The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-31
A MEMPHIAN In CHICAGO
COMMENTS UPON MATTERS OF GEN.
ERAL PUBLIC INTEREST.
The Cronin and Smell Murder Mys-
teries-The Unsavory Potter Bellew
CONFERENCE.-The Chicago Press Club
and Some Members.

Correspondence OF The Appeal
CHICAGO, ILL.,, May 2S--The Cronin
murder mystery, now agitating the pub
lie mind OF this city, affords a fitting op.
portunity to call attention to the contrast
offered by two murders-one occurring in
the wilds Of Arkansas, the other on one of
the most fashionable thoroughiares in the
world.
Early in 1858, on Washington Boule.
ward, Chicago, Amos J. Smell, millionaire
real estate dealer, was shot to death in his
own house, in the dead Of night, by per-
sons supposed to be burglars. Within a
few hours the entire police force of this
great city was on the lookout for the MUIR
derer. The greatest reHard ever offered
for human being--S50, 000-was prom.
ised the person who would apprehcnd the
assassin OF Mr.. SHELL Week after week.
month after month, the search went on,
the criminal all the while eludirs tue Wig
lance OF his would-be captors.
This murder occurred in the midst OF n
community Of Il million souls; the ablcst
detective talent on the continent was EN-.
ployed to find the assassin; the enormitv
OF the reward induced hundreds in private
life to enter the search, and alter all, the
villain is still at large.
January OF the present year brought to
light another murder-that OF John NJ.
Clayton, at Plummerville, Ark. There,
too, were the tactics OF the Smell family
employed to apprehend the criminal A
large reward-although it amounted TO
less than one fifth OF the sum offered for
the Smell murderer-failed torbring the as
sassin TO justice. II is now generally be-
lieved that the slayer OF John NJ. CLAYTON
viii, like the assassin OF Amos J. SHELL
never be brought before the bar OF public
justice.
Now. grant that the CLAYTON murder
was political, and that the murderer is
like President Eliot OF Harvard, a wicked
tariff reformer, what does n failure 10 cap
ture him prove? Simply what il proves
in the Smell case-that the machinery OF
justice is only human and that, not be-
ing divine, ii is exceedingly liable to fail
urcs. Ii the Democratic Administration
OF Arkansas committed the Clayton muir.
der-and the failure OF the officers TO ar
rest the criminal has been used by the
sanity Chicago Tribune 10 prove that il
did-then must the Republican machine
OF the city OF Chicago be held accountable
for the Smell murder and dozen other
crimes of equal atrocity, the perpetrators
OF which have never been identified or
punished.
Notwithstanding the unsavory notoriety
OF this city as a center OF dramatic rotten
ness, there occasionally comes 10 the sur.
face pointer serving 10 illustrate the di-
rection OF n current Of morality entirely
sound aud altogether vigorous. Last week
the Potter-Bcllew combination was un-
corked at McNickcr's. Odors from the ex.
piring Carter divorce case, which was in
the hands OF the jury not two squares
away, had prepared the people Tor a stencil
vile enough 10 smell TO heaven. Bellew Is
beauty. That is, the silly women OF the
country have told him so. Morally, he is
several grades below buHard-on-toast, and
when the scli-confcssed libertine appeared
before the fooilights he was, nOtwithsiand-
ing tho presence OF strong claquc,
roundly Kissed by the good people, who
might have saved their money and allowed
the English whipponnapper TO gaze at
empty chairs.
The Chicago Press Club occupies
spacious quarters ut the corner OF Clarl,
and Madison streets. Men with national
regulations walk in with an nnimportant
stride not easily understood by the com.
monality. John McGoycrn, who spreads
himself ON one Of the brightest editorial
pages in America, that OF the Herald, be-
longs TO Niat large and Increasing class OF
tall, intellectual men, such ss Speaker
Carlisle and others. Frame u. Wilkie
(Palinlo). the charming essayih and cdi.
torial writer, the author OF pea snd
Powder" passes some OF his few cparc
a. a ~ O. a.
Read. the widely known editor oil tie
drkmnu 7rdulcr. looks like n typical
Kcntuckian-tal. well buil:, rather IN
clined 10 be stout, with piercing eyes and
a genial smile. II is refreshing aud in
siructive 10 invade the haunls Of great
ness and TO spend an hour there.
MEMPHfAS.