The evening world., 1894-03-20
ANOTHER MYSTERY.
Friends Of Joseph smoleck Think
He Was Murdered.
Police Accused Of Not Making a
Rigid investigation.
Tho Missing Man Disappeared on
the Morning of Feb. IL.

The Police Headquarters detectives
have another mystery to solve, which
may eventually develop into the discov-
cry that Joseph Smoleck, Bohemian
tailor. twenty-eight years old, of t66
First avenue. was murdered.
Smoleck disappeared from an East
Thirty-third street tenement house in
the early morning OF Sunday. Feb. IL.
He had gone there to attend birthday
party the evening before.
The facts in the case came out to-day.
when a sister OF the missing man. with
whom he lived, went to Police Head
quarters to search the records for some
clue in the case. The relative was ac-
companied by Undertaken John Krtil, Of
1858 First avenue, who acted as an in
terpreter.
According to the story told Smoleck
was unmarried. well educated. and
spoke Ave languages. He came to this
country fourteen years ago. Up to the
time of his disappearance he was en-
ployed by L. Winter, a tailor, OF 'b9
Second avenue.
There was a birthday party In the
apartments Of Anton Stahlba. on the
second floor OF the big tenement, at 4oi
East Thirty-third street, on the even
ing Of Feb. II. Smoleck used to live in
this tenement and without coat or vest,
with slippers on his feet. and wearing
brown derby hat, on the evening OF sat
urday, Feb. IL, he left his sisters house
to 20 to the party at Stahlba's, which
In Just around the corner.
That was the last seen OF the young
man by his relatives. He stopped In the
saloon at the corner OF First avenue and
Thirty-third street and drank there.
While IN the saloon he met John Ar3ot, not
tory near by Arnot lives with his wife
on the top ioor of the Thirty-third street
tenement.
TO Arnot and pulling cigar out OF the
latter's mouth. threw 1t on the floor and
ground It under his heel. As far as was
At 10 o'clock Smoleck arrived at the
8tahIba rooms. when the party was at
its height and beer was flowing freely,
The stahlbas claim that Smoieckk k ,Sas vas
told him to go away. He. however lin
gered for some time and was bother
some.
currence Of the next interesting thing In
this case differ. Arnot says at 2l5 A.
NJ Smoleck went, upstairs TO the top
asked who was there, and, says he re-
ceived an obscene reply, which was re-
peated several times. while the door was
YET IOCkeQ. ATnOl says ne
nized the voice OF Smoleck, and opening
the door, gave him blow in the face.
Smoleck, Arnot declares and his wife
corroborates him in the statement. then
went downstairs. but Immediately came
up again. Then Arnot thinks he went
downstairs for good.
That Is the last seen OF Smnleck by
any one, as far as can be learned.
The next morning Smolecks derby hat
was picked up in the hallway. not far
from Arnot's doorway, by Antonia Mach,
a young Bohemian girl living on the
same floor. II was crushed in at the
back OF the crown. and there were two
holes, which appeared to have been
made by an instrument OF some kind
striking II. possibly while on SmolAcks
head. There were no blood stains in the
hall The hat was taken to Smolecks
sister She has II now.
The police OF the East Thrty-ffth
street station were notified. but no great
effort apparently has been made to clear
UP the mystery surrounding the case.
Smoleck's sister believes that her
brother was murdered. and that his
body was thrown into the East River
not many feet distant from the tene-
ment. 1t NAV he that he walked into
the river himself
John Arnot laughs at the idea OF Smo-
Gays he Is troubled. however. over the
fact that Smoleck should have SO mystic
riously disappeared, and from his very
door, too.
To-day the hospi ais are being searched