The morning call., 1893-04-04
1T MADE HIM MAD.
Love Was Stronger Than
the Lover.
BROODING UPON HIS WRONGS.
Young Ross Smith Fancied He Could
Stand No More and So COM
mitted Murder.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

CHICAGO, April S.-ln the Northwestern
University chapel at Evanston this after
noon the funeral services were said over the
remains of Miss Efie Clark of Spokane,
Wash, murdered Saturday night by her
discarded lover, E. Ross Smith of Portland,
Or. who then committed suicide. The
services began at P. NJ. President Henry
w AIDE Rogers officiated. This forenoon the
casket was placed in the chapel and covered
with floral offerings sent in by the young
girls friends. A large bank of Easter lilies
rested at the head of the casket. and
punches of violets were scattered here and
there. Many friends of the deceased
awaited themselves of the opportunity to
see the face of the dead girl before the
funeral services.
At11 o'clock the casket was opened and
the house and the rooms made public to
friends. At o'clock the casket was taken
to the chapel. Following the hearse rode
the pail bearers and representatives Of the
WOman's Club of the university. The
bearers were 5. II. FANS, chaplain of the
freshman class and five other classmen-
Fl. r. Merwin. b. B. Bell, J. NJ. Eldridge,
X. L. Sheppard and Harry Fisher.
The chapel was crowded with students
and town people, and outside the building
the grounds contained a crowd of curiosity
attracted.
During the forenoon the house in frant
of which the shooting occurred was an OBJ
lect of interest. and the friends of Miss
Clark who called TO pay their last visit were
compelled to pass through a crowd Of spec
tators.
Miss Clark's body left Evanston on the
late afternoon train and was brought direct
to Chicago. accompanied by a short process
sion of friends and pall-bearerS. The
casket was transferred to the Union Pacific
station and sent westward on the 10 80 p. NJ
train.
In the hurry Of arrangements the formal
tiles necessary under the law before the
body could be removed were almost forgot
ten. 1t was not until morning that certi-
cate was obtained from the Coroner allow
ing the removal.
The inquest on the body OF Ross Smith
was held a Evanston later in the afternoon,
and the facts elected were as already told
in these dispatches. Among the personal
effects found on him was the following let
ter 10 his mother:
Il am nearly mad with suffering. and I
hardly know what l am doing. l am barely
able TO move. My sorrow is more than |
can stand. have asked help from Him on
high, but as usual l got the opposite of that
for which prayed. The only hope have
Of receiving comfort is to get such control of
my emotions that l can keep thoughts
from entering my mind. Tie hours 60 by
and the days pass, ard | feel that l am
growing weaker under the awful strain. l
wrote in my last letter that Mr.. Clark had
only succeeded in separating Effie and me
for matter Of time, and that still had
her affections, but now that is gone,
as the natural result OF the position
in which Mr.. Clark's actions and demands
have placed US. / went ont to see her this
week for the first time since she has re-
celved her fathers cruel letter, and she told
me she could no longer give me the atfec-
ton that had been mine during the last five
years. l asked her why her love seem
withdrawn. and she said Father told NE
l must give you up and / can love you no
longer, and I must do his will On, God
am thankful my sorrow at this time can
come but once in a lifetime. l feel that
the climax Of my life has been reached and
my doom is closed. How sweet would have
been my sorrow if l had only followed her
to the grave"
j. ID. Wood, Smiths roommate. testified:
81 noticed that he had been nervous and
eXcltable for some time, and on Saturday
morning his condition appeared to be
worse. He seemed unable to keep his mind
| on any one thing. He would take up
| paper or book for a moment and then
throw it down he spoke of his affection
! for Miss Clark, and the sorrow which had
! come to him on that account. Almost all
of Saturday morning lie spent holding his
head in his hands and weeping. lie had
her letter telling him of Mr.. Clark's de-
cisiOn and other letters from Miss Clark.
During the morning he threw them all into
the furnace. While they were burning and
for an hour afterward Smith stoUd weeping
in front of the furnace"
At the conclusion OF the inquest the
Coroner's jury found the only verdict pos
| siDle under the circumstances.