The evening world., 1890-04-04
MURDERER SMILER CAUGHT.
Revolver in Hand He Was Enter
ing His Second Wife's House.
He Had Two wivos Besides the One
lie Killed.

Harris \. Smiler. better known as Harry
Smilor. who murdered his wife, or one o
his wives, at 2S4 Seventh avenue last night,
was arrested shortly after l o'clock thi,
morning by Captain Grant and his officers
just in time to prevent another murder.
He was waiting at the house of another oi
his wivos-at present he is known to have
had three. and all the returns may not be in
yet-viciously drunk, and with the plsto
that had taken one life rechargcd and ready
for more bloody work.
Tomorrow Smier will be thirty-two years
old. From appearances he is born tough.
low-szed, sullen and with the hapg-dop
look of q beaten cur.
Three years ago he was a soldier in the
Salvation Army, stationed in the Thirtieth
street barracks, and since he stepped out of
the ranks he has worked in the mailing de-
partments of several newspapers.
June IA lie married the Widow Maggie
Dranen. whom he had known two years.
They were married in Mission on Thir-
tieth street by the Rev. DR.. Bluett. Forth
with ho began to maltreat the woman, who
was not his wife, for he had then already
married two other women and in their turn
deserted them.
street, and within, three months he was
locked up twice in the Mulberry street police
station for assault upon the woman;
Once, not three weeks ago, he beat her
black and blue in the public street, and WAS
again arrested and set free.
When Smiler broke ont she used to seek
shelter with friend. the Widow Wilson.
who lives on the top floor of 2S4 Seventh
avenue.
Tuesday night she came there for the
tenth or twelfth, time, and there the muir
the door shortly. before o'clock and de-
manded of Mrs. Wilson il his wife was there
She heard him, and begged Of the widow
in. and she tried to escape into another
room. Her executoner blocked the way.
Put on your things and come with me. -
he said.
The woman pleaded to be allowed to stay;
begged Mrs. Wilson to protect her. She
shook with fear.
Smiler was ineXorable.
Come on r. he said. But she would not
go and clung to the widow in paroxysm of
Mrs. Wilson finally told him to let his wife
stay and return for her in the morning.
and emptied it into the trembling woman's
body, whore she stood in the door leading to
another lodgers room. i'll which she had
sought to hide horself
She fell with one bullet in the brain, two
in the breast and fourth in the right arm.
Mrs. Wilson ran for . policeman. When
she returned with Ofhcer Collins. or the
Sixteenth Precinct, Mrs, Smiler lay dead on
the hoor and the murderer wasgore:: r.
Capt. Grant started at once with De-
tectives Early and Logan and a squad of
policemen in pursuit of the murderer He
had sealed the fence In the yard and got out
At Twenfy-sixth street. At 15b, West
Twenty-siXth street lives a brother of
Smiler. He is ianitor OF the house,
FORE. tourishng pistol and threatening
murder # he found his wife.
Capt. Grant set a watch on the house, TAI
West Twenty-siNth street. where lived Mra.
Smiley No. ., Elizabeth }ates, whom he
six years ago and de, ted to marry
the Widow Dranen.
Shortly after l O'Clock Smiler came along.
He had inst fired up his courage with q
drink in the saloon on the corner, and had
his pistol there,
Tho police caught him going into the
house. He showed fight, hnt was quickly
Subdued and taken to the W Twentieth
street police station.
OF the shooting he claimed to know moth
ing, but said that his wife drank and made
him trouble. When told that she was dead,
he said indifterently:
"All right, then will hang. Bury me in
tho same grave with her."
A special watch was set upon him in his
cell to prevent any attempt at suicide.
Wife No. is Maggie Hears. who lives in
One Hundred and Eighteenth street. and
whom he deserted for the Gates woman.
lie was arraigned before Justice White in
the jefferson Market Court this morning
and held TO await the verdict OF the Coro-
ler's Jury.