Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-20
THE SMELL TRAGEDY.
GOSSIP ABOUT THE SENSA-
TIONAL CASE REVIVED.
A Daughter-in-Law of the Murdered
Millionaire Makes Serious Charges
Against A. j. stone--Airing Unpleasant
Famlly secrets.

a Daughtor-in-LaW OF the Murdered
Millionaire Makes Serious Charges
Against A. j. stone-Airing Unpleasant
Faupily secrets.
Chicago special.
IL Is nearly three years since the muir
der OF Millionaire Amos j. Smell was a
topic that was discussed in every house,
hold, on the streets, in public places,
from one end OF the country to the other.
The circumstances attending the assas-
sination were so startling and realistic
that every man who heard the story
oIuld not restrain a feeling of alarm
and disquietude. A disorganized army
OF man-hunters, whose forces were scat
tered through every village, town, and
city on tho continent, spurred on by the
offer of a large reward, worked dill
gently to capture the murderer, who
was supposed to be Willie Tascott, but
without success. He eluded his re-
lentless pursuers at every turn,
and is still at large. The only
tangible clew to his whereabouts
that was ever obtained after he
left Chicago was in st. Paul. where
he, or somebody who resembled him,
pawned his sachel, his revolver, and some
other articles of lesser value. From
that time Tascott dropped out OF sight,
and no more was heard OF him until a
few days ago, when the wife of the dead
millionaire's only son wrote a communi-
cation to the Chicago Herald, in which
she wished to be informed IL the hunt
for TascOtt had been abandoned and the
reward for his capture withdrawn. Fol-
lowing this as she did with a number OF
extraordinary statements, in which some
strange family history and secrets were
disclosed, the murder has assumed all its
old time proportions and subject OF
gossip. Stories that have heretofore
been circulated with caution are now
being told openly. Old suspicious have
been revived and new theories given
life.
Mrs. Albert J. Smell, the wife of the
son of Amos j. Smell, the murdered
millionaire, has followed up her open
letter with verbal statements casting
doubt on tho sincerity OF A. j. Stone,
Mr.. SMELLS son-in-law, in his search for
the murderer. She asserts that the house
was not broken into the night Of the
murder, but that the panel of the rear
door, which was removed, was bored
through from the inside, and that the
safe was opened by some one who knew
the combination. She says that Mr..
Stone, subsequent to the murder, suf-
fered from wound in the leg. The as
scrtion is coupled with the intimation
that part of the blood found on the stairs
came from one of the murderers, who
was wounded by bullet from Mr.. Smells
revolver. She says that the house next
door TO the bankers was kept vacant for
several months, reference at the same
time being made TO the possibility that
TeeSGPt tn ert ANReasyeF %Saa %Sfi the murderer-
Mr.. Stone said: "Thls Mrs. Smell is a
family outcast." Thus he dismissed the
subject.
Inspector George Hubbard, who was
Chief of Police at the time OF the crime,
says: al do not believe that the murder
was "a family affair. That there were
two men mixed up in the crime l am
convinced. / am certain Tascott was
one of them. AS to the other man
have no guess to make. II was ap aren't
to the Police Department that the Smell
family was divided. Personally / have
heard nothing to make me believe the
murder was committed by any one re-
lated by blo2d or marriage to the dead
man."
John Bonfield, Chief of Detectives at
the time, believes that Mrs. SMELLS i'm
piled charges are the fruit of a family
row. "Tascott had a hand in the mur-
der, " he declared. 81 never lost sight Of
the fact that many suspected that Tas-
colt was only an agent. Those tips /
fRgsfVly, iinIlES,esstigatteGdt, bat always found
was certainly bored from without and
not from within"
Mrs Snell Sr., announces that the re-
ward Is still open to any one who will
secure the arrest of the murderer.