New-York tribune., 1907-11-24
FIRE REVEALS MURDER
Continued from first page.

married. According to her story as believed in
Nev Rochelle heT first husband was Mr. Won
schaacG member of a rich New York family.
Ne is + ID TO have been worth So 2OOOO0O A4te-
his death. goes this story. she married a DR.
r7o,-rt Acton. a physician on Blackwelrs Island
He died nine months later. after losing a large
mart Of her fortune. The widow following the
death of her second husband decided she said
% devote her life TO charity and with this end
in view obtained a position as nurse in the
citv Hospital on BlackwelTs Island It was
rbie she yas acting as nurse that she met
Mr. smith. According to report in New Ro-
,bare yesterday she described this marriage as
a business match"
The couple after their marriage last March
came to New Rochelle. whe they leased the
former home of John Healy New York fur
rit,I-e dealer. The house is one of the finest
N Residence Park and they spent ST., 900 in 1T
ting it up They associated very little with
the neighbors, as most of their time was spent
eoing about in their touring car. which was
one Of the largest in town.
INSANITY THE THEORY
Friends of the couple when seen yesterday said
that they had lived happily since their marriage
and that there absolutely apparent rea-
son for the tragedy either because Of matri-
Mrs. Smith had been confined at various times in
institutions for the insane and that she was at
cne time in the reception ward at Bellevue Hos
pital
chief Timmons of the New Rochelle police
said that he had every reason to believe that
Mrs Smith was suffering from temporary in
sanity when she killed her husband The chief
has learned from the neighbors that on several
occasions Mrs. Smith had conducted herself in
g manner which had led to doubts to her
sanity. She had frequently suffered from mel
anchola and had urged her husband TO return
10 New York. This he was reluctant 70 do be-
cause he had the house under a two years
lease. At last Mr. Smith visited his landlord.
Charles I Scott. Of No. % Broad street. this
city few days ago and asked If there was
not some way by which he could sublet the
lease. as his wife dissatisfied with New Ro-
chele and wanted to get back TO the city.
There was a report in New Rochelle yester-
day that the couple had quarrelled the even
ing of the murder this subject. but the SER
wants say that If there was any trouble they did
not hear it. They told Chief Timmons that Mr..
and Mrs Smith retired to their rooms at about
9 o'clock and no sound was heard after that.
The servants knew nothing OF the shooting
until they had been carried out OF the burning
building by the fremen. When the fremen
were burglars. and fought them desperately all
the way downstairs
The damage TO the house by the fire amounted
to about $1,000. while most OF the furnishings.
consisting Of paintings. costly rugs. furniture
and bric-a-brac were ruined.
NOT FoREwARNED OF DEATH.
That Mr.. Smith had no intimation Of his death
IS shown by the fact that only few days ago
he took his automobile TO a local garage, where
he contracted for S1.7O0 worth of repairs to be
made to it. and on the night OF his death he
brought new tire to New Rochelle. which was
found in the anteroom to his bed chamber.
His body claimed by his brother S. K.
Smith. who will have it sent TO Baltimore to-
day for burial, Mrs. Smiths body had not been
claimed by relatives at late hour last night,
but IT was said that it would be sent to Hart
ford. Conn.
Mrs. Smith had jewelry worth several thou
sand dollars. and this was all turned over by the
coroner TO Mr. Smiths brother.
A member Of the firm Of Frederick Victor
AcheIis. with which Mr.. Smith was connected,
said: This whole matter is a great shock to me
personally and to US all here Mr.. Smith was
down here yesterday, and in his usual good
spirits. He Of the most energetic and
level headed Of fellows, and it is hard for me to
imagine that IT could be possible that both
we're murdered.
ITO his energy a good part Of the success OF
this firm is due. He never showed any symptom
Of nervous trouble. and far here know
lived very happily with his wife.
Another thing which makes US here doubt
the murder and suicide theory is that the last
thing the dead man said when he left the office
last night was: I will be down little earlier
than usual in the morning. to attend TO coupls
OF customers before noon time"