The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-15

sis I'ais0f1 OF sps Js
OF kaIEuH, N tf,.-.- ON an, IisyfIy al
FaEI CAss. rom fhes Ra ei.ta 9sesissasi. d.
teaisbef fn the mo laibg az the IA az
Vcteber DR. j. Brfatofs Smith died under
stTbtfsIy Id Tic helinf
that roisoass bad eepa aid sstnisfefed AIak.
fi,s isolpftf, took. charge Of the PREMISES.
ana stook In possession che remains Of d riose
of :seidiitz powder, aiiowis OF sugar. d s,,oor
which he found on The bnye:pi III the bed.
room. oil the tieceased,t Il tin box Continuing
sesdiitz powders, and the hi,ie aud white
wrapper ont,ot Mhishsaid dose was mixed.
The evidence iii brief Is as fellows: DIR.
smith, on the morning IN question, called Cor
aose OF seidlitz powders; his daughter,
Mfs. FRANCES L. Mann, went out of The
room, obtSiited the, powders and. mixed
them for him., He did not drink all Of the
aese on acfounttof IT'S ,hsttef taste. After
taR'htE the tiiaaght he finished writing let.
ter and went to breakfast. After he had fin
ishe4 eating he lit his pipe. Just then he
was taken sick, and died shortly afterwards
III commissions. On The next day "a post
maor!en examination WAS raade, by Drs. T..
Burke Haywood, James Mckee, and n. j.
Haywood, Jr., the result Of which was
the pratn, heart, and lungs being examined
no cause OF death could be discovered. The
stomach was taken out and delivered to Cor
oncr Magnin, who took the same. together
with the other articles mentioned, to Phila-
delphia for, analysis By Professor Gentl.
the result of (which will be seen in
the report herewith published. On the
same day, from information obtained,
Coroner Magnin found ina closet in the bed
room. close to tue bureau where the box OF
powders was kept, 4 bottle of strychninr.
The evidence proved that Mrs. Mary T..
Smith was The custodian OF said key, and
tmt it was III her possession on the morning
of the deau, ; that she was at the closet on
that morning before breakfast; that no ser.
wants or ;frly one butInembers of the family
ever went TO the closet; that it was always
kept locked; that it contained the valuable
papers, ETC., Of the family.
The jury met on Wednesday night, No
vember Ith, and received the report Of Pre-
fessor. gGenth, and adjourned TO meet oil,
Monday, November 18th, when it was
elected i'm evidence that Dr.. Smith was very
cruel to his family, especially to Mrs. Smith.
The jury, after patient deIiberation and
the examination Of over dozen witnesses,
ut 81 o'clock OH Monday night rendered the
following verdict: :" That the deceased, Rev.
Dr.. j. Brinton Smith, came TO his tlelt. oh
the morning of the LIST Of October from the
effects of strychnine mixed in a dose of seid.
litz powders, administered by Frances l..
Mann, and that Mary Il. Smith was the Gus
t0dian Of the key of a closet in which was
|ioundavial Of said poisonous drug"
r. From the Raleigh News, Novcmhcrl'.l
The coroner Yesterday isS,lcd his warrant
for the arrest Of Mrs. Frances /, Mann and
Mrs. Mary f. Smith, and at s o'clock =. NJ.
they were arrested by Sheriff Lee and com
mttted to the common Jail of Wake county.
The Indies were brought to the Jail in close
carriage. attended only by Sheriff Lee and
Hon. X. =. Battle, their counsel. The
| sheriff, after being admitted to the rarlor.
informed the ladies of the unpleasant duty
the law required him to perform. but instead
| of the scene that he Anticipated, the prisoners
expressed their Willingness to submit to the
| majesty of the law, exhibiting no unusual
| feelings of horror or distress, hut only asked
| IN hour for preparation. which was of course
granted by the sheriff,
We learn that application will be made by
defendants, counsel for writ Of hdJede coz
puS for the release Of the prisoners .....
While the entire community deeply sym.
pathzc with tr unfortunate ladies charged
with The commission of this terrible crime
yet the general sentiment in regard to the
guilt o! the parties l. divided, the affair being
the only topic of strcet-conversation ycster
day.
The high social position OF Dr. Smith and
| family in the community, and the unfor
| t,.natc sequel OF his sudden death. necessarily
| create Il great deal of excitement in the city