West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-16
a MILLIoNAIRE MURDERED.

Amos j. Smell, millionaire, owner OF tho
toll road running through Jefferson, ILL.,, was
found murdered in his bed the other morn
ing at his residence, No. I25 Washington
Boulevard, Chicago
At2 NJ. n servant girl heard noise like
pistol shot coming from MIR. Smells room,
but paid no attention TO it. Later he was
found with bullet holo i'm tho left breast.
and one behind tho left ear. Entrance was
Objected by the murderers through n back
door They had taken out the panel and
sawed out tho lock
Mr., Smell was one OF tho largest real estate
owners I'm Chicago, owning great number
ol houses, which he rented, aud all this bust
ness was transacted in the basement OF his
own house, which was fitted up ms an office
lie windows and doors were heavily barri-
caded, and there wcrc several large safes in
the rooms IN which the millionaires business
was done
Tho theory of the murder is thnt a careful
ly planned robbery had been arranged IL
was known that during the first part Of each
month large sums OF moncy-the rents from
mr. She,Is houses-were kept IN the base
ment. lt is believed that tho burglars were
nt work at the safe, when MIR. Shell hearing
the noise, went down TO the basement and
surprised tho thieves at their work His
oouy was found I'm tho hall, just at the en-
trance OF his office door.
Tho burglars who entered Mr. SMELLS
house made raid during the night on
several houses in the neghborhood tho tracks
IN tho snow showing that they went from
one back yard o. another On reaching Mr.
Smells thoy bored sixteen or seventeen
siger holes through the kitchen door and
nhaly Effected an entrance From the kitchen
they proceeded To the Office, which was i'm the
front OF the house. Here IL appears thcro was
hothing ot any value To loo found. The safe
aud desks were filed with papers, and after
ransacking these, they proceeded up the stairs
To ths parlor floor.
Tho door at the head OF the basement stairs
was sklltully forced, aud the men wore in
the front pnrlor, when 10 is supposed that
MI, smell, who sleeps directly nOove this
ROOM hoard them lIo left his bed. room,
nhd' taking revolver, went down the front
stars The folding doors lcaling into the
paror were shut, but IL in suppo ied that no
heard the noise IN the room, for he fired "a
shot through tho door The burglars opened
the door and returned the fire, tho bullet
str'king the w,ol work aud, RIB lunding,
hit MIR. Smell i'm the breast who then ran
back toward the rear OF tho hall Tho
burglars must have followed him and shot
again, for the murdered man was found at
the head OF the basement stairs with bullet
hole Just behind tho ear
Tho Smell house is lnrge three story base.
mcnt structure, sol!d'y built OF brick aud
stone, and ono of the most imposing resi-
dcnces in ncighborhood noted for its fine
architecture. But its only occupants at tho
time of the murder were It's owner, a man
sixty four years old, two servant girls, aud
two little girls, grandchildren of Mr.. Smell
who were spending IA few days there
Mr.. Smell leaves wife, two married dnugh-
tors and son Mira. Smell and ono OF tha
daughters MrH Frank Collin, were on visit
In Milwaukee
Mr.. Smell was one of the wealthiest and
bcst known residents of the west side and had
been connected with Chcngo's history for n
great many years. He was born in
Little Falls, New York, md came
West In 1871, stopping for n few
months in Cincinnati aud then com
INK TO this city A little later he went TO
Milwaukee, returning hero In about year
and opcuing hotel at Schaumberg. After
residence Of six years there no removed To
Jefferson and there laid the foundation OF
the fortune, which amounts to about 5000
0DO
The police began at night an indiscriminnto
raid on suspicious characters A man with
bundle was arrested on Clark street The
bundle was found 90 contain complete scs
Of burglars too.s, n jimmy, nugers. bits
drills, dark lantern, giant.powdcr and dy-
namitc. The auger was exactly the size
Of that used 10 bore through the kitchen
door at Mr. SHELLS house I'm the prisoners
po 'ket was revolver with empty shells that
had recently been fired. H. was OF the same
aihc az the bullets that killed Mr. Smell The
pli Onor anid his name was Charles w Bono
dict and lie was nineteen years old
Sergeant Of the Lake Street Station mr.
rc3tod two men with burglars tools whom
he found prowling nbout Ada street.
near the Smell residence, jut few
minutes before the shooting took place
They gave their names MS Thomas Walton
aul Joseph Burke The police say they are
notorious crOD'ts an wcrs undoubtedly
watching the outside Of the house while 9th
ers OF their gang wer, at work within.