Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1886-03-05
This is the Way Mr.. Smith Styles
Mr.. Rich, the Murderous
Suicide.
The "COmmittee of Ten" Holds a.
Brief Interview With Mr..
Smith.
General Terry Named by the Presi-
dent as Successor to Gen.
Hancock.
The Hudson Bay Railroad of
Mechanics in Racine-In
Brief.
The st. Paul Tragedy.

ST. PAUL, March, 3-Interest in the mur-
der of Mrs Rich by her husband, intensi-
fies with time. j. Sheppard Smith, of
Cobleskill, New York, arrived today
Smiths first movements here were we'll
guarded, but it is thought that early in the
morning he met Dr.. Gale, who is supposed
to be still in the city. Coroner Quinn, ac.
companied by Mr.. Smith, entered the
morgue and viewed the dead bodies of Mr.
and Mrs. Rich alone. After leaving the
undertaking establishment, the coroner
and Mr.. Smith passed into the Astoria,
adjoining, and viewed tine room in which
the horrible tragedy was enacted. When
asked what he could tell in regard to Gales
history-who he was, where he came from,
the class of people he attended, and his
standing in the community, Mr.. Smith
said:
ooh, don't know. Gale came to Scoha-
RE county a few years ago; he was later
implicated in something with some county
officials, and the court, which was in ses-
sion last week, fined him $500"
"Where was Gale engaged in bust
ness?"
"In Cobleskill during the past year."
"How long had he been intimate with
Mrs. Rich?"
"Not at all, to my knowledge'
"Was there any talk about them in the
community before the elopement
"Not wOrd.'
"Were the two together much?"
"No; Gale was a political friend Of Rich,
and bled him; Gale might have been at
the latter's house and prescribed for Mrs.
Rich"
"What was the extent of Mrs. Rich's
property, and where is it?"
"At Cobleskill, and it amounts to about
$4,000 or s3O,0O0."
How much money did Mrs. Rich bring
with her?"
"Two thousand dollars"
"Where did she get it?
"l furnished it her."
Smith then stated that he knew that Mrs.
her husband, but he did not know that
Gale was going with her until the Monday
morning when the pair left and after he
had supplied Mrs. Rich with the $1,000 He
said that Rich was unbearable, but declined
to say any thing further than that Rich had
squandered $4,000 of his wifes property
during the past year.
Mr.. Smith said that he demonstrated
strongly with Mrs. Rich against eloplng
with Gale, but said he did no good. When
asked regarding Rich's career, and what
was the reason his wife had ceased to love
him, Mr.. Smith replied:
"Rch's peculiarities were beyond hu-
man comprehension. He had a shot gun in
his room, which he said he was going to
oil, but suppose it was kept there to init.
midate his wife. The divorce which Mrs.
Rich secured from Trimble, was caused by
Rich, who represented himself as wealthy
pawn broker or cotton broker, worth 5000;
600. The divorce was a legal one. II
would take column to describe the man S
peculiarities. His disposition was beyond
human knowledge"
When asked what disposition was to be
made of the bodies, Smith replied:
II may take Mrs Rich with me; you can
have the other one if you want it,
When it was learned that Smith had
made his arrangements to leave for the
east on the lao train, via the Omaha &
Northwestern line, but bought only two
tickets-one for himself and one for the
corpse of Mrs. Richie was waited On by
three of the committee of ten" and told
that he must treat both corpses alike. He
proposed to buy lot here and bury Rich
or ship the body east by express. taking
Mrs. Rich with him. but the committee said
this would not do; he must take both.