The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-16
SMITH WAS NO MURDERER.
CIRCUMSTINCES, HOWETER, AND THE
POPULLCE WE'RE AGAINST HIN.

Tor tho last two years smith OF Brooklyn has
been not only q consistent resident but also n
loyal aud partisan adherent OF that borough.
or late, however, he has begun to change his
mind. He Ia even talking OF changing his
place OF residence. too. and going to live in
Hoboken. where tho populace doesn't take so
persistent and overwhelming AL interest in
the Affairs OF private citizens. Brooklyn people.
says Smith. have too large a proportion OF
gutta peroha IN their cervical columns. lie be-
gan 10 suspect this a couple OF weeks ago when
Mrs. Smith tried to call the iceman and
aroused the whole neighborhood to the firm
conviction not only that the house was on fire
but also that murder. robbery. and lunacy were
rampant within It's walls. Now he 10 quite sure
OF It because OF an unhappy experience OF his
late on Saturday night
Very uhwissly. he had agreed when he left
the house In the morning to do some errands
for his wife In New York. Whenever he tries
TO do this he gets into trouble usually with
Mrs. Smith who says that man never can get
things right. This time. however Smith had
awritten list with which he made the rounds
Of various shops until he had concluded the
matter Then he went to dinner and back to
his office to finish mp some work. He told the
of1lce boy to fix up all the purchases ia one
bundle. II was pretty big and ungalnly
package when he started home with it at IL
O'Clock, but the normal condition OF tho home
ward bound Brooklynite IL that OF beast OF
burden. and he didn't expect that his bundle
would attract any particular attention. Nor
would 1t have done so. in all probability. IL
he had not stopped at a fruit stand noar tho
Bridge and bought a largo box OF big blue
grapes. This rather overburdened him. 80 the
obltRinR Italian who keeps the stand got out
some paper and contriyed to add the fruit
basket to his bundle. attaching It by means OF
various lengths Of string and several copies Of
an Italian newspaper. 1t was a werd- look ing
thing when It was all done; full OF strange juts
and unsI peoted prominences. but it was at
least firm. and Smith went over and climbed
upon a Fulton street trolley car with II tucked
under his arm.
What he should have done. as he now real
ICES. was to have kept 1t tucked under his arm.
Instead Of this he set 1t down on the seat be-
side him while he removed his hat and wiped
his brow just as the car started Brooklyn
ward fat German entered, started up the
aisle. was caught by the swing OF the car as it
whrled around the curve and with a wild leap
landed upon Smiths bundle.
excuse me. now" he apologized struggling
heroically to rise. II hope | didn't do some
harms"
Il hope you didn't" said Smith: but there
Isn't any armor plate on that package"
He picked 1t up and looked at 1t with con-
bern Under the weight OF the fat German 1t
had assumed a still more astonishing shape
than before but It hung stoutly together
though the Italian paper thrust forth its head
lines prominently into view. As Smith set It
down reddish spot appeared at one corner.
ginning TO oozs through, This he didn't see
but he did see an elderly woman who sat across
re aisle leap forward. look tntently at the bun
someth ing to the man next to her.
No said tho man In tones OF incredulous
d dare" II ''n possible he wouldn't
Then he too bent forward and bestowed a
That naturally caused everybody else In tho
car TO get Interested. and for the next few
s%s lie ssnsd 9 at sPR Re
man 6 aot ross the way who had expressed tho
MIND S st Sat II +. up
became obviously uneasy at the scrutiny and
ofriqial iTalked slowly up. tho aisle looking
s seen 0a anythns ike h. 3 RsS pSUS
sbiy he r never bad; but Smith began to
destroy somebody; The elderly woman en- NJ
hastily moved down into the corner whence she
Ing devslopment.. he decided to isncrs the the
mantestetions of interest and retired behind
that came to his ears from his fellow pas
forcibly was a suggestion from big man in
the corner that i was case for the police.
lectured that his bundle was regarded as the
booty Of some successful robbery. Amoment
, ,nter ms theory was dlSpeled by the conversa-
that nat, were plainly audible to him.
b Ia too much OF a hurry"
.."Everyt.hing points to him. Look at the
And the manila wrapping paper around it,"
,h .Ys.; and tn: copy ofths Italian newspaper.
I'VE might make rush at him all at once"
., Probably he's armed: such desperate
oh. don have fight or shall faint" This
from the elderly woman.l
n. I%n Want any row on my ear" This
man IL have him get on the car and go on
oyer Iin and If he wants to arrest the man, that's
That's the head. sure enough. That point
sti.Hklng out there ia the nose most likely"
middle Of the Bridge "'''' ''' " '"'
ss sSch i norrHS to be right in the same car
awake. Then he began to think very delib.r-
mind. with the result of reaching tho conclu-
zion that II he was no was the only man OF his
man who sat about yard away from HIM on
the SANE side OF the car had been, edgns up
EIh|udlIE anu now ne thrust tOrtn his hand
and touched the package. Drawing his hand
back he proclaimed loudly:
ITS blood "
There WAS a reddish purple stain on his I'm
gers SMITH first thought was that there must
have been cen pin concealed in the bundle upon
which the TAT German had punctured himself
when he landed inopportunely This was
swallowed IN in wrath al the action and tone
OF the man who had made the announcement
what business is. it Of yours" he de-
manded. turning upon the man So savag"Iy
that that individual almos, fel ont of the door,
business stammereh the man Bust
ness Why -whY-why it's every mans bust
ness"
SO IL appears. respOndei Smith, grImlv. 1T
VIII be very unpleasant and Improbable bust
ness Tor some men II it goes a little farther"
Al THIS announcement there was a general
EWnyinG toward the door and the conductor
leaned out from the platform and looked
anXously mp along thu roadway. smith At
once furious. astOundsd and "A little alarmed,
picked ny the package to see II any solution OF
the problem WAS TO be found there and saw the
stain, '''
g., SO YOU thing that. blood" he said. sneer-
Al this point the German. who had been alb
eorbed IN German evening paper at the FUR
ther end OF the car. took hand in the proceed
inEs lie looked a. the package. then At
Smith. then Al the package again and his ewes