The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-17
CRUSHED BY SANDER,
Pretty "PO1Iy" Smith and the Cruel
story About Her.
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
No matter how painfully death may
have, come to Mary Condit Smith. the
pretty Washington girl who. it is now
| almost certain. was murdered by Box
ers, it was sweet to the living death
she was suffering. The Chinese may
have visited dreadful tortures upon her.
Yet death in any form to her was re-
lief for Mary Condit Smith was mar
tyr to Washington scandal mongers, and
was literally driven to her death by ma
licious gossip.
Mary Condt Smith died in trying to
live down and forget that she had been
accused of theft. No more innocent. no
purer girl ever lived than she Vet she
was no proof against scandal and gossip,
and, horror-stricken, ashamed, cowed
she sought to forget by travelling from
one end of the earth to the other
II was in Pittsburg that the seed of
scandal that led to Miss Condit Smiths
murder was planted. In Washington she
was known as Polly" Smith There she
was loved Women cared for her be-
cause she was sincere and sensible; men
were fond of her because she was pretty
ard always agreeable. She was a laugh
ing, lisht-hearted girl, welcomed every
where
From every side came invitations for
Polly Smith. She was sought a. the
White House, at official entertainments
at private houses. In fact it may be said
that no girl in Washington society had
more invitations or was more popular
than Miss Polly"
That Fated House Party.
When the invitation came for her to
attend house party given by her
wealthy friends, the Moorheads at No
9-S Ride avenue, Allegheny City, last
fall she accepted Washington was gay
enough at the time but particular
friends of hers were giving the house
party. and she hated to disappoint them.
1t was a gay house party they had in
Pittsburg. Polly Smith was the gay
est of all, and when the time came for
everybody to go home she was the best
liked of all the guests. No one deni led
that She had been the life of the party,
and that without her things would have
fallen fiat.
1t was after the house party had brok-
en- up that the scandal took root The
hostess had missed jewery to the value
Of more than $1,000. Her guests were all
persons of the highest standing and of
unimpeachable character She called in
detectives and told them their names.
She at that time suspected no one of
having taken her Jewels who was num-
bered among her guests. But the police
are not respectors of family pride and
family names. so the detectives began to
search for the jewels among the guests
at the house.
The superintendent of Pittsburg detec-
tives. John Glenn. undertook the case, as
the stolen jewels had been a wedding
present to his bride from Mr.. Moorhead
and aside from the intrinsic value, about
$500, were more precious TO Mrs Moor
head than any money. The eight servants
in the family were after most careful
investigation relieved of suspicion.
Many other detectives were employed.
and 1t was through New York jeweler.
to whom some unset diamonds were sent
for resetting, that the first clue 90 the
lost gems was received. Whoever stole
the Moorhead diamonds had pried the
Jewels out of their setting and then en-
deavored 20 have them set in new fash
ion so that they could never be recog-
nizcd. Money, then, was not the motive
Of the robbery.
This gave 10 Washington detectives the
first clue to the Moorheads guests. Mr..
and Mrs. Moorhead could not be made tn
believe in the guilt of any of them, but
a Washington detective, following descrip-
lions and circumstantial evidence finally
convinced the Moorheads that the thief
| actually was Miss Condit-Smith the ac-
complished and lovely girl whose talent
and popularity made her welcome every
where and who had repeatedly enjoved
the honor OF receiving side by side with
! Mrs. Mckinley in the White House. OF
course the Moorheads refused to make the
Washington detectives story public, bur
| equally OF course II leaked out in that ex-
elusive set in which the young girl
moved
The story went from mouth TO mouth.