The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-12
TO ARREST WIDOW.
New Turn in the SmaIe Murder
Case.

In connection with the murder of Will
liam Smale, of Harveyville, which oc-
CURED Monday night, two additional ar
rests win be made. Ed Chef and his
father, Charles Chelf, were arrested
Tuesday, and on suspicious raised by
the inquest Tuesday night William Ov-
erman, farmer living near the Smales,
was arrested Wednesday. 1t is stated on
good authority that Mrs. Mary L. Smale,
widow of the murdered man, will be ar
rested after the funeral today. The sus-
piciOn against all parties is very strong,
and trouble is feared from the enraged
citizens of the neighbOrhOod All four
of the suspects will be held for the pre-
liminary examination which will be held
at HarveyVille at l o'clock Friday after
noon.
Some sensat ional testimony came out
at the inquest, which shows that the
Smale, Chelf and Overman families were
( in state of open war. William Pringle
and others testified that Overman had
threatened to shoot Smale. and kept
gun loaded, presumably for that pur-
pose. Two of Overman's hired men t'7s-
titled that he had hired them to watch
for Smale, whom he evidently expected
to catch prowling around his premises
at night Overman was put on the stand
and admitted making the threat, but
claimed that he had removed half the
powder from the shotgun shells with
which his gun was loaded, and only in
tended to give the doctors little job
! if he cOught Smale about his house. Mrs.
Smale testified that her husband had
J told her of Overman's threats.
Ed Chelf was put on the stand but
| refused to answer any questions. refer
/ ring the coroners to his attorney, Judge
1 William Thompson.
1t is said that the sheriff found a gun
and some shells loaded with the same
1 size of shot which killed Smale, in Ed
/ Chelf's room. Sheriff Freye, who was in
Topeka last night,refused to corroborate
this story.
The suspicion against Mrs. Smale,
widow of tie murdered man, is based
on information which the officials re-
fuse to divulge in full. This that she
frequently quarreled with her husband,
and about year ago she left her hus-
band and demanded a division of the
property. He refused to divide, and
finding that she could get nothing, she
returned to him. She was a hired girl
in tile Smale family a number of years
ago when the first Mrs. Smale died
under peculiar circumstances. Some
suspicion was directed at the hired girl
at the time, but nothing was ever
proven, and Smale soon married her
She was a member of the McKelvey
family. which bore q very unsavory
reputation. Her father, who was .
veteran of the civil war. went to Lant
county, and a report of his death fol
lowed The widow secured pensions
for herself and children, but soon after
securing the pension a uOuDl DIS " MI
KelVey'S death was raised. The grave
in Lane county was opened, and foune
to contain nothing but a coffin filled
with rocks. The pension was revoked
but NcKelvey never materiaized- SooI
latter the exposure Mrs. Mckelvey dis
appeared from the neighborhood O
Harveyville, leaving number of bat
debts and heavy mortgages. After tina
the remaining members of the family
with the exception of Mary McKelvey
the present Mrs Smale, also left tn
fcountry.
Mrs. Smale was also suspected o
: either causing or fastening the dealt
of her step-son, who died while sne wa
! alone with him in the house. This wa
: followed later by the suspicious deaf
( of a little daughter. All these past cir
5 cumstances, coupled with the fact tina
Mrs Smale was on bad terms with he
: husband, were taken into considerable
when the coroner's jury recommends
her arrest.