The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-26
From the Washington Star.
The SmOOt HomicIde-The Accused
before Judge Wylie OF Habeas Cor.
Dns.

| puA.
This morning the hearing before Judge wy
lie OF the case of Henry johnson on a writ OF
Court room.
The first witness called was Mrs. Jane +.
Dorsey, who testified hat she boards at Mrs.
Sawyers Tin whose house the homicide took
place. Had very little acquaintance with
Smoot, but had known him from four 10 six
months. Mrs. Johnson brought him TO the
house and introduced him as her husband.
They took n room therc--a very small one.
They lived In IL as man and wife. She came
thcre Two or three times every week, and some
times in the daytime. Smoot lived there con.
stantly, but usually went TO Alexandria on
Saturdays. Witness saw the accused on the
day OF the homicide go in the room and shut
The door, and heard the report of a pistol.
Mrs, Johnson came down In the dining-room
where witness was, And said that her hUs-
band had shot this one. Saw the body Of
Smoot after the jury was over there was no
coat or vest on. Johnson looked pleased Us
he went to the room. Witness was in an ad.
joining room, and she remarked that Mr.. and
Mrs. Johnson had COMPANY.
by the Court The deceased passed rs Mr..
Johnson. The accused did not speak TO wit.
ness ne went In without knocking. The
shots wer" not fired Immediately, but In from
three 10 four minutes witness could not say
that they We're on the bed Mrs. Johnson had
been ten or fifteen minutes in the room, and
deceased had been there all the morning; Mrs.
Johnson got the marketing sometimes she
would stay three days and nights at a time
this continued until about two months ago
laiterly she mad been in the habit Cf coming
and staying from two to four hours.
MIS-. RcbCCCa Sawyer: Witness knew the
deceased as Mr.. Johnson first met him in
Alexandria in the latter part of October.
Mrs. Johnson came 10 her house and asked
her TO 90 10 the courthouse, and
asked her TO 20 to Alexandria and take a note,
saying that she was sick and she wanted to
see MIN. went to SmOots tannery, and saw
1 FlLa -4.,.,aal A1ru h,g1 ,.s., lAN.~, stt
her she had not engaged board at that time.
Tn" deceased said that ne would answer the
letter IN person. A short time afterwards
they engaged board. SmOOt opened the let
ter, and witness said that her husband opened
the letter, when Mrs. j. said, oh, it's the same;
he i doing business for the brother-in-law.
SmOOt was introduced By the name OF John
son, and witness never knew him by any
other name until after h was shot. Witness
here described the situation of the rooms, and
said that Mrs. Johnson came in her room
| about > o'clock, and said that she was tired,
that her mother was sick, and went in the
room. The deceased had been in the house all
day, and set III the p1rlOr until II or l2O.clOCk
Mrs. Johnson went in the room where the de-
ceased had gone some time before. Heard
about fifteen minutes after, a noise, and her
niece ran out. The noise was like the window
fell. Heard loud swearing, Mrs. johnson
came out the voice, cd d-n you, I've
caught You on the bed Mrs. Johnson said
TO witness: THAT other devil, or other hus-
band, had shot her man Mrs. Johnson was
terribly frightened, had on no bonnet or
shawl does not know that she had any other
clothes of she had told witness that she was
married 10 the deceased two years ago by a
minister on tapitoI IIiIl-PrCSbytcrian or Me
thOdist; knows that on one or two occasions
she came TO the house and stopped five or six
days. She brought things for him 10 eat the
exclamation GIVE caught you on the bed ~
was made after the first shot Mrs. johnson
came up 10 witness room after the Jury hld
gone she seemed perfectly frantic; witness
| I.- lao. v1 NJ rs f,lpgnn Snngk of a la W EIllf 4
Baltimore. 1t appears that SmOot was TO 20
away, not to return.
Thomas Smrcd sworn. Witness is a police
man, and on the afternoon of IN" homicide
was sitting in the Office of the central guard
house. The prisoner came III and SAID he had
killed a man named SmOot or Smut and
handed witness Il pistol, telling him to notice
that three loads were out. lie stated that he
had caught the man in bed with his wife.
BY Judge Wylie: He stated that SmOot had
worked with him and having become suspi-
CioUs of his wife and The deceased, he had
aided the latter TO 90 into business TO get him
away. Thinks Johnson said that he had been
suspicious of them for some time, and that
Sawyer, the occupant OF the house, had told
him of the meeting ut his house.
Mr.. SAWYER was recalled, and, in answer TO
questions by Judge Wylie, said that the per
| son overlook him on Seventh street on Wed
ursday the day before the occurrence and
asked him if his name wasn Sawyer. Witness
replied thatIt was, and Johnson said that
| having seen MN come Oltl tl llf IlpuSt 'l
Sixth street i'm which he had seen his wife 20,
he thought so. Witness said that Mr.. and
Mrs. Johnson We're in tie house, when Mr.
Johnson SAID that the mans name was not
| Johnson, but SmOOt, and that the woman
was his wife. He asked Mr.. Johnson not 10
go 20 the house, telling him that his wife was
| sick, and II lac went there, thcr" might DE 4
disturbance; and also said hat II iTa> likely
that they would be there the following daI.
| Johnson said that he would make no DIS
rurbaucc. but would sec them and tell SmoOt
that he was welcome 10 her.
Judge Wylle said that the eNidenc" OF the
last witness had settled his mind. \ man who
comes home and finds Il man in his wlic's
chamber with her aud shoots him Is not cN-
rusahlc, but Their" Is great p0lllItlOn. In cases
like this the woman i more 10 blame than the
man, for no man VIII dare 10 approach Il viz
tuOuS married woman without some induce
mcmt has been given him. In THIS instance IL
seems the woman came TO Washington, rented
q room in this house, ana was in the habit Of
rcsorting to that house and meeting the de-
ceased, sometimes staying from Monday morn
ing to saturday night. and this has been
GONG ON for some munlhs-lhc room beng
orrupI"d by them during me winter I'll"
was in til" habit of being absent days at
a time from home. II was not known rs 10
the exact time the suspicious OF the nus
band were excited, bat II must have been AT
an early day, II he was 4 Senslbl" man, lof he
wuUld not have allowed his wife 10 be absent
from home 50 much unless he made inquiries.
II appeared that on the day previous 10 The
| homicide he met sawyer, ana was lNlOIlNth
that his wife was at the house with he de-
ceased at that time, and said he would 20 TO
the house next dav. but would make no dis
lurbanCc. and would tell the deceased that he
was welcome to her. That was very sensible 4;
and if he had followed out that line OF con-
durr he would not now be IN his present al
lemma and danger. He, however, did not DO
This: but next day, after having had tim" 10
sleep on it, he went TO the room IN good hulnor
and smiling, and having found them, shot the
| deceased.
This was a case of too much deiberailon
| and GOODNESS to admit of bail, and til" prize
for which the crime was Committed was III
trrly worthless. and was so regarded by the
prisoner. 1t WAS n different case from a man
catching his wife with a paramour IN her own
chamber and shooting him. The law says that
the killing in such Il case i manslau%htcr but
il is practically lUstitiable homicide ana II
this case was such a one, he would not hesitate
to TAX" bail, and low bail a. that. He ordered
the prisoner TO be- remanded.
Fire in the Nashville Penitentiary.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, June "a fire occurred
this evening AT the penitentary, destroying
the workshops on the east side. A large guam
tity of cabinet work, Cedarware, agricultural
implements, machinery, stock, etc, Were
burned. The loss is estimated a. $4,000. IN
surance, $4,000.
Labor Difficulties.
PHILADELPHIA, June 2l.-On Saturday the
wages of the wurkmen engaged III the cotton
md ,,..,1n, mills lpr1 ted at Alln1Nunk We're