Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-01-05

but exactly what they were,
They made inquiries regarding the H.
cation of the skating rink and shortly
afterWard both went up town.
The men met with the owner Of the
rink and made such arrangements as
were necessary and soon the town was
flooded with hand bills announcing
that the celebrated Smith Brothers,
recently from New York, would present
to the people of Miles City a series of
nights. VIII &C
The Smith brothers proved that they
were really fine roller skaters and
moves on the rollers. Two Of their most
spectacular feats were Frank Smith
skating three times around the hall
noldlng Al standing erect on his stoul-
ders. The other was the skating of Al
on stills of the different heights of
TOUR and six feet. They exhibited a
pair of stills eight feet high, but could
not use them because the ceiling of the
rink was too low.
Inc 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
arrangements with Russell whereby they
took over control of the floor and made
ready Tor a series of entertainments
for the winter.
But the red lights Of Miles CITY at
tracted the Smith brothers as we'll as
the white lights of decent society and
they began to put in much of their
red light district
On Cbrict a,-a ,oor
celebrated. At the churches in the
homes, and in fact almost everywhere
coulo 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
me street at Main and Fifth, Louis
khlng, town marshal, came running up
come S on kid Hf need xo and ,.S said
a row at y "a resort on Fifth street,
ana there has been some Shooting"
l followed him down the street, list
as we got abreast of a place known
as Emma the Blondes" on the corner
OF Bridge and Fifth street, we heard
shot from the house followed bv
Woman's scream.
King stopped and said: "Mavbe ve
mad better look into this first" He
opened the door and we entered with
reviewers in our hands. At the end
OF a short hall we could see a lighf
through the transom and could hear
tne SOUNDS OF woman crying and
You've killed Al" We could also hear
a sound as though someone was NOV
ing about in the room. King tried the
door but it was locked. Just then the
woman screamed again and said:
Ront shoot, Frank, don't shoot"
ao we tnrew our combined weights
and we literally fell into the fa'e room SaS
There we saw Frank Smith, fully
dressed, reeling around the room way
ing cooked revolver around his head
and mumbling unintelligibly to him
sen: On bed lay Al Smith in his
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
screamed again and tainted.
We, grappled with Smith and dis
armed him but not before he had
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 a cowboy named
1soAS wiz oootQ JuSI OuISlQe ana UOlO
MIN to go to Savages drug store and
rouse DR.. Redd the coroner. To me, he
said: kid take charge here till Doc
or or, get here. will take Smith to the
The coroner impaneled a fury from
the crowd on the outside of the build
ing and proceeded to hold an inves-
The coroner's jury deliberated a few
minutes and brought in a verdict that
Al Smith had been killed by a bullet
fred by Frank Smith and recommend
ed that Frank Smith be held in Gus
tody to await the action of the grand
jury.
Early on the morning of Dec. 26, it
was reported that Emma the Blonde
had taken a dose Of poison the night
before and was dead.
=, During, the early afternoon Of Dec
~, Frank Smith at the county Jail
came out Of his deathlike stupor.
jail, amt itP Where is AIP Did we
KICK up any fuss last night2 I hope
When he was told of what had hap
pened, he tainted, and when he re-
gained consciousness, cried like a child
to the coroner and the sheriff, he re.
place.
The grand Jury convened early In
January and Smith was indicted for
manslaughter. His mother came from
Smith was tried In the district court
at Miles City in March, 1888. Diff
Guilty was experienced In securing a
jury to pass on his case and q special
ventre had to be issued before the
required II jurymen could be secured
tired. and in a Short while arrived at al
2 verdict Of not guilty, and Frank
Smith was released. He and his moth
er left Miles City the next day for
Chicago.
A letter from her two years later
sssid ffank bad died e short while be-