The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-01
.DEA CON SMITHS POISONED WIFE.

Middlebury, VT, Oct. l9.-Ezra P.
Smith, of Vergennes, was brought here,
charged with having murdered his wife
seven weeks ago. Smith is deacon in
the Baptist church of Vergennes, hitber'
to highly respected and influential. He
was accompanied by Mrs. Mary Champ.
lin, who is charged with being his &C.
complice. Solon Burroughs of Vergen-
mes was also arrested and brought here
with them, but released soon after reach
ing Middlebury. He has worked the
case up against the deacon as volun-
unteer detective.
Vergennes is a small place, 25 miles
from Burlington, containing about 1900
inhabitants, and enjoys the fame Of being
the oldest city in New England and the
smallest city in the world. The wife of
Deacon Smith had been sick only about
week, and what her disease was the
physicians could not tell. They were
little suspicious, but as the parties con.
cerned were of great respectability and
influence, they said nothing. Not long
after her death it was noticed that Dea-
con Smith was very intimate with Mrs.
Chsmplin, the wife of an industrious
mechanic who was working in Essex, N.
Y. This intimacy was entirely open.
Mr.. Champlin heard of it, and came to
Vergennes to take his wife and four
young children to Essex to live. Mrs.
Champlin refused to go, saying that she
was going to stay at Smiths, and her
husband departed, taking his weeping
children with him. Not long after this,
Mrs. Champlin, who had plenty of mon
ey to spend, went away visiting, and was
seen at Middlebury, Burlington, and
various other places; and Deacon Smith
invariably had business at the same time
and place. These facts, and the knowl-
edge that Mrs. Smith had been nursed
in her last illness by Mrs Champlin,
raised such suspicion that the body OF
Mrs. Smith was exhumed, and the stOm
aCh was sent to Burlington for analysis.
The examination, it is said, disclosed the
fact that the woman had been poisoned
with arsenic. This discovery resulted in
the arrest of Deacon Smith and the wo-
man in Burlington, where they had been
followed by Burroughs.
Up to the time of the arrest great ef-
forts were made by the friends and rela
tives of Deacon Smith to stop the scan
dal. He is very we'll off, we'll connected
and apparently scrupulOus in his relig
ious duties, and it is argued by his friends
that it is impossible that such man
should be guilty of so great crime.
1t is charged that after the stomach
had been sent to Prof. Collier for exam
ination, Deacon Smith went to him in
Burlington and offered him $500 TO make
a report exculpating him and the WON.
an. Burroughs, who is working up the
case for the State, says he was with Smith
when this attempt at bribery was made,
and induced the deacon to put it in wri-
ting, the Professor pretending to agree
to do the thing for the money and
afterward that Smith wrote to Mrs,
Champlin, telling her that he had 6xed
everything, so they need fear no evil
from Prof. Golfers report. This letter
was with the woman after her arrest had
been made, and she tried to tear 1t up
but was prevented. There was Other
written evidence found upon her person
which alone will make q bad case fol
them bOth.-BOStOR Herald.