The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-09
A CHICAGO TRAGEDY
NOTED MILLIONAIRE MURDERED
In His House by BurglRrS-TraGio Death
of Man whose History Is Linked
with that of the Western Me.
tropoIIs - Tho Crime.

CHICAGO, Feb. S-A millionaire mur.
dered was the crime that startled Chicago
ans this morning, the victim being Amos
]. Smell, owner Of the toll road running
through Jefferson.
About two o'clock this morning q ser
want girl heard noise like a pistol shot
coming from Mr.. SHELLS room, but paid
no attention to 1t. Later he was found
with bullet hole in the left breast and
one behind the left car. Entrance was
effected by the murdersrs through back
door, they having taken out panel and
sawed out the lock.
Mr.. Smell was one OF the largest real
estate owners in Chicago, owning large
number Of houses, which he rented, and
all his business was transacted in the
basement OF his own house, which was
fitted up as an Office. The windows and
doors were heavily bsrriClded, and there
were several large safes In the room in
which the millionalre'a business was
done. The theory In regard to the muir
der Is that q carefully planned robbery
had been arranged. 1t was known that
during the first part OF each month large
sums Of money-the proceeda from Mr..
SnelPs houses-were kept in tho base
ment. 1t Is believed tha! the burglars
effected an entrance in the house, and
were at work at the safe, when Mr.. Smell,
hearing the noise, went down to the
basement and surprised the thieves at
their work. His body was found in the
hall, just at the entrance Of his office door.
Ths burglars who entered Mr.. Snell's
house had made raid during the night
on several houses in tho neighborhood,
the tracks in the anow showing that they
went from one back yard to another.
Upon reaching Mr., Snell's they bored six
teen augur holea through the kitchen
door and finally effected m entrance.
From the kitchen they proceeded to the
Office which was in the front OF the house.
Here, it appears, there was nothing OF any
value to them to be found. The sale and
desks were flied with papers, and after
ransackiDg theee, they proceeded up the
stairs to the parlor floor.
The door at the head OF tho basement
stairs was skillully forced, and the men
were in the trout paYlor, when 1t s sup
posed that Mr.. Smell, who sleeps directly
above this room, heard them. He left his
bedroom and taking his revolver went
down the front stairs. Tho folding doors
leading into the parlor were shut, but 1t Is
supposed he heard the noise in the room,
for he fired a shot through the door. The
burglars opened the door and returned
the FIRE. The bullet striking the wood
work, and rehounding, hit Mr.. Smell in
the breast, who then ran back toward the
rear hall. The burglars must have follow
ed him and shot again, for the murdered
man was found at the head OF the base
ment staira with bullet hole just behind
the ear.
Tho Smell house is large, three.story
and basement structure, solidly built OF
brick and stone, and one OF the most i'm
posing residences in neighborhood no.
ted for its fine architecture. Its only oc-
cupants last night were its owner, man
eixty-iour years old, two servant girls and
two little girls, grandchildren Of Mr..
Smell, who were spending few days
there.
There Is as yet no clew whatever TO the
burglars. All during the winter Ohicsgo
has been overrun with crooks and thieves
Of every description, and many daring
burglsries have been committed, the po.
lice being apparently unable 10 stop them
or discover the criminals.
Mr.. Smell leaves wife, two married
daughters and son, Mrs. Smell aud one
OF the daughters, Mrs. Frank Coffin, are
at present on visit In Milwaukee. Mrs.
Smell is very Ill and the news OF her hus-
bands death will be kept from her for the
present. Mr.. Smell was one OF the wealth.
lest and best known residents Of the West
Side, and had been connected with ChiCs-
Ro's history for q great many years. He
was born in Little Falls, N. Y, and came
west in 1874, stopping for few months in
Cincinnati snd then coming to this city.
A little later he went TO Milwaukee, re.
turning here III year and opening a
hotel at SChaumberg. After q residence
Of six years there he removed to Jefferson
and there laid the foundation OF the for.
tune which ct hia death amounted to
about s. 100000.
An extraordinary feature OF the crime
Ia the fact that although the murder was
committed about 2 o'clock and the noise
OF the ahOoting heard by the servant girls
at that time, they paid no attention to it,
explaining their action alter tho murder
had been discovered by saying that they
thought Mr.. Smell had accidentally fred
the shot. It was, therefore, not until
about o'clock that the CoaChman who
slept in the barn and entered the house
to look after the furnace, discovered the
body Of Mr.. Smell.