St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-04
GENEROUS BUT FRAIL.
}. Shepard Smith Arrives and CLAIMS
the Body of His Niece.


connected with the Rich tragedy which oc-
CURED Yesterday, was the arrival from
Cobleskill. n. Y, of John Shepard Smith,
uncle of the murdered woman, VINO came
to take charge of the bodies. lie arrived
here at o'clock in the morning, the quick
est possible time having been made since
his receipt Sunday morning OF the telegram
announcing the tragedy. He stopped at
the Hotel Ryan but later in the day was at
the Astoria. Early in the day he paid
visit to Mccarthy & Donnelly's and when
his eyes fell on his favOrite neice in her
casket he broke down completely and wept
like child. During the day he saw Judge
Edgerton, the Rev. Douglass and DR.. Day.
who are old friends of his family, ana
Judge Nethaway of Saltwater came INTO
the city and spent some time with him III
the afternoon, Mr.. Smith was seen at the
Hotel Astoria by a GLOBE reporter and
talked very freely, volunteering TO answer
any questions that he was asked, but stat
ing that he had nothing in particular TO say
i'm relation to the recent tragedy, as the
whole ground had been gone over pretty
fully. In answer to interrogauons, the
first of which was as to his knowledge OF
the departure of DR.. Gale and Mrs. Rlch
together, he said:
AYES, 1 knew of their coming away
together. Now / want 10 qualify that.
because of the insinuations that have been
made that I was in collision with Gale TO
get Mrs r che's money. About ten days
before she left, Fannie came TO me and said
she could not live with Rich any longer and
she was going away. at the same asking me
what to do. / told her
SHE HAD BETTER WAIT
until her fathers estate was settled which
would be about June 1. She had previously
al, mott inc q "a
suggested going over into Connecticut. and
residing there a year, and then getting
divorce ! told her that from what knew Of
Dakota, a divorce would be easily obtained
there. She wanted nae to accompany her
when she went away, and said she intended
TO take her maid. A few days afterward on
Thursday she came 10 me and said she had de-
termined to go away within thirty days, and she
wanted $1,000. told her L would get her the
money in few days. On Saturday of the
same week she came TO me and said she
wanted the money on Monday as she was
going away. did not expect TO he called on
so soon and hardly knew where to get that
amount in Il little country town. Sunday
mCrling while in the hotel with Mr.. Dick,
Dr. Gale came in and borrowed hr. Dicks
horse and cutter TO visit u patient in the
country. He took the horse and, as l learned
afterWard. went to Rich's house and staid all
day with Mr.. and Mrs. Rich, not visiting the
patient at ell. was not Familiarity acquainted
meet him in bar-room or some place else.
On Monday borrowed the money and gave it
TO her. After she got 1t she told me Gale was
going away with her. Knowing her and her
family knew / could not hinder her, and
might as well have tried to stop the
rain. She was determined to do it and
would have sacrificed everything she had.
AT her request l took a power OF attorney TO
manage her affairs in her absence. She told
me that she would not return TO Cobleskill for
II hon,
for three months. In a few days had d
letter from her from Omaha, requesting me
10 write her addressing the letter to DIR. Gale.
/ answered and have sent her half dozen
letters TO this hotel, all enclosed in envelopes
directed to DR.. Gale, but have never written
TO him. She left Tuesday and on Thursday
Rich came to me aud told me Fannie had gone
10 his fathers in New York city and he was
going also. He promised 10 write me from
New York, but did not and heard rumors
afterward that he was in Albany and New
York city. He returned to Coblesllill last
week, Wednesday, and left the next day just
two days before the tragedy. He said he had
no money and did not know what to DO. L
gave him $40 and told him TO come to me the
next week and would keep him along until
he got something to do. The next time j
heard from him was the
TELEGRAM ANNOUNCING THE TRAGEDY.
/ don't know that he went to California, but
think he did, for he told my man on the farm
that he had met DIR. Henry Wells in Los An
gees; that he had not let Wells know who he
was and that Wells told him Fanny was a
lady, but Rich was no earthly good. Gale left
n letter for me here in the hotel relative TO
financial affairs here, and told me / would
probably never hear from him again. 1t is
reported that l have seen him to-day, but l
have been here in the hotel all day. eXcept
when with the coroner or Mr.. Lamb, the
SPECIAL administrator. How large was her
fortune? Well, about $4,000 now. Her
father died year ago February, and her
share of the estate was about $50, 600. Last
summer Rich wanted the nomination for
state senator and she gave him money TO
make a fight for 1t. 1t was during this
campaign that he introduced Gale TO his wife.
He was defeated and then tried TO
get the nomination for the assembly The
boys played him, making the vote IA tie and
then dropping him. In these campaigns he
paid out about $1,000. TO be within bounds, of
his wife's pfoperty-paid it out TO strikers,
Gale among the rest. l tell you the idiosyn-
cracies of Rich were past understanding; no
human knowledge could fathom his mean
ness. AS to her chastity, don't think she
ever had anything to do with Gale before
they came away. 1t does not matter the
crack Of a whip 10 me either way. / preach
the virtues and try to practice them, and the
devil take the other fellow. During last
summer was opposed to his political schemes
and neither he nor his wife spoke TO me be-
cause of that. She has made three wills
The last one leaves her property to her
brother and sister, the heirs-at-law, in trust
with two well-known gentlemen of Cobleskill.
The $4,000 that the papers say she borrowed
was obtained from the bank last summer
for Rich's political schemes. l shall
not take Rich's body back with me. /
have paid something over $500 for his en-
halming and proper preparation for burial.
j shall have him placed in vault here and
left at the order of his friends. If they do
not attend TO it shall see that he has de-
cent burial. 1t would not do TO take them
back together, for the rest of her folks might
not agree with me and there would be hard
feelings made in the matter 1t is better TO
leave him here. Fannie was as sweet little
woman as ever lived She had the frailties
of humanity, but she was generous, noble
hearted woman, with no harsh word even for
an enemy. Her heart and hand were always
open 10 charity and she allowed no one To 90
away empTy-handed Her greatest fault was
that she allowed people to play on her
credulity. Although disease or fralty may
put ones disposition on edge, Christian
charity requires that first account be taken
of that condition and that we excuse word or
act under such circumstances.
A large number of people looked at the
remains yesterday morning until Coroner
Quinn gave orders that no more be admit
ted, when the doors were closed and pO-
lieeman stationed at the door TO keep them
away. Mr.. Smith paid the hotel bill at the
Astoria, amounting to over S400 and paid
the undertakes over ST0O@ making more
than 81, 100 paid out yesterday by him in
account of the tragedy. The remains of
Mrs. Rich were taken to the depot last
evening and went with Mr.. Smith over the
Royal route. She will be buried at Co
bleskll. Opinion was expressed yesterday
to the effect that Gale wrote the threat of
the committee of "1O' himself as an excuse
to get out of town before Mr.. Smith ar
rived as he knew that gentleman conld NJ.
get here on Tuesday. Others think that