The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-30
TILE SMITH TRAGEDY.
Confirmation Of the COrOner's Investiga-
tiOm into the circumstances OF Has
naafh.

inquest us upon the body Of Joseph W. smith,
who was found dead on Wednesday last under
suspicious circumstances, in hall at sixth
street and Girard avenue. The following evil
dence was elicited:-
sworn-(Pistol exhibited to witness)-The de-
ceased came to my store on last Saturday q
week ago; he asked me IL had any revo vers
TO sell; showed him a medium. sized COLTS re.
volver; he said that he had similar one stolen
did S not feeI safe without one: tried 10 sell him
my revolver for Sl0 he said he couldn't pay
that much; he had purchased similar one at
French revolver. and asked him SS for
It; he, didn't buy that. because
to fit II; 1 then showed him a Sharp's pistol:
the one here exhibited, to the best of my
knowledge and belief; asked him either SO or
81 for 1t; ne asked me Tor a cheaper one, aud |
sold him single cartridge pistol for 49, during
the conversatt on ne told me that he took care
OF the hall at Sixth and Glrard avenue; that he
hired INT masquerade suits to diherent parties;
after buying the pistol he asked me If would
skates; told him had no objection; he came
back In few hours, and gave me 50 in cash,
for the Sharp's pistol I had previously exhi.
bited him lsBRtes exhibtted).
Mrs. Q. McAvoy. recaled-(Plstol exhibited)
saw this pistol at the house OF the deceased;
he used To keep IL under his pillow; have seen
IL there; he has told me tnat he thought he was
going TO be killed in that hail. never heard him
talk about killing himself; never heard him
say that he had no money when called on to
pay bills; never knew that he had made a will:
his mind was constantly running being
killed in tho hall; begged him to take another
place; to get out OF the hall altogether.
Mrs. Henrietta st. Clair sworn-Live No. 6l2
Girard avenue; was acquainted with the de-
ceased; he was often at my house; he was gene-
rally very lively; he was at my house on We'd
nesday al IL O'Clock; he told me on the Friday
previous to his death that he had been robbed;
on Wednesday he told me that he had a notion
OF packing up all his things and going over TO
Mother Jones'" " and staying there at night,
that he was AFRAID of sleeping In the hall; he
said he had two boards loose in the door just as
he stepped in the room; he said when person
stepped on them they creaked; he said all he
had he had under them boards; said he had
a notion to nail them down; told him that II
he had greenbackS under there the rats would
run away with them unless he had them
in q tin box; he said he had them in a
tin box; told him to screw the boards down;
he said he couldn't get them up in case of fire;
he said he expected whole crowd OF young
fellows there in the afternoon, and that he was
afraid Of them he said they would come mp and
find out where he kept his money, by his
giving change, hut he said he always went
expected he would be murdered In that hall
some day; he told me that on Wednesday; he
said he expected that the young fellows who
he told me of his being attacked in the
place; he told me that he had been
shot at through the window: had had pepper
thrown In his eyes; had been knocked down
stairs, never heard him mention any names;
me- h ssG had t Y66ung 6R ed th he ne S0 as
going to put all he had in It, and put IT away
where nobody could find it; he told nae on
to get his life insured; he asked me where 1t
would go; told him to his father: he said he
would not leave Eything to his father, and that
he would not get his life insured; told him to
put 1t in the old Philadelphia Savings Fund; he
said that he was afraid 1t would break, and
things to eat; offered him a cheese-cake; he
then told me that somebody had sent him
loaf OF bread with poison In IL; he took another
cbeese-cake than the one offered him; he was
sometimes despondent after one of his epilep-
tic fits; never heard him say that he was tired
Rev. Jacob Grim affirmed-Live No. 1914
Franklin street; had a slight acquaintance with
the deceased; in January he called at the hall
where we wOrshtpped, Ninth and Glrard
avenue: he wanted 10 rent it; was waited on
| of the deceased; was told 1t was his request;
thought It singular; afterwards learned that
| he had talked with Mrs Jones about the chances
OF his going off in one of his fits; had talked
with her on this subject about Christmas that
wanted me to speak at his funeral; from his
making these preparations i'm sgined that he
was melancholy; particular hymn was also
| to be sung: melancholy hymn NJ am
heavy" etc. oo,
| FrankfOrd road; have known the deceased about
| three years saw him last Sunday morning a
week; he frequently told me that ne was going
| to die: he was very eccentric; he imagined con-
stantly that he was going to get killed; con-
| sidered that he was of unsounu mind; judged
! from his conversation and actions; would not
call him insane, but eccentric; he was a very
| timid man; he often used to tell us that he had
| been robbed but he would always ind the things
| afterwards; ne sometimes found the locks OF
the closets broken; he had Keys TO all
| the closets; we always imagined that it was
done 10y the deceased; done to get up an excite
| ment; we sometimes found the books altered
| thought IL was done by the deceased; think the
| alterations were in his handwriting; he told
me that he had been shot at; that he had been
| attacked on the stairs; but had never had any
| reason to think so; he was told that somebody
had altered the books; that IT ought to be ex
| posed; on his being told this he appeared very
| desponding; the books are now being examined
he was always excited; OF very nervous tenn
| peram6nt.
DIR. shapleigh sworn-At 10 o'clock p. M, on
the oath of Mrrch, at the hall southwest corner
tion of the body of Joseph W. Smith, aged %
and next morning, at o'clock, post mOrtem
examination; the body: cold and a. stiid, .s va
on a large chest, which was In the corner of the
hallnear the ante-room; woollen oounterpans
| was beneath the body, and 1t also covered the
legs; the head was hanging over the east end o
the chest; there was. quantity OF BLOOD
upon the settee, and a spittoon beneath the
forming triangle, had been passed over the
mouth and chin, making an imperfect gag; bht
| ends were tied in q hard knot behind the head
| a red silk military sash had been made into
moose by doubling at the middle and passing
the ends through the loop. and pulled tightly
around the neck just under the chin; ther
wrapped three times arouud the neck, binding
down a corner OF the handkerchief-showine
that the gag had been used first; the looI
was at the pack OF the peck; so tightly was the
sash applied that deep groove was formed
around the entire neck; the hands were bound
| by cord. one end of which was passed three
times around the left wrist and tied with
slip knot the other end formed moose, wkicf
was loose over the right wrist; the space be-
tween the wrists was about nine inches; the
marks made by the cord were visible upon the
left wrist, but there were more on the righ
wrist; the legs were semifexed and bound Sc
curely at the ankles by strong cord; the space
between the feet was five inches; the right les
the Sss SsSk torn the at fe
hand were two superficial wounds mad'
by sharp cutting instrument parallel with thu