Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-07-21
POLITICS AND MURDER.

Deplorable Tragedy at Clayton, NO.
Sheriff Emil Dosenbach Shoots and In
stantiy Kills Maj. w. s. Smith in the
Probate Court Room the Result of
an Alteration Over the Congressional
Contest in the Tenth Missouri District
by the Rival Republican Aspirants.
CLAYTON, Mo-, July 14.-There lies
dead in this shire town to-day one who
in life was among the generous, great
hearted, whole-souled men whom ev-
erybody loves; against whose life and
character no one was so lost to truth
and decency as to breathe one word. A
Young widow and several orphans are
left with broken hearts and streaming
Eyes to mourn his untimely and sudden
taking off at the hands of man who m
he regarded as his friend; and the COM
munity grieves for the loss of one of
; its best citizens.
In the Jail at st. Louis behind double
locked and bolted doors. the author of
the deed which will cause anguish in
so many homes adds to this vision of
the dire result of his handiwork the
picture of his own desolated home,
which contains, in addition to his
worse than widowed companion, two
or three bright boys who but yesterday
had the fairest prospects before them,
and to-day are weighted down by the
awful reproach of being murderer's
sons.
This needless homicide was not the
result of a contention for principle or
of anything else of pins value, but
simply the sequence of giving way to
a too hasty temper.
The republican officeholders and
party leaders of ST. Louis county have
for some time been divided over the ap-
portionment of the offices. including
that of congressman from the district,
and considerable feeling has entered
into the contest.
At the meeting of the Sons of Neter-
ans of the county seat on Tuesday
night. under the order of business:
HAS any one anything to offer for the
good of the order?" young Emil Dosen-
bach. the eldest son of Sheriff E. L.
Dosen bach, offered a resolution pledg-
ing the members of that body to take
the field and work for the nomination
of DR. Richard Barthold. of St. Louis,
his fathers choice for congressman
The resolution was antagonized by
friends of Maj. Kinsey. the ex-repre-
sentative. on the ground that the order
being nonpolitical in it's character the
resolution was clearly out of order,
and was finally, after a somewhat
heated discussion, defeated; but the in
cident passed off without serious con-
sequences.
Yesterday morning Sheriff Dosenbach
and Maj. w. S. Smith met in the pro-
bate court room. and during their con-
versation the ma or, who was an ar
dent supporter of Maj. Kinsey, re-
marked: Il understand that you in
stigated the Barthold resolution that
was offered in the Sons of Veterans
last night
"You are a damned liar.' replied
the sheriff. with much bitterness.
Instantly the men were engaged in a
scuffle, in which Smith. though much
the heavier man. was thrown to the
floor: but in few seconds both were
on their feet again. when the sheriff
unexpectedly drew his revolver. and
notwithstanding the efforts of Probate
Judge Shores to disarm him. fired
three. shots two of which took effect in
the body of Mr.. Smith, killing him in
stantly.
The pistol used by Sheriff Dosenbach
was a 3s-caliber of the most improved
pattern. Two of the balls fired struck
Maj. Smith, one over the right eye and
the other in the left breast, over the
heart.
d osenbach. who made no attempt to
escape was taken in charge by Coroner
Caster, who. by virtue of his Office be-
comes sheriff ad interim, and taken t.
the st. Louis jail. where he will be
held until the preliminary examina-
ton.
Maj Smith leaves a family in COM
Portable circumstances. His widow
was Miss Bagley. of Franklin county.
He was about IS years of age, and his
slayer was ten years younger.