other: They ars slender, wlry. and
black a!alr, dark eyes, which glitter or lassl,
md pale, (ntellcctual faces, They arc both
nIiddieagctl. have been. extensive readers,
seses gssses y Muc axctecnt e teln md 'fs Enow guild
Ereat deal about p!,lb1is "a st1a!rs; '? ?rheyy
anybody ninl everybody who is moi, conyen.
tl"aal: Mrs. Crosker Is, Or rather hos been,
grown 50 restless under misfortune md cx-
citing adventure that 1t Is painful to listen to
ller Wien she Discusses events or affnirs
of especial Interest. ln their literary tas.es
will read love story or write 4
sentimental poem, whlle nothing short Of n
treatise on tic Constitution, dissertation y,
serve airs Crocksr, Ills former sd eoald aye
been ntado eo':tunt In tho domestic circle,
ll9d slle bccn blessed With good homo md
hllsElasld 9f dignity, intellect, ami eoott
ullless at somo, nolltlcalor educational centre.
WherU she cDntll every now a,id then stick q
hnckthorn Into solne, snictln'onlosls old po-
!ltlcal hypocrit Or apply tlle laSls Of satire or
Sl'u wts H. Washington sfx years, New York
year, md Philadelphia two or three years.
According to ller clntnl, she, knows, more
OF the open SECRETS of old Washington
nlld l1orn Of the socln! r0ttcnness of the Nm
t!onGl Capital tftnn AfMu, Gr,tndy could
I'sp0so Of IN deeatle. In her plnln room In
tttu County Jall slie writes or talks almost
f0nr; Occasionally soulp low.grNuu female
criminal fs sem III to lodge With l,er for day
or 4 week while awaiting trial, and such iii.
fortunate asuatly Styles y rs n blessing to
talking, is not forcest upon tho ear. It mat
tcrs mt TO Mrs. trucker whether her listen
q Ct knows % tho Constitution fron. description
q M,,nE yoyas Or ssHicr 1fn! from
M nllnunl lowM meeting. SHE, will dis
tho most lntricate natle!ial OR inter,,a-
tlp!!Alt BOctai Ut political ptupfeilt3
characteristic crops out In ller contributions
tO the newspaper WAstG-l,askess. Sllu wrttns
in u masculine style ala makes characters
Us dlllcult, to doeipher as Drculey'a were,
lnanEcAtlons nru lain t.sls utter tho first
glance. It !s related that ono iu.llscreet
young editor published n column! aid
sx st tE9n 1Sv hss hs. ~ %oe's tfhts 9 o u, :s
fualscnp size, lNyotGtt tp criticism OF the
Constitution. Illo communication wouta
lInYn lhatle seventeen columns III nm ordinary
newspaper.
The legal profession do not SEQ any way
out OF thu acrnpu fur tlle unfortunate woman.
'ller liua ut dHfellsa !,as not been
matlo !S pnhlle' y would sse!t' TINT
her well. aINi thero aru thousands who
would taku her word fur it that SHE Is us
crazy ~ u bud-hug. Mrs. j. u. Smith, her
SitI.n n IL rut,nrf,xl +, fuo tvif kts,, r.ssrtt