The Chief

In 1959, two years after federal troops were sent into Little Rock to quell rioters, another racist mob marched down Little Rock's 14th Street bent on creating new troubles for tempest-tossed school authorities and the Negro children who were again trying to enter Central High School. This riot never came off, and one of the main reasons was the presence of a big (6 ft. 2 1/2 in., 213 Ibs.) cop named Eugene Smith (TIME. Aug. 24). Police Chief Smith and his squads were ready for the mob leaders, picked them out one by one and sent them off to jail in paddy wagons. Amid cries of "Nigger lover!'' and "Coward!" Gene Smith, who never bothered about philosophizing on segregation issues but merely prided himself on being a tough law-enforcement man, handled the explosive situation calmly, finally stopped the mobs with fire hoses. Many people never forgave Smith for his stand.

Gene Smith had more important problems than the loss of friends over a public issue: he had family problems. Only last week, his 20-year-old son Raymond, a student at Harding College, pleaded guilty to a burglary charge, got off with a $250 fine and a two-year suspended sentence. And only a few close friends knew that Smith and his wife had been quarreling for a long time (though nobody seemed to know quite why).

Last week, a day after his son was released by the court. Gene Smith and his wife were found dead in their home. Between their bodies was a .357-cal. Magnum. Smith's friends from headquarters said he had killed his wife, then himself.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.