St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-01
MINNEAPOLIS NEWS,
A Genuine White Caps Sensa-
tion--Editor j. P. Smith
Fired At.
Some Suspicion That He May
Be Working Up a Little
Sensation.
Another Murphyite Is Missing
Mot SO Very Sleepy
After All.
The General News Of the Mill
City on a Quiet
Day.

ONCE, at No. S52 HonneDlh avenue.
That the bullet of the assassin failed to
do its work was due to the fact that a
cheap pistol was used more than any,
thing else. Mr.. Smith was down town
in the evening to see the Fiambeau
quantity of things. From there
he went directly to his office, and
sat down at his desk to write letter
preparatory to going home. He states
that he had been seated there buC
moment when he heard slight sound,
and, on looking up, saw man standing
almost in front of him with
A REVOLVER POINTED
at his head. Then came fash, and
Mr.. Smith felt burning sensation in
the left side of his head. As soon as
the man had fired the shot, he put the
revolver in his pocket. turned and ran,
Slamming the door behind him. 1t was
get it open. Then he rushed into the
street, where he was found by patrol
man. Word was sent at once to police
headquarters, and the superintendent
and several officers went to the place,
accompanied by Police Surgeon Kelly.
On examination it was found
that the bullet, evidently of
small ealibre, had struck the left ear.
near the top, passed through this, and
cut large hole in the scalp just back
of the ear, from which the blsod ran in
streams. A short search revealed the
bullet on the floor, where it had dropped
after making the wound.
THE WOUND,
while not a very serious one, was
dressed by Police Surgeon Kelly, and
then Mr.. Smith gave the police all the
information he could i'm regard to the
attempt made to shoot him down in
cold blood. AT 1920 he went to his
home at 1927 Fourth avenue south.
When the police came Mr.. Smith was
bathing his head in cold water. He was
considerably agitated, and said he was
at complete loss to acsount for the at
tempt made upon his life.
WHAT SMITH SAYS.
To GLOBE reporter he told the fol-
lowing story:
81 had been around town until about
9 o'clock, when went to the Office to
write letter. sat down at the desk
and had just picked up pen when /
Looking up, was astonished to see a
man standing there, not over nve
feet from me, with revolver
pointed at my head. Before could
move ne fired, and the next instant |
found myself OIL the floor, where the
bullet had knocked me. 1t seemed as
though my head was on fire, and. put
ting my hand to my ear, | drew it away
again, to find it covered with blood.
This aroused me, and l went to the
door and opened it with considerable
difficulty. Then ] called to one of the
printers in the composing room and
sent for the police. That's all | kAow
about the matter. The man who did
the shooting was
A TALL MAN
with black beard and wearing sloueh
hat, black. He wore heavy overcoat,
but did not notice the overcoat. have
seen him hanging around here god
deal of late and have seen him ON the
street several times at night, Some of
the boys in the Office have also seen him
about. On one OF two occasions feel
pretty certain that he has followed me-"
Can you give any explanation of
this affair?'
"None whatever, except the White
Cap letters lhave been receiving. Some
l had published in the papers, and
few day after got another letter telling
told them to do their worst, and it looks
81 received a letter signed
WHITE CAPS"
in which was warned to sell out my
business and leave the city or else /
would be made to do so. | paid no at
tention to this letter, and ever since
then have been receiving others, all
warning me that unless / went away /
would be killed. After awhile the let
tiers began to be addressed to my resi-
dence, and / left orders at the postoffice
to have all my mail sent here. Of late
the letters have been coming more fire.
quently than ever, and have even
gone so. far as to, state that
all my footsteps have been logged.
One or two similar letters were received
by my mother at my residence. The
reason for all this persecution do not
know, but you can just say for me that
| would IKE to meet the cOwardly ours,
who dare not make themselves known.
alone in room for a short time. L do
not think they would soon forget me-"
1t was asserted by some last night
that Nj. Smith could tell who wrote the
White Cap letters if he wanted to, and
it was mildly insinuated by others that
they were the outcome Of Mr.. Smiths
own brain. 1t was alleged that Mr..
Smith is subject to spells of hysteria,
ence of them he has been
himself by pee uliar methods. Be this
as it may, it is morally certain that the
wound Mr.. Smith received last night
could not have been inflicted by him
self. The white Cap" letters, some
of which are given below. have sus.
piciouS look, and are evidently witten
by some one intimately acquainted with
Mr.. Smith.
SAMPLES OF THE LETTERS.
Here is the first letter received by Mr..
Smith:
''Will you take the advice of friend,
and be warned i'll time, for unless you
do, you will incur the enmity of the
members of the lodge of White Caps re-
Gently organized in this city, who pro-
pose to regulate things here as they
have in other places. A word to the
wise is sufficient. Do not treat this
matter lightly, as we mean business.
We are but commencing business here.
By Order of the Lodge, per Secretary.
The second letter was received few
days later, and was embellished with
the rude cut of coffin. This was
signed ''White Caps" All the letters
were half-written. half-printed, in
heavy backhand, and showed perfect
familiarity with the English language.
The third spoke of Mr.. Smiths going
to police hall in regard to the matter,
and said it would do no good. One, re-
ceived Jan. 81. informed him that all
his movements were watched. The
sixth letter stated that the
reason Smith had been given
warming was because he had his
mother with him in Minneapolis. 1t
went Oh to say that if he did not leave
at once he would get dose Of cold lead
or of steel. The seventh warned the
unhappy man that his friends would be
treated the same way if they interested
themselves in the matter. The eighth
one stated that letters would be sent to
hic rnothar This laftor yac x,,riffoD ~,