The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-10
Tragic Death of William SmaIe,
harveyville Farmer.
Assassin Fired Through the
Kitchen Window.
USED A SHOT GUN.
Was Loaded With
Goose Shot.
Cut Telephone Wires Before He
Committed Deed.
Blood Hounds Put ON the Trail
This Morning.

William Smale, a farmer living five
miles north of Harveyville. was MUIR
dered last night at S:15 by an unknown
person. The murder was cold -blooded,
and fully presneditated. Mr.. Smale was
sitting in his kitchen with his family
around him when the assassin sneaked
up to a window and shot him in the
back of the head At the discharge OF
the gun Mr.. Smale fell forward. and
died in a few minutes. The shot was
fired from shotgun at short range
tearing out pane of glass in the wins
dow.
Twenty-six goose shot struck Mr..
Smale in the back of the head and neck.
The murderer evidently held the gun
close to the window to make sure OF
killing his victim. After the shooting
the family, consisting of AIRS. Smale and
five children, tried to revive the dying
man, but he was unable to speak, and
died in few minutes. Members of the
family hurried over to the home of Mr.
William Pringle, Just across the road
from the Smale home. and Mr.. Pringie
attempted to telephone to Harveyvilie
for a physician. The phone failed to
work, and he at once sent a messengers
on horseback to the town. who telephone
ed the news to Sheriff Fred Freye at.
Alma. The sheriff CHANGED to be in To-
pelxa on business. and his deputy at
once notified him, giving what part1cu-
lars he could get Freye attempted to
call up Mr.. Pringle at Harveyville. but
could not get response The cause OF
the failure of Mr.. Pringle's telephone to-
work was discovered at daylight this
morning, when it was ascertained that
the wires leading to the Harveyvil1e
central had been cut, presumably by the
assassin, who took that precaution
against capture. Before leaving Topeka
last night Sheriff Freye sent to Manhat-
tan for two bloodhounds and their keep
| err He told him to come to Topeka on
an early morning train, and go to Bur-
/ Hngane, the nearest point on the Santa
Fe main line. on the. fast mail. Later
| he discovered that the fast mail, the
/ only train with which they could connect
would not stop at Burlingame under
any circumstances, so the order was
changed. and the dogs were brought to
| Maple Hill, on the Rock Island. and then
taken a 20 mile drive across a very
rough country to the scene of the trag-
edy The posse and bloodhoundS arrived
at Mr. PringIe's place at Sis this morn.
ing, and after a feed and few minutes
rest, were put on the trail.
William Smale, the murdered man.
was farmer in comfortable circum-
stances. who was not known to have
any enemies. Sheriff Freye said last
night that he was at loss about plac-
| ing a suspicion. He is we'll satisfied
that the motive was not robbery. as
the murderer made no attempt to
enter the house or injure the rest OF
the family.
The only suspicion in the minds of
any of the neighDors who know any,
thing about the family affairs of Mr.
Sma1e points to SOn-in-law, Ed
Theft Not long ago Mr. Snlale's eld-
est daughter, who was a student at an
Emporia school, married against the
wishes of her parents. and later sepa-
rated from her husband at the instiga-
| ton of her parents and came home.
She was present at the time of her
fathers death.
At the coroner's inquest, which was
held at a late hour last night, It was
found that William Smale came to his
death as the result of q gunshot wound
in the back of the head, said shot be-
ing fired by some person unknown
The son-in-law. Ed Theft. who is un-
| der some suspicion, lives on an adioin-
ing farm, tfree-quarters of a mile
south of the Smale home.
At $50 this morning the bloodhounds
had been taken to the scene of the
murder and were trying to pick up the
trail It was feared that the trail had
by people who came to the house after
I the tragedy.
BLOODHOUNDS FAILED.
1 At 1 o'clock today it wac reported
| from Harveyville that the sheriff's
possa was still at work on the Sn1ale
murder case. but had accomplished
nothing. The bloodhounds brought
from Manhattan seemed to be unable
to pick up the trail of the murderer.
At that hour no arrests had been
ipoado