Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-20
YESTERDAYS TRAGEDY.
JOE SMITH SHOT DEAD AND Els WIFE
BADLY WOUNDED.
A Shocking Affair in an L Street
Bagnio-Husband, Wife and
Her Lover.

| telliple Tragedy OCCURRED yesterday
forenoon in this city, in which one person
was killed and another dangerously in
jured. About 10 o'clock telephone mes
sage came to the police station announcing
that two people had been shot at Second
! and L streets. A large crowd had already
gathered in front of the house at No. 124 L
street, where the shooting took place, when
the police arrived. At the foot of the bed
in the house was lying the lifeless form of
Joe Smith, hack-driver at the Dexter
Stables. He was
LYING ON HIS BACK,
His arms outstretched, and 38.caliber
Smith & Wesson pistol lay on the lapel of
his coat on the left side. A half-smoked
cigar, which he probably had in his mouth,
was also on the floor at his side.
a bullet-hole was plainly in the back of
his head, and three chambers of the pistol
were empty.
THE FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE
Heard by the people in that vicinity were
house. Immediately afterwards woman
came rushing out screaming at the top of
her voice, with blood streaming from a
terrible wound in the side of her head. She
ran to the saloon on the southwest corner
of Second and l. streets, and by that time a
number of person had collected. She had
no more than gotten out on the sidewalk
when two more shots were fired, and peo-
pie came rushing to the spot from all d.
rectiops. A couple of doctors also arrived
and administered morphine to the unfortu-
nate woman in order to ease her pain.
She sat in chair in the saloon for time,
and was afterward taken to the Receiving
Hospital in wagon. The body of Smith
was left in the room until the Coroner ar
rived and took charge of it.
THE woMAN's STATEMENT.
AT the Receiving Hospital the woman
made statement of the affair, as far as
she knew, in the presence of Judge Buck
ley, City Attorney Church, Chief of Police
Lee, several of the officers, and couple of
newspaper reporters. She said her name
was Louisa Belle Smith She was the I'M
divorced wife of Joseph Smith (deceased),
and was q years of age. She said she did
not feel weak, but simply felt slight pain.
In speaking about the shooting she said
Smith told her yesterday, just before it &C.
CURED, that he wanted her to live with
him and support him. She replied that
she wasn't able to, and wouldn't do it. He
then said; "rll leave you and won't come
near you any more. l won't harm you,
but you'll never see me again."
At this he went into another room, and
she sat down on the lounge. He returned,
and going over to her placed the muzzle of
the pistol very close to her head and fired.
She jumped up and ran out into the saloon,
as before stated. She said Smith had
threatened her life many times before.
HER INJURIES.
The bullet entered the woman's head Just
back of the left ear. 1t ranged through the
mouth, breaking the teeth, and lodged on
the right side of the lower jaw. Where the
bullet entered there were powder marks. 1t
was two or three hours before the City
Physician could be found to attend her.
PHIL GEBHART's PART IN THE AFFAIR.
There was for time some doubt as to
whether Smith killed himself, or a third
party had hand in the affair.
Immediately after the shooting a man
named Dutch Phip' rushed out (it is said)
of house adjoining that in which the
shooting occurred and dashed through the
yard with his hat in his hand. A woman
named Oracle McThomas says she was
CuOpplDS WOO4 III ACA JdAo WACu tiC LII ha
rushed by, colliding with and almost throw
ing her over. He did not say a word, but
kept on running. She did not rem ember
seeing anything but hat in his hand.
SMITHS STOCKTON RIVAL.
The mans correct name is Philip Geb-
hart, and while the Smith woman was in
Stockton he lived with her. He came to
this city from Stockton day OF two ago,
and, it is said, stopped Friday night in the
house adjoining that in which the shooting
| occurred. The injured woman states, how
ever, that Gebhart was not in her house,
and could not have had anything to do
with the shooting.
| An account OF the domestic troubles OF
| Smith and his wife, in which Gebhart fig
ured conspicuously, was published in the
RECORD UNION few months ago, and ii
| showed decidedly low state of morals on
the part of each of the trio.
eEBHART TELLS HIS STORY.
| Phil Lew Hoffman, alias Phil Gebhart,
alias Dutch Phil" the man whom it was
| thought might have had a hand in the
affair, was seen last evening by RECORD
| UNION reporter, and in answer to request
! to explain his position in the matter he
said:
81 promised Mrs. Smith to call yesterday
morning between and O'Clock. l wen
down there to L street, and the door was
closed. l then went into Molly Brown:
house next door, when l heard shot anc
went out the back door. When l got tc
the back door of the saloon l heard another
shot. l was in the middle room of Molly
Browns house when the first shot wa:
| fired. ran because 1 thought he [Smith
was going to shoot me. l did not intenc
to run away. My intention was TO go tc
Tim Servers stable. The woman lived
with me in Stockton. l had fight with
Smith once, and other times he threatened
| to shoot me-"
Gebhart was found in the afternoon by
officers Mclaughlin and Franks under {
house in the alley between o and P, Front
and Second Streets and was arrested ant
locked up in the city prison to await devel
opments; but in view of the following con
fession made by Smith of his purpose tC
commit suicide (since brought TO light hi
will probably be released.
INTENDED SUICIDE.
| a Letter Found in Smiths Pocket MAJ
Explain the Shooting.