Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-05

rsrEc1AL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcu.l
NEW YORK, April 4-HoraceA A. Smiler,
dissolute printer and ex-salvation army
trooper, who shot and killed his wife.
Maggie, at 2S4 Seventh avenue, late last
night, was arrested by Detectives
Madden and Maloney, of the West
Twentieth street station, early this morning.
When he was caught he had his revolver,
reloaded, in his pocket and he was evidently
making for the home of another woman
whom he had married and abandoned before
marrying the woman he killed.
Smiler is 33 years old. He worked in the
mailing room of the Catholic News and was
an expert mailer. About three years ago
he was a big shouter in the barracks OF
the Salvation Army on West Thirtieth
street. Those that know him say that he
was always crack brain.
MARRIED EARLY AND OFTEN.
He married when he was II years o1d, but
left his wife soon after the marriage. That
wife is now living somewhere in Harley. In
1884 Smiler married Elizabeth Bates A year
ago he left her to live alone at IA West
Twenty-sixth street, and married Maggie
Draney, a widow, who came to this city from
Poughkeepsie. She was the daughter OF a
respectable citizen of Poughkeepsie, John
Burns by name, now deceased. She was
once a teacher in one of the public schools
here. By her husband, Draney, she had
two children. After Draney's death she
became dissolute and went to New York to
live Her father-in-law put the children In
Catholic asylum in New Jersey, where
they are now. Maggie's mother and brother
live in this city.
Smiler and his last wife went to live to-
gether at II Prince street. They had fire.
quent quarrels, and after quarrel Mrs.
Smiler used to go and stay with her friend,
Mrs. Wilson, at 2S4 Seventh avenue.
MURDER IN HIS HEART.
On Thursday night Smiler went to the
rooms of his brother, on West Twenty-sixth
street, and demanded to know where his
wife was. He was drunk, and f1ourished a
revolver. He finally turned up at Mrs.
Wilson's rooms, and upon his wife re-
fusing to go home and live with him, put
four bullets in her body. She died almost
instantly. Smller ran out of the house and
walked down Seventh avenue.
The shooting occurred at 10:40 o'clock,
and within an hour afterward Police Cap
tain Grant had dozen men out hunting
Smiler. He had officers watching for
Smiler's home on Prince street, at the
homes of Smiler's brother and Smiler's Sec
ond wife at 155 and AL West Twenty-sixth
street.
The detectives named above arrested
Smiler in front of the second wife's house.
Smiler came down West Twenty-sixth street
drunk. He clutched the revolver in his
pocket and struggled moment when the
officers nabbed him. The police say that
they are sure that Smiler meant to kill his
second wife Atthe station house Smiler
first denied that be knew anything about
the shooting, but when told that his wife
was dead said:
READY TO BE HANGED.
"Well, then I'll hang. Bury me in the
same grave with her,"
Justice White committed Smiler at the
Jefferson Market Court. Smiler's only plea
was that he was drunk. Later on Captain
Grant took the prisoner over to the
police headquarters. There Inspector
Byrnes had Smiler's photo taken. Smiler
told the detective that his wife
was worthless woman who was drunk
about half the time. He had tried to make
her good, but had failed. OF the shooting
he remembered only firing his revolver sew
eral times and then sneaking off to get out
of the way. All the rest that he did was
blank in his mind.
"Does electricity hurt?" he suddenly
asked. He rambled on, saying he didn't care
whether electricity hurt or not; that he
should not appeal his case when he was
convicted, and that he fel: glad that he had
finally made his wife good. He is in the
Tombs.