, 1866-05-25
THE GAEEOwsi
CONFESSION or THOMAS SMITH,
Murderer Of his Brother and Wife !
ALBANY, OREGON, MAY 10Th, 1866.

The Democrat gives the following confession
of Thos. Smith, who was hung at Albany, Linn
county, Oregon, on the 10th inst, for the double
murder of his brother and bis brothers wife
The execution attracted an immense throng, es-
timated at four or FIVE thousand persons. On
the scaffOld the med man exhibited great
nJrve, and passed through the trying ordeal with
astonishing 6rmness. His confession as given
below was made whilst confined in Jail awaiting
executions
was born in the year 1898, in the State of
North Carolina When was nine years old my
mother died, and father moved his family to
Tennessee, where be remained about one wear,
and then moved out west and settled near Troy
Missouri. Left without mother, though having
kina and lndulgent father, and kind brothers
ana SISTERS, /, while yet young, formed a desire
| iOr travelling, wild company, and vices which
nave at last brought my ruin. cannot remem-
Der when the time that had not an almost
UNCOVER desire to travel. In the course of
events at last came out to California and upon
my arrival, being fortunate, was enabled to live
A.h'e congenial to my taste, and formed friends
ainongs all classes Of vicious and desperate men.
| Ivy lIe has always been a discOntented and mis-
cradle one. Anxiety and melancholy have been
my constant companions for many years After
rowing through California for several years
concluded to try Oregon, and if it suited would
settle there. This was in the year of 1861. Sid.
ney was living in Marion county, on a farm, at
that time After remaining there a short time,
became dissatisfied and concluded to try the
mines again, and at once made an outfit and star
ted to the Idaho mines. This was in the fall Of
| 1861.
From the time got into the mines until re-
turned, led rather wild and reckless life
And while writing at this point wish to correct
report that | have heard during my confiue-
ment here. The report is that murdered two
or three meD while in Idaho. Now, wish to
say that, as God is my judge, never murdered
an individual while in Idaho. Tue report was
gotten up by some person of vivid imagination
as compliment to me suppose. | returned TO
Oregon again for the last time, in the summer of
1864, and rs before stopped with my brother
lie and his wife urged me to try and content my
self foreman with them for a while and he
Said if would make my home there he would
give me an interest in the stock that | might
conclude TO settle.
Sidney Mt that time thought of going to the
mIres III Idaho, and afterwards made up his mind
ana did 90. lie left the farm, stock and family
under my care. The agreement between US was
lhat WAS to remain on the place, keep it in good
repair, see to the stock and take care of The
family during his absence promised to do this
and Sidney had, think, confidence in me. q I,
that l could have but luleu dead then and there
-Gr even that my brother could have seen the mon
ster lurking in my breast fJr. it WAS. thea that
first determined to CRAFTY my passion.
We frequently received letters from sidney so
that WAS enabled to keep pretty well Informed
in regard TO his movements and intentions { |
wall state that Sidney and his wife were, SO far
as know, on the very best terms, and did not
quarrel but at all times treated each other with
the respect due from each other. They never to
; my knowledge, used hard words to each other. J
, We, at home continued to be on good terms un
til abont the middle of November last, when TWO
or more reports were put in circulation through
the neighboThood implicatiEg myself and my
brothers Oldest daughter, then just Is years OF
age. The reports were continually spreading,
and growing to greater magnitude. | did all that
| could to suppress it, and if possible keep it
from the ears Of the Aother and relatives of the
family, but without effect and in Il short time
afterwards | found that the girl had been an
preached on the subject. Barbara (Sidney S
wIfe) continued to hear more of it, and one even
ing threatened me that she would write to Sid.
ney and give lin all the facts, and that be would
not stand it. ] answered her, that if she did
would kill her; she thought that would kill
her if she mentioned her suspicious to any one,
and am now certain that she did not write u
my brother Sidney, nor speak of the matter to
any one for mouth after that time She did
at last write to Sidney, but be did not get her
4 letter. He got home think, about the middle
OF JduuhTy. lie was S0OTLly afterwards Inform.
!. ed of some of the circumstances, though did
l. not think that his wife had toldNhim anything
e as she feared that would put my threat into ex
ecuton, and had firmly determined to do so il
she had done it. ! remained at his house some
time after he came. Nothing was said to me
about the affair" at that time but sdV thai
there rouLd soon be trouble, and concluded to try
n and settle my affairs and get away as soon a:
: | could possibly do'so. ] had bought some cat
tie in the country, and Sidney and comenced
then to get them home. After we had been en-
a z ged ut it for several days, Sidney asked me i
the reports he had been hearing in the neighbor
hood were true. denied everything, and ask
ed him if Barbara or Annie had told him suct
things. He looked troubled and uneasy, and
then knew that trouble was beginning to brew
Nothing more was said about the matter for ove
a week, when he came 10 me at the barn one day
and told me that had ruined his family, ant
IS that he would make me suffer for it, He told mt
d that the girl had partially confessed the matte
to him. and had told the whole thing to her moth
er. l told him that did not believe that sh
d would say such thing before me. Several time
after that we met away from the house and talk
E. ed it over. l had gone to attend some buslnes
in the neighbOrhood and was returning to Ken
nedy's (where had been stopping few days,
! on the 9th of March, when met Sidney IL
was very much excited, and told me that b
now wanted to know something about 'thi
. matter the people were talking about" and tina
be wanted me to go right to the house with hin
and settle the matter. He informed me tina
Rhoda had confessed the whole matter to him
aud that she would not deny it befure me. SOM
other conversation passed between US which i
not proper to publish. He also accused me O
squanderiug his property. We iualy agreed t
meet at his house the next morning, aud the
separated. had determined, four days befor
this, that would kill Sidney and Barbara. Him
because thought he wonld kill me; and her
because she had told Sidney and besides, I d
Id not wish the matter to go any further, as l WA
1e tired of hearing it. He had told that shoul
leave the country and that il did not go b
would kill mel / was determined to not b
= driven of, but would have gone if | had ha
time 10 dispose of my cattle.