The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-12-19
MURDER IN SALINE.
Full Particulars Of an Awful
Tragedy in Neighbor-
ing County.
Family Affairs Between Preston
Smith and Henry Frazier,
The Origin.

The Marshall Evening Progress of
yesterday contains the following re-
port of the recent tragedy in Saline
COUNT:
Saturday afternoon dec. 9th
Henry Frazier shot Preston Smith
with shot gun near his place, two
and one half miles north of Malta
Bend. The wound caused almost in
slant death. Deputy Sheriff X. E.
Vaughan arrested Frazier few
hours after the affair and he is now in
the county Jail. Esq. Purcell held an
INQUEST over Smiths body Saturday
evening. The internient took place
Sunday. Smith was about 23 years
Of age. In All interview with a Pro-
qress reporter, this morning, Frazier
made the following statement:
81 am 40 years Of age, live On
Vanstone farm two and one-half miles
north of Malta Bend. Have lived in
Saline 30 years, came from jackson
county. Have been married twice !:
have eight children. My present wife
is about Sc years old. her name was
Nancy Spradley. Smith who lived
in the neighborhood has been coming
frequently 10 my house for the past
two months. My wife attended
dance with him one night. She took
my boy 4 years old and left Tuesday;
went to Marshall with him and re-
gistered at the Campbell hotel as
man and wife. He came back We'd
nesday night. do not know where
she is now. NV daughter Maud aged
nine years, is with. her half-siSter,
Mrs. Frank Odell. in Marshall going
TO school. | have tour children on
the farm now, three boys and girl
NY wife went TO Malta Bend with
Mrs. Whetsler. She said to let the
bow see the doctor. Smith followed
them into town. | wanted some to-
bacco and knew my wife had some in
a dress pocket. Went to look for the
dress and found everything be-
longing to her was gone. l then
went to Malta Bend and
saw my wife and BOY.
She told me she was going away and
| told her to take the little girl. that
could not raise the three boys and the
girl together. Smith and my wife
and the boy came TO Marshall that
evening. dec. 9TH Saturday about
10 o'clock Smith came by my house
on load of wood belonging TO Mr..
Hobbs. There were two boys on the
wagon. one abau, - wears old, the
other younger-son> of Nr. Hobbs. |
was about Is steps away. | waived
for the boys to stop. and walked
across the road in front Of the
wagon. / said, SIR. Smith | want to
see YOU about a minute. | had my
gun with me. ] was protecting my
own property. NV little daughter,
Cassie, had told Mrs. Whistler that
Smith would come back and steal her
away. The gun was double barrel
muzzle load or loaded with No. 1 shot.
Both were loaded. The boys say !
asked him what he had done with nv
baby. He said YOU accuse me-
of something a:n clear of. ]
said YOU are liar. The boys told
him to get of the wa@'n. He had
his feet closed with lis hands ION his
knees. He said r"thing else. | was
ten feet away wi.,.. | raised my gun
and fred. Shot one barrel. Shot
him in the jaw. He said nothing
after the sho: was fired. The
team jumped. | walked TO
the house and rot my team
and went to work. The boys toli
me to take hin. of the wagon. told
them to unhitel, their team. and sent
them home 10 their father. Esq.
Purcell took charge OF the corpse. l
was arrested on my place that evening
by X. f.. Vaughan.
The register II The Campbell house
of Dec. 9Th, !. written. tlr. smith
and wife Shakie!ori.
Mrs. Frazier Is supposed to he in
Kansas City.