Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-01
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. A HORRIBLE BUICHERY. Two Women Hammered
 To Death. MRS. BAYARD PASSES AWAY. Matters To Come Before
 Congress. 4 STEAMER GOES ASHORE. The NEurderer's Axe In
 Texns.
4 STEAMER GOES ASHORE.
The NEUrdereF7s Axe En
 Texas.
BUTCHERED IN THEIR SLEEP.

Horrible Triple Tragedy That Startled the People of Cleveland.
 CLEVELAND, O., Jan. 31.-One of the most
 bloody tragedies eyer perpetrated here, hor-
 rible in detail, encompassitg the death of two
 and the probable death of the murderer,
 was discovered this morning in room in the
 Crocker block. The murderer and probable
 suicide was Alfred Smith, profigate fellow
 who has been in trouble for some time, and the victims were his wife, Mrs. Althadine Smith, 8 clairvoyaut, and companion, Mrs.
 Louisa Jane Wilson, who had but recently come to live at Smiths rooms. Mrs. Smith has lived for some time past in dread of her husband, who abused her at every opportu- nifty and made her life almost nnendurable by his constant sprees. Last Thursday she resolved to bear his abuse no longer and ap- piled for divorce. Smith at once came to her and endeavored to effect some sort of a compromise, but she refused to listen to his entreaties. The couple have two chil- dren, boy aged twelve and girl aged sixteen. A few days ago owing to the trouble in the family Mrs. Smith thought best to send the children on the west and
 
 ed partly intoxicated, but left after staying short time. As he went out the two women bolted the door to prevent his re- turn, but about 10 o'clock it is supposed he forced an entrance through the window The women greeted his entrance with cries of fright and it be- came necessary to call in an officer to quiet the row. After the policeman retired all re- mained quiet throughout the night. About S:30 this morning the janitress of the build
 ing went to the Smith room and knocked repeatedly and attempted to force the door. Groans were heard inside and patrolman was called, who broke in the door. The three bodies, Smiths being between the two women, were found lying on the bed. Smiths body, which was warm, was carried into the next room and medical aid sum- moned. It is supposed that the murder was committed sometime between 3 and o'clock this morning, Smith, who had been sleeping in an adjoining room, rose and going to the sleep ing apartments of the two women dragged his wife from her bed and pounded the half awake woman on the head with hammer. She resisted and struggled, but the infuriated brute hit her again and she awakened during the struggle, and to add to the fearful evidences of his fiendishness the bloody butcher seized her and raising the hammer aloft brought it down with terrific force on her head. He 1 then seized razor and drew it across his 1 throat
 The coroner arrived about ii o'clock and examined the wounds of the women. The l frontal bone of Mrs Smiths head was broken in three places, the right parietal bone fractured and the fragments driven 1 into the brain. The frontal bone in Mrs. l Wilson's head was broken and the nasal bone broken. Part of her brains were scattered l over the bed Both the man and wife came from Oswego, N. Y, where they had spent l their childhood and were married. Mrs. | Smiths maiden name was Althadine Fisk. l Late this evening Smith was seen by re- porter at the Huron street hospital He is l very retieent and will not talk about his ter l rible deed. It is thought that he will re- eoyar