The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-11-24
A JEALOUS MURDER.
A sIckENING TRAGEDY IN A CHICAGO
TENEMENT.
Samuel Smith Murders His Wife and Suc-
cessfully Eludes Arrest-An Omaha
Mystery soIved-Blayor Row.
mans Assassin.

| shot and killed by her husband. Samuel X
Smith, at their residence, 40 west Monro<
street, Saturday night, but the murder wal
not discovered until Sunday morHing, when
Mrs. belong, the lanilady Of the house
| went into the room and found the body Of
Mr.. Smith lying on the floor.
Mr.. Smith and his wife went out on Sat
urday evening to buy provisions for sunday
| returning about 9 o'clock.
About o'clock the explosion Of a gun
startled every one in the house. and Mrs.
belong, the landlady, went out into the
! hall to see what was the matter Being as
snred by Smith that all was right, she re-
turned and informed her husband. A few
minute, later Mr.. D.L1ng went to the
| Smith apartments to ascertain il any fur
niture hat been injured, aud he also was
told BY Smith that it was all right.
| Halt an hour later Smith wal heard to
| leave the house. About lO:3J o'clock SUM-
day morning Mrs belong raped on the
| door'o of the room, and, receiving no answer,
unlocked the door and walked in. On thu
| floor lay the dead Lody OF Emma Smith,
with napkin and a pillow over her faco
| A shawl covered her body The top
| OF her head had been blown open,
and her right hand was blown to
pieces Her head lay in a clot of brains
AMI blood. The supper table and dishes
were spattared with blood. On the sofa lay
| a double barreled shotgun holding two No.
| 10 brass shells, one Of which was empty and
| the other heavily loaded. There were evil
dences that Smith had washed the blood
from his hands before he left the house.
A number Of letters we're discovered in
the woman's trunk signed J. II. s. Bick.
ford, two which are as rollows
CHICAGO, Ills. Aug. l4.--MR SMITH
DEAR SIR: The rival,hip between US is
over, and | feel it Justice to you to write
you few parting worl.. We have both
been wronyei AMI suffered l can not
enter into an explanation now, but l
think you know that Emma was my
betrothad wife before she met AMI
married you, whine still engaged to me. l
was then led to believe that you enticed her
from home and compelled her to marry YOU
followel you mere. With thoughts of re-
venge in my heart towards you l procured
entrance into your wltes room and proposed
to her TO fly with Inc. 1t was then she told
me that had hearl false "; that she came
with y gu gladly and willingly because she
loved you with her whole hoart and soul and
would 60 to tho end OF the world with yout
1 became enragel and told her !
would shoot you, when she tainted. l
took her in my arm, AMI laid her on the
Led, and-God forgive MEL unbuttoned
her DIRE 5, kissed her breast, placed my re-
volver at her heart, when one word
Sanmy-escaped her lips and arrests my
hand. waited until she began to recover
fore | would iniure her by one impure
thought Never let her know about
that act 1t would grieve her so
much. You know the rest, for she
told mo that she told you every time
met AMI about this tim, in the park when
>he felt so sreved and lai / her head on my
breast and sobbel out her troubles to ma. |
pettel AMI cares,ed her an proposed that
we get married, when childi shly she told me
she would not, that she did not love me half
as much as she did Sammy. if he was un-
kind to her sometime. AIr. Smith, this is
my confession. Now you have her all to
yourself--the girl that has played havoc with
two true heart, for anoth.r died &or her.
Love heri b kind to herl You are all she
has: and never say such cruel, haunting
things to her again while you live. You do
not know how it grievetl her. Forgive this
liberty and think as kindly of me as you
Yours. j. i II. BICkFORD.
Don't let Emma sec this letter.
CHICAGO. -DAnLlNG: You have sent me
from you for the last time. Our eyes shall
never behold each other'S face am on my
dying couch. When this letter reaches you
my spirit will be in the better land, where
love and sorrow ARE unknown. l am dis
tracted There seems to be an eternal fire
to- nshss it my dow VERY 6s sf' in va try
You have raised my heart with false
hope to cast it blighted to the ground. You
tried with my heart when you were but
child-you trihs with it now you are a
woman. and you tell me in the end that you
hate me, that you would die before you
would be my WIFE. Q. Emma,
felt my brain reel when l knew at last
that you were lost to me forever Do
not grieye for me, my lost love. / shall DO
better. Live for your husband and make
his future life happier than his past has
been. He is worthy Of you. You will find
enclosed lock of my hair. Perhaps you
will like to keep it to remember me by
sometimes. 1t is not a sin now. l am look
ing at your sweet, pretty, face at this
moment My last request will be that it re-
mains in the place where it has laid so long.
God bless you. j. S. H. BICKFoRD.
Who Bickford is the police are not able
to say. But that he Is the first lover Of
Mrs Smith seems probable. and that his
presence in the city seems to have led W
unhapriness and quarreling between Smith
and his wife. |
An Omaha Mystery Cleared Up.
OMAHA Mob. Nov 2t-On Nov. 4. 1881, |