Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-18

Proceedings Before Squire Kerrigan
Plea Of GuiIsy-Fn JatE-Ris Com

Capt. w. I'll. \ alter swore out warranI
yesterday morning, before Squire Kerrigan
charging the desperate William Smith
with the shooting of policeman Starkey
When Smith was arraigned he pleaded
guilty to the charge, and in default of S., 00(
bail was remanded to jsil.
THE STORY OF HIS ARREST
is that he was near Stevenson, Ala, in 9
house and in bed, when man entered the
room where he was and appeared to be
| looking for a woman. But no sooner had
the man espied Smith than he drew a re.
volver and pointed it at him. Almost
simultaneously Smith drew out a re.
volver from under the pillow on which
his head had been resting, and when he
was told to get up, cooked it. At this juno.
ture he was shot in the left arm, but wheth-
er accidentally by his own pistol or by the
other man is not definitely known. 1t was
a very painful wound, because it seems that
the morning he shot policeman Starkey, be
was also shot in very nearly the same place,
when he went to capture the horse from
MCGOWAN; he had a pistol in bis hand when
he went to catch the horse, which threw up
its head, and striking the hammer of the
pistol, caused it to go off. After
Smith had been told to get up,
scufile ensued, pending which a
third party interfered with a shotgun,
and poured the contents of one barrel in
one of his shoulders. Drs. McAIurray and
Stevens probed and dressed his wounds
yesterday morning about nine o'clock and
as subsequently he was suffering consider
ably they administered to him an opiate.
II. =. II I'LL
in0hes high and weighs about one hundred
and thirty pounds. He has a dark COM
plexion and black hair. A large number OF
persons went to the Jail yesterday to see
him but were refused admittance by order
of the Jail physician.
In addition to the above we give the fol-
lowing additional particulars relative to his
capture, life, confession, etc. According to
his confession Smith is
A NATIVE OF VIRGINIA,
being born in Richmond, where his mother
is now living. He says he is part French
man and part Italian, though many take
him to be dark skin gentleman. Leaving
home Immediately after the war Smith
came to Tennessee, and the first thing we
know of him he turns up
IN KNOX COUNTY,
where he was convicted of robbery and
larceny about the year 1858, and sentenced
to term of fourteen years imprisonment
IN THE PENITENTIARY.
Shortly after his confinement Smith with
four other prisoners endeavored to escape,
but was shot by Marc Phelps, one of the
prison guards. Not being daunted by this
failure, Smith succeeded in
HAKTNn HIS
with Bill Hewlett and three ether convicts,
taking with them several pairs of shoes
from the penitentiary. After getting them
they went to Louisville where officers
Booker and TiIers arrested Smith, who was
brought here and put in the penitentiary
again. During his last imprisonment
HIS CONDUCT
was Of such an exemplary character as to
secure the recommendation for pardon
from the prison officers. Accordingly,
Smith, with four others, also recommended
to executive clemency,
WAS PARDONED
last Christmas, it being customary to grant
pardons to such of the prisoners as have
been of good behavior and showed signs of
penitence and reformation, when pardonS
are asked for in their behalf by the peniten-
tiary officials. Being free once more Smith
went
BACK TO KENTUCKY,
where it seems he and Howell Smith, now
in jail here, commenced
A BURGLARS LIFE.
One of their victims was an old Shaker,
living near South Union, KY, from whom
it is said they stole 5000 in Kentucky
bonds, besides lot of jewelry from other
persons. Whether this be true or not we
DO not know. Shortly after this alleged
larceny, and about six weeks ago, Bill
Smith went to Stevenson, Ala, where he
formed the acquaintance of an old gentle
man named Brown, who, having no knowl-
edge of Smiths character, took him into
a partnership in a shoe store. Smith pre-
scented letter of introduction from man
named Stewart, who, though gentleman
Of integrity, as is also Mr.. Brown,
was not aware of Smiths bad hab-
its and criminal acts. After staying in
Stevenson about three weeks, Smith came
to this city for the purpose of laying in a
stock of goods, telling his partner, Mr..
Brown, he would return in a few days.
Not keeping his word, Mr.. Brown became
alarmed, and was on his way to Nashville
when Smith shot policeman Starkey, the
facts of which are already known to the
public. After shooting Starkey, Smith es-
capped by taking Jordan McGowan's horse,
shooting himself accidentally in the wrist
while seizing the reins of the frightened an
imal.
The police made diligent search for him,
but were unable to find him. They arrest
ed supposed confederate,
HOWELL SMITH,
who is not related to William Smith.
Howell is the son of woman who pre-
viously to the war, and during the years
1855 and 1856, lived inDiXon county. She
was known as Mary
POL LAMBERT,
and afterwards married, whereupon she
went by the cognomen of Nancy Taylor.
She was indicted for immoral conduct upon
more than one occasion by the grand Jury
of Dixon county, and after leaving there
lived in Nashville, and for several years dur
ing the war made
HER HOME
in log cabin on the Charlotte pike, near
the mouth of a ST ream known as Dog
creek, a name suggestive Of her identity,
one of her peculiar appendages being a
white poodle, pug shaped and bench legged,
which followed its mistress everywhere,
and even whined in the temple of justice or
growled with insulting impunity at the
jury and court. She has moved back to
Dixon county, but her dog is no more.
Howell Sn it'll lived some time in Missouri
and was in frequent correspondence with
his mother. What was
HIS OCCUPATION
we have not learned. He is confined in
Jail here upon charge Of larceny, and it is
said he is connected with the numerous
larcenies, burglaries and robberies with
which Bill Smith is charged. In their
search for Bill Smith the authorities searched
the country near Howell Smiths mothers
residence. Bill after shooting Starkey
crossed over the river and came back to this
city, remaing here two nights suffering from
the wound in his wrist, but not being able
to have the ball extracted for fear of arrest.
After leaving here he went circuitous
route towards Alabama, stopping near An
derson's Station on the Chattanooga Rail
road. While in the vicinity of Andersen's
Smith tumbled over the railroad track and
dropped his pistol, which accidentally fired,