Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-16
WAS IT JEALOUSY?
Tragedy at Meeting of the
Salvation Army.
A woMAN's FRENZY AND CRIME.

Cadet Clara BiedIer shoots Captain Hat
tie Smith in the Back and Then Puts a
Bullet Into Her Own Brain-The Crime
Committed on the streets at Omaha
The Cause Somewhat of Mystery, but
Believed To BE Jealousy.
OMAHA, Nov. 16-About 6 o'clock last
evening Cadet Clara Biedler, of the local
corps of the. Salvation Army, met Cap
tain Hattie Smith, of Clinton, Ia, at the
barracks and tried to open conversation
with her. The Smith woman is engaged
to Lieutenant Berry, of Boone, Ia, and
imagined that the Biedler woman was
trying to steal him from her. She re-
fused to talk, when the Biedler woman
drew a revolver and shot Miss Smith
through the right lung, firing three shots
at her. The Smith woman ran a block
before she fell mortally wounded
The Meeting Went Right Along
Seeing that she had probably killed her
rival, Cadet Biedler turned the revolver on
herself, blowing out her own brains Miss
Sprague, of Omaha, another Salvationist
was so overcome by the sight that she be-
came paralyzed. and her death is expected.
The body of Nettie Biedler, the murderess
and suicide, rests on a marble slab at the
undertaken rooms, and her victim, Cap
tain Hattie Smith, of the Salvation Army
banG at Oskaloosa, is awaiting death at
her temporary boarding place, l5l2 Daven-
port street.
Both Parties Away from Home.
The half-crazed woman at whose door
rests the responsibility for the taking of
the two human lives was an ironer at the
City Steam laundry Mt Council Bluffs. and
her victim was formerly stationed there
in command of the Bluffs barracks of the
crusading soldiers. 1t, was there that the
event occurred that eliminated in last
nights tragedy. Both of the parties We're
here, away from home, and practically
among strangers, so information as to
their previous relations was very meagre.
Went to Meet the Marechale.
Captain Smith, who was ordered to
leave the Bluffs some thirty days ago to
take command Of the branch of the Army
stationed at Oskaloosa, came to Omaha last
Thursday from the latter city with Il INT
of her soldiers TO participate in the recep-
ton and demonstration in honor of the
visit of La Marechale Booth Clibboru and
Marshal Darlington Booth. She was
present Saturday afternoon at the Army
barracks on Davenport street. between
Seventeenth and Eighteenth, at a meet
ing held ut $3.50 O'Clock, and the Beidler
woman seems to have also been there, but
whether she was there during the entire
| meeting is no. known, as no one noticed
her until the close of the service
The Mysterious In terview.
At that time she was in the rear por
ton of the church and sent up word to
| Captain Smith that she wanted TO talk to
her. The latter replied to the messenger
| that she was busy then and could not
| grant the request, but after eating lunch
| she went back and talked TO the Biedler
woman for some time What was said by
either of them is unknown, as the only
| person who noticed what was going on
WAS Lieutenant Mary Bannister, of What
| Cheer, who had carried Miss Biedler's
| message TO Captain Smith. When inter
| rogated after the shooting Lieutenant
| Bannister stated that she saw the captain
90 back and engage in conversation with
the woman, but was SO far away that she
could tell nothing about what was said