New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-09-08

tho a,roc;ous murder OF the whole family Oh
Mr.. Smith. is proceeding at Riverhead, =. !;
and as il is of considerable importance and pos
sesses deep interest, at least to many OF our feao-
orc we publish the following full summary OF the
proceedings embodied in the letter OF our cores
Ee'''0'-i' Correspondence Of The Tribune
RiyERIlEAp, L. !. Sept. :, 1913
Tho case of Miller VS.. Griswold S"as brought
to a premature termination yesterday by Inc
INDIE ordering the Plaintiff to be nonsnted. lbs
Honor Judge Ruggles then took recess until
after dinner. and on the re-assembiing OF the
Court and Jurors, the prisoner, Antoine 'iesief'
vbo is charged with the murder OF the Smith
family. was put to the bar. He maintained the
same appearance OF composurc, and almost Piacio
Indifference, which noticed as his chlei charac-
ter;stic when saw him first in the jail. There
apDeared to be strong feeling against HIM on the
minds OF most of the Jurors particularly on those
summoned from the vicinity OF the murder, many
Of whom did not hesitate to inform the Counsel
that thew believed the man guilty. vi course
all the Jurors from that part OF the County were
challenged, either for cause or peremptorlly. lhe
Jurors selected were chiefly from this town OF
from the South side OF the Island. During the
selection of the Jurors who were to decide on his
fate, the prisoner manifested no EMOTION oul It
pardcd each man as he came up to the STAND
with look of calmncss and penetration "fhch
might be presumed to be inconsistent WIN ''i'
oult OF murder on his head.
The case was then opened by MIR. Sherry, DIS
,rict Attorney, who minutcly went over each tact
and circumstance which he expected to prove
The Counsel for the prisoner are MessFs' Joa-
cbism of your City, Mr.. Grltien OF kiverheao'
and Mr.. Buffet of Huntington.
The following was then adduccd on the part
of the prosecution =
GeorGe Weeks, cxamined.-On the 18th OF Nov
lived a; Olded this county about quarter oil rle
from the house Of Alexander Smith, saw the deceased u
before dark on Saturday previous; the family CONSISTED
Of Mr. and Mrs Smith the prisoner and the servant g
the r went home her mother on The SATURDAY. morn
inc; the old people left alone when left as the pms
one home with TO get an onion Tor MIS- ''n''
worked with the prisoner bu, could understand What ne
said at the time speak Of the prisoner had been there
about Is days. he appeared De well satisfied WIN his
n,ca and the old people treated him kindly; went agai
IN ir Lo,sa about five minute. after sunrise Alond2!
previously been the lot and drove the horses up
ran heard the dog bark he shut up III The SHOP aHI
had got his nose through hole he had gnawed III the doo
THIS d was usually kept in the room with the old mar
which the southeast corner OF the house; Mf' smith
slept alone bnt always had the dog with hun; 1t was large
,ty dog but don't know of what breed; when looked
towards the house saw the window was broken out
and saw the old had not been in od the whole sash
was broken OUT did any mark the cellar door, at
lie front stoop OF b. the side powder caals.ei
steot off the door soop the old woman lying on
he floor so took the powder canister and started and
ran on the way dTopt the powder canister ana ran
home and told my wife; | next went and 'od Mr. Sci
c we went back the house together and on the way TOOK
,cL rho canister 10 the house and waited until Other
persons came. After that went into the house ana Sd"
thai both Nh and Mrs Smith had been murdered, and that
the old man was pretty nearly burnt up His head lay Just
5eore the hea lower e1tremitles up to the waist were
ali burnt up The old man in the habit OF sitting al
h with oua foot the and the other the notch
If h crane and he was very owsy that time He was
,a,,r feeble aud used TWO walk about with The
aid lady Law between the body Of the old and the wiz
dow Blood the floor in two places beside the place
where she law The bodies lay in the position when The
Coroner came In thu room where the old usually slept
we found the hammers lay chest IN the roon but was
usually kept the back shop where the dos was found
rThe hammer here produced and identified II IS a
heavy hammer with short handle suc DIS IS uSeu ny oaeA
smiths and stone masons
The bed in the old mans did not appear TO have
been s!ept in but desk which stood there had been broke
The prisoners room up stairs, but do not remember
If lis bed had been slept We found there stock, pair
Of socks and ,obacco.box also, book OF some kind
Those belonged the prisoner did not see him
! again until saw him at Harrington.
Cross.e1Gmined-Wen up the prisoners room 10 see
81. h., hyot. f,unl sfaI WAS
Ouch tracts tIs ,obaccobox had belonged to Inc and
swapped with him for bis about five six days before
do ut know whom the powder canister belonged new
er saw il in Smiths house. never the prisoner have
any money; he very poor hen he 10 M! Smith,
used 20 visit Nh Smith Sunday, but did not so the
day the murder committed. have his family Wis
ting him OF SUNDAY; they generally used 10 do
know any watch and deeds, pats Of papers were
found Mr.. Smiths body
"A deposition made by the witness before the Justice
| neie shown 10 HIM and admitted 10 BE- his
CrosseramiiledlIay stated that the shirt obac-
co box sc. found in Geslers days after
the murder; have not stated that did not the powder
canister At first.
Joseph H. Ray, N. d., examined-I saw tho
deceased the Monday morning the murder between
AID o'clock; the Coroner aer arrived; thu
body Of the old gentleman lying the hearth his
upwards and the eStrem:ies burnt; could discover very
an outline 81 th- part oil the body which was burnt
quite up the chest, that could recognize the
parts; the head had three wounds it, and OF them
! through the cartilage of the right ear
The here stated that he had plaster cast Of the
head which would give clear idea OF the wounds, if the
Court would permit him produce Judge Ru-ges said
that unless II was made point the he thought the
witness could describe it..
Examination restaed-The.e were other wounds al the
back Of which had driven the hair into the head and
wounded the brain; was rough ncson blended with
bruse should think done by blun edged Instrument.
there another wound the top Of the head of abou,
nch and half ength the wounds could not have been