Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-01-06

recently from New York, would present
to the people of Miles City a series Of
exhibitions in roller skating for three
nights.
The Smith brothers proved that they
we're really fine roller skaters ano
showed the people many intricate
moves on the rollers. Two of their most
spectacular featS were Frank Smith
skating three times around the hall
holding AL standing erect on his Shout
ders. The other was the skating of AL
on stills of the different heights OF
four and six feet. They exhibited a
not use them because the ceiling Of the
rink was too low.
The brothers captured the hearts of
Miles City's skating public and that
meant almost everyone In town, and
when their three nights entertainment
was finished they were asked to stay
longer. They agreed to do so and made
arrangements with Russell whereby they
took over control of the floor and made
ready for a series of entertainments
for the winter
But the red lights of Miles City at
tracted the Smith brothers as well as
the white lights of decent society ana
they began to put in much Of their
spare time among the residents of the
red light district.
On Christmas eve, 1885, Miles City
celebrated. At the churches, in the
homes, and in fact almost everywhere
could be seen Christmas trees decked
out in lights and tinsel.
About $50 Christmas morning, the
writer was on his way home from a
Christmas dance. AS he was crossing
the street at Main and Fifth, Louis
King, town marshal, came running up
Main street. He stopped and said:
Come on Kid. I need you. There is
a row at 81 "a resort on Fifth street,
and there has been some shooting 4"
I followed him down the street. Just
as we got abreast of a place known
as Emma the Blondes" on the corner
of Bridge and Fifth street, we heard
a shot from the house followed by a
woman'S scream.
King stopped and said: Maybe we
had better look into this first" He
opened the door and we entered with
revolverS in our hands. At the end
Of a short hall we could see light
through the transom and could hear
the sounds of a woman crying and
saying: What have you done, Frank.
You've killed AL" We could also hear
q sound as though someone was NOV
ing about in the room. King tried the
door but it was locked. Just then the
screamed again and said:
Don't shoot, Frank, don't shootl"
We threw our combined weights
against the door. The lock gave way
and we literally fell into the room.
There we saw Frank Smith, fully
dressed, reeling around the room wav-
ing q cooked revolver around his head
and mumbling unintelligibly to him
self On bed lay Al Smith in his
night clothes which were stained with
blood as were the sheets.
In the corner at the foot of the bed
crouched Emma Richmond, Emma the
Blonde" AT our abrupt entrance she
again and tainted.
We grappled with Smith and dis
armed him but not before he had
pulled the trigger of the revolver again.
The bullet went into the ceiling. He
made no resistance.
BY this time every inmate of the
place was up and crowded into the
hall and a crowd had gathered out
side. King called to cowboy named
Rolfe who stood just outside and told
aim to go to SavageS drug store and
'ouse DR.. Redd the coroner. To me, he