New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-09
SHOT DEAD BY BURGLARS.
vANLY TRYING TO SAVE Ills PROPERTY.
THE BODY OF CHICAGO HORSEPOWER FOUND
WHERE THE THIEVES HAD LEFT IT.


WHERE THE THIEVES HAD LEFT 1T.
CHICAGO. Feb. s.-The police officers OF the
Central Station filed into Lieutenant Henshaws
office all this afternoon with tramps and we'll
known thieves picked up at the various resorts
around town. Each prisoner closely ques-
uoned as to his acts on the previous night and II
he weakened in the slightest degree, failed to
tell perfectly satisfactory story, he was sent
down stairs to await further examination. The
officers at the various outlying stations also were
ordered to bring In all suspicious characters and
they have made many arrests The cause Of this
vigilance was the murder of Amos J. Smell at his
home on the Washington Boulevard. About
o'cl'ck this morning a ser, ant girl heard noise
like pistol shot coming from Mr.. SHELLS room,
but paid attention to it. 1t was 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
Mr. Smell was one of the largest real estate
owners in Chicago, owning great number of
houses which he rented. and al this business was
transacted in the basement of his own house which
was fttcd up as an o1li"c, The windows and doors
werc heavily barrlcaded, and there were several
large safes In the rooms in which the millionaire
business was done. The theory in regard to the
murder is that carefully planned robbery had
been arranged. 1t was known that i'll the first
part of each month large sums of money-the
rents from Mr. SHELLS hOuses-were kept IN inc
basement. 1t is believed that the burglars earcted
an entrance in the house and wore at work at The
safe when Mr.. Sne hearing the noise went down
to the basement and surprised the thieves at their
work
In order to enter the house the thieves had
bored sixteen or seventeen auger holes through
to the office, which was in the front of the house
Here it appears there was nothing Of any value
to be found The safe and desks were filled with
papers and after ransacl<ing these they went up
the stairs to the parlor floor The door at the
head Of the basement stairs was sl<ilfully forced
and the men were in the front paror when 1t is
supposed that Mr. Smell, who sleeps directly above
this room, heard them. He left his bedroom,
and taking revolver went down stairs The
sUS were shut it, but it is supposed that
he heard the noise in the room for
he fired shot through the door. The burglars
opened the door and returned the fire. Mr. Smell
then ran back toward the rear of the hall. The
burglars must have followed him and fred again
for the murdered man found at the head OF
the basement stairs with q bullet hole Just behind
the ear.
The house is large thrce-story basement struSc-
ture, solidly built Of brick and stone Its only
occupants last night were its owner man sixty
four years old two servant girls and two little
girls, grandchildren of Mr.. Smell, who were spend
ing few days there.
burglars had taken check for $4,000, made by
A. j. Stone, Mr. SHELLS son in law, payable TO
Mr.. Smell, from the iron box in the Office What
else they secured will probably never be known
as Mr.. Smell himself was the only one to whom
the contents of his strong box were known.
Tonight young man who was carrying large
bundle was arrested by two detectives. He failed
to account for himself satisfactorily and was taken
TO the Central Station. His bundle was fonnd
to contain six dark lanterns, six chilled
augurs. one extension bit, six slung shots,
six steel knucltles two ounces of dynamite, two
ounces Of giant powder. three dirk-knives three
alarm whistles, four holsters, four 3Scallbrc
Colts revovers, four iimmies, six boxes of fuse
matches lot Of mail pouch keys, a large bunch
of skeleton keys and several skeleton saws. The
prisoner told Chief Hcnshaw that his name was
Charles II. W. Benedict, that he was nineteen
years old and that his home is in MarshalltOwn.
Iowa. He said that Frank McCord eighteen years
old George Dunn. seventeen years, Thaddeus Hall
tweity-one, and himself all residents of Marshall.
town, had agreed to form gang of burglars, and
he had been sent n this city to purchase the
necessary tools with which to begin work.
| The extension bit found in his
possession is n new one, but bears evidence of
recent use, and it tales in size with the one
nsed in boring the holes in the bark door OF Mr..
SMELLS house. One revolver Benedict had was
not loaded but each chamber had in it an empty
shell and the revolver showed signs OF having
| recently been fired. Tho bullets in Mr. Snells
body were Of the size used in the empty revolver
in Benedicts pocket. Benedict was formerly a
postal clerk on the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy Railroad.