, 1872-11-21
A WEB OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

The Mysterious Poisoning OF the tfev.
Dr. 3. e. Smith, Deadly Seid3itz
Po.vdcr-A C1ersynann's Wife and
Daughxer Passing Through a Eexri-
BILE O1dc2ls
Raleigh <yor. 15) Correspondence Of tho Ne" Pori
The community of Raleigh, and indeed Of al
most the entire State Of North Carolina, have
been greatly exercised for the past four or Aye
weeks over the facts developed in the ezamina~
ton Of Coroners jury into the causes which
led to the death Of the Rev. J. Brlnton
Smith, D. D., prominent md anfluentla1
clergyman Of the Episcopal Church, and
education Of freedmen in this city. Or.
Smith came to this city some four yenrs ago, dor
the purpose Of engaging in the educational work
to which all his talent and energies have been
devoted during that period. BE was native OF
Jersey before removing to North Carolina. The
College. as it is called, has rather the character
of q Normal Institute than OF q university
proper, and has accomplished much good IN the
preparation of coiored men for the teachers
profession.
DR.. Smith was man Of great energy and force
Of character, and his Influence was felt not only
among the people Of his charge, but in the whcle
| community, to the welfare Of which lie was
strongly devoted. The general testimony at the
time 81 his death was that the City Of Raleigh
| and the State Of North Carolina had sustained
! an almost i.retrieyablo loss. Though North
ern man by birth and education, he was re-,
ceiyed most cordially into society here: ana
being public spirited and entorprisng, lie inter-
ested himself at once in all measures TO pfomoto
| the immigration Of o good class OF Northern
| men to the State It is said he was more sue
cessful in this than any other man IN the Siato, -
In tho absence Of tue ReV. DR.. Mason, OF CHRIST
Church, in this city, he was frequently called
upon to of1iciate in that gentlcman's pulpit, and
| did so to the entire acceptance OF the cnurch
| and people to whom he had endeared himsen.
| Tie school, Of which he was Principal or frcsl-
| dent. was almost exclusively his own creation,
and to it he Was deyoting himself with al the
energy of his nature. 1t is located N q charm
| ing situation, about mile from the State Capl
! tol. lust beyond tile new cemetery, and at the
time Of the Doctors death was in prosperon:
condition and filled to oyerlowinS with pupils
Near BY is the Doctors residence, an elegan
building, completed within the last year unae
his own direction, and around it an extensive
ground, with fruit, orchards, garden, ctc., taste
f1lly laid out by himself. The school-buidinG'
and his own house and grounds Indicate maj
Of taste and culture, who had located hlmsel
permanently near the work to which he purposet
deVoting his life. It was to this charming spot
ia the midst of comforts and luxury, and almof
at the opening Of successful ifes career tina
the DESTROYER came, and in O moment bl5htet
all his prospects and plans of the future
On the 1Et of October DR.. Smith arose at h1
usual hour, about half past 3, and alter "alhan
about his farm little while and giving specla
directions to the o4erseer Of the estate as to til
work OF the day, returned Tor breaKiass, r. r.
marking before sitting down that ho @ telt . nttI
unwell. He suggested that q seldntz poNae
might do him good, and thereupon ms dangn
ter, Mrs. Mann, prepared it for him and ne too
it, renarking as he did SO that 1t was unusuq1!
bitter, and inquiring what made 1t 80. ~
daughter replied that she did not know, that 81
had mixed it just as her mother handed 1t to hel
After eating his breakfast the Doctor Ieturne
to the farm, and while conVersln6 with nus over
seer was overtaEen With what be described as
peculiar sensation. Thereupon he ut ono
!. | returned to the house. Arriving there
he eaid to his family that he believed ne was o5
ing and thought he had been polsoneo-
physician WAS sent for, but too late. N Nv
minutes the poison had done its work. and Iil tn
! ! DoctorWas q corpse. The 6uddenness OF u
event and the singu1arity Of his remark that u
thought be had been poisoned, made 1t eee'
J | necessary to summon Coroner's jury anu na,
post naortem examination. The jury Was SUI
, | moned and the examination begun. :,
And now there began to be woven around II
. persons OF Mary 2. Smith, the wife, and Mr
: Frances s. Mann, the daughter OF the dead ma
, | chain OF circumstances which needs but . LII
or two to fasten upon them the guilt of delbe
: ate muder. The link lacking in this circumsta1
tial ch ain is q motive and cause. Gould it I
shown that any sufficient motive existed in Il
| rnindBgof these two women, as for instance th
! thew we're to be in come way profted by the dar
: traneactIon or could it be shown that positive
: " unhappy relations existed between thes
] two and tie husband and father, the chain Won
he complete, The admitted facts as they ha
slowly coiled aorund the unhappy wife q,
q daurhter may be stated in brief. without gi7u