Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-13
HE KILLED HIS WIFE.
Edward ScheIIey, Alias Jesse
Smith, CoIored, .Confesses
to a Murder in 1897.
oRIMECoMMITTEDA TEAsTsT. LOUIS

Comes to Rock Island a Year Ago Under
an Assumed Name, and is Arrested
Last Night on Second Avenue by Omcer
Dan McCaIthy-Recites the Story of the
killing to the Police.
Edward Schelley, alias Jesse Smith,
colored, confessed to the police today
that he murdered his wife Fannie, at
East ST. Louis, in March, 1897.
| They'll surely hang me now,"
nervously sighed Schelley, when he
had finished reciting the story of his
crime, a tear trickling down his
cheek.
He was arrested at s O'Clock last
night on Second avenue between Sew
enteenth and Eighteenth streets, after
a lively chase, by Officer Dan Nc
Carthy, to whom the murderer's iden-
tity had been revealed by Robert Sto-
field and Albert Cunningham, who
formerly worked with Schelley in a
sash factory in East st. Louis, and
who are now residing in Rock Island.
Though not at first apprised of the
occasion for his arrest, Schelley was
apparently suspicious that he had
been found out, having persistently
requested Chief Fender to allow him
to go. as he had business that required
his immediate attention.
The station records were scanned
and a postal card found-it was re-
ceived before the present admins
tration took hold-dated April. 1897,
stating that Edward Schelley, aged %,
had murdered his wife at East st.
Louis, March 25, of that year, and
bearing the name of the chief of police
of that city. The description con-
tanned on the card tailed exactly with
that of the man under arrest.
Chief Fender telegraphed Chief II.
and received an answer asking him to
hold Schelley.
This morning Schelley was con-
mad gathered. He was inclined at the
outset to create the impression that a
serious mistake had been made.
When pressed further he admit
ted that he had struck his wife blow
in the face during a quarrel, but was
not aware that she was dead. Chief
Fender and Sergeant Archer, both of
whom are well acquainted with the
prisoner, who has been in town for
upward of a year, impressed upon him
the necessity for telling the truth, as
it would go hard with him if it was
afterward discovered that he had
to make the authorities
believe u false story.
ADMITS His Guilt.
Well" said Schelley, as he leaned
against the bars of the cell. Il guess
that 5 right. 1 might just as well
tell the whole thing. because
you've got me right, there's no doubt
of that. | did kill my wife. but 1 was
crazy when 1 did it. 1 had worked
hard, and was trying to pay for a lit
tie home for Fannie, that was my
wife's name, and our two children, a
boy and girl. My wife was pretty
woman, but she would not behave
herself, and was always running
around with other men. That made |
me almost crazy. l would get drunk |
Finally she had me arrested and |
placed in Jail for 20 days, during
which time she sold all our household |
goods. When | was released / gath |
cred my family together again and
tried to make another home for them. |
One night / went out with the BOYS
and got drunk. / was returning
home with another colored man. We
were walking along the Air line tracks |
in East st. Louis. / heard a crowd of |
men and women laughing in the dis
lance. They were coming toward us. |
| thought recognized Fannie's voice. |
IL was her sure enough. Oh, 1 was |
out of my head when l saw her with |
those other men. / had my knife in |
my hand, and | don't know what |
caused me to do it, but l rushed at |
her and began cutting her. / fell |
down on the tracks, and before / had
time to investigate. my wife had been
taken away, but she talked to me af-
ter had cut her, so thought 1 had
not hurt her very badly. The next
day went to St. Louis and remained |
there two weeks, never hearing word
from my wife and babies. / de-
cided to visit them. When 1
arrived in East st. Louis / was told |
that Fannie had died and was buried.
So skipped out"
Gets In Trouble Here.
Schelley came here about year
ago. He went under the name of
Jesse Smith. While employed at the
sash and door works he was arrested
for assaulting a daughter of Mrs.
Sjoblad, of Twenty-sixth street. He
was indicted and a jury sentenced him
to 80 days in Jail. After his release
from Jail he was taken sick and was
for a short time at St. Antbony's hos
pital. He hung around the police sta
ton considerably and was well liked
by the officers VINO. when he was
without money, would provide him
with food and place to sleep. Schel-
ley would have moody spells, and
when asked what was ailing him
would either reply that he was sick or
of his wife-he called her
he said had died down in
Memphis. OF late he had been shin