New-York tribune., 1877-06-27
SILENCING A WITNESS.
A CELL IN IRE ToNBs THE MEANS.

| THE ExTRAorDfNARY STORY OF TIE ARkNsf AM
IMPRISONMENT OF MARGARET sMTH-HER coz
NECrIoN WIN THE PINE DIVORCE CASE.
There is at present lying in the Tonbs prison,
without hope or chance OF BAIL middlcacoi woman OF
respectable character bit poor and friendess Who vas
arrested m another city By policeman OF this city on
the order of his Sergeant although police justice ho
previously refused 70 consider the complaint In Other
words after the proper Judicial officer had dismissed the
complaint sergeant OF police ordered IN arrest 10
be made Tie woman was arrested in another county,
without any sort Of warrant, while testiying IN n
| important civil involving money and the
liberty of the defendant. brought to NewY0rk and
! commit on papers which indOrsed by per
the DistrctAttoruey's Office directing that n'
bail be TAKEN although the oaense alleged only lar
| cenv.
Mrs. Margaret Smith, the woman thus confined Is
about 80 years age For years she has bees board
nghousc keeper in this city, better worse prob
ably than thousands OF other women who subject
daily experience with the shrswdes smartest, mean
est of mankind who think board Keepers proper
prey. About ls months 90 Mrs Smith and Ars. Lane
Willard jointly opened boarnlonse at No. l03 Gin.
tonpllce Mrs Willard Il; ia asserted, made herself OBJ
noxoas to the owner OF the property and was compelled
TO tAc house in of Mrs smith. and in the
division OF property Mrs. Willard asserted tha five pair
OF blankets aud "a wOrsted wrapper stolen. The
charge was never pressed however. and looked
upon as woman's quarrel to be ended
with words. Mrs. Smith aiterward rented fur
nished house of Mrs. Frances NJ. Crosby az No. 37t
West ThrtysecOndst and while there she accused
of pawnlBg quantity OF silyerware and bed linen. In
neither Instance did there foundation for the
charge, and up within a weeks trouble except
words occurred Mrs. Smith continued on the even
Of very rude aud agrayatng life. Her troubles
at the present time apparently grew ont of these little
disputes. In fact she Is subject to prosecution tant
persecution 1t would seem because Of her importance in
Vt4 A
vorce been granted Mrs. Pine, but she pressing
before the referee Francis Reynolds az No - Courst
Brooklyn, her application for amony, although she IL
very wealthy and her former husband very poor
About ten years ago DIR. O. :. Pine then student in
the College Of yscians and Surgeons IN this city,
inrod ccl INTO the family Of Mrs Neville widow lady
Of considerable means, and became enamored OF her
daughter Ioaisa then about II years Old The affection
was mutual and IN 1869, they were married. In 1870
Dr. Pine, who had then received his diploma, went 20
Kansas and built practice in Osage County Mrs.
Pine followed him about six months aIerward, and FOR
wear and half they lived together IN the west Mira
Pine thcn returned 20 this city 10 attend sisters we'd
ding aud here, IL Is charged, she remained despite the
m Kansas and then he also returned TO ths city. lie
found mis- yii AMI morher-naw comfortably domlciled
and he went 10 Broozyn hoping 20 build up new prac-
tico Hs wife remained IN tais city, visiting hm j"o or
gave Der friends 20 understand than the doctor was stl
u TIE West. A. dber alleged on the rla, an intimacy
spsang up during the summer OF 1874 between Mrs.
Pine and ore Albert Witt then clerk ln tue house oI
In No,em6er 1874. Mrs.. Pine joined her husband in
Brooklyn In preparing 80 leave Sew-lork she au0"ed
her mother to pack her trunk ANA ~ DONE woHd
seem, mothers want OF suspicion. Ior day or
two after, wien he entered his we's room, Dr. Pine
nocod letters upon the top OF the Tray In the open
trunk fie Opened tlen ird the hrst line ot one Ny
darling LuiW-conhIined pteE -uus sis pcous Ndch hdd
lodged IN Ills mind Words otiona love- ana reference 20
sweet kisses and darling embraces followed; Inc
letter bore the SIGNATURE oi ALL Dr Pine h4d hardly
hAsAed reading the letters when Mrs Pine entered.
the husband was quic& TO accuse us wac OF un ait1-
llnes bu. sac, more seposseHsei ane quicker sil,
70 grasp ti5 situ't0n IhlA'tiattN teluAel nm ior
reaias inc letters ns ~ e1Ac snh Oh q ios eAta,
VI s-7htn She Cirs Piael Aad held them oniy 10 save
Lcr lrlcul from eXpOsure The story seemed plausible
smith aud ask her AS 70 tne truth Drs. Pne almost IN
medey rit tle house after TINS suggestion. White her
OF the letters, took copies Of them Mrs PINE soon e.
turned ami said Mrs smith was very an-ry az LIN Tor
.,ther they went 10 lrs. smith, and sAe ter stating
that the letters really belonged % Ler begged ,he doctor
60 return them 10 her. D.. Pine alaoglled o A- VIE
oc hi, suspicion, apologize ~ Mrs >tn, and 2Iier his
ior ZINE ali went well with man and vie Bgt White
coutnue a bis ptltOus visits 10 tie Hie and peace
C-i,,n9tion and recrinnnariou soon followed. ana in
June. 1876, MIS-. Pine eturcd % her mother ~ a city
and instituted proceedings for q divorce, WLieh Mas
.ranted last March without opposition.
Proceedings for allmOny were thea taken aud fc now
/ proceeding before Referee Reynolds. About the ume
hese proceedings were begun a friend ~ Mrs
Sm n tjd a frrnd OF Or Pun, WHO at last told d. Pine
himself. that tine story of tie letters was Gthrcaton
and taat Mi. smith willing TO reveal the tiith OK
th Eatt. Dr. Pine now tnYlgIt TIE copies taken 0r
rhe letters. hul. upon looking or them, ne found that
they haa disappeared win hs Niirs effects HIS Trend
sld him tbat Al.- smiths dgsJ name NarsaIe aud
tnc discrepancy between thar and the Lu-u" in me
letter was painfully eYacut Ut. Flne caled uPun Its.
smith. she told linn, according 10 the testimony n me
csc, thar upon the dy the letters were discovered Mrs
Pine aud MI ante ctlcu dp' brr 'oth lu Etat i"ii.
They begged upon their knees tGat Sic ""Hd achuON-
, tine letters belonging 10 her, and save them both
from rum She replied that II thtfc "as hp'Iih7 Ie"y
criminal IN the matter she would acc54e o theif en-
traati This she Subsequently dd. LAd on the same
day returned 20 Mrs Pine he letters handed 10 hef py
Mrs Pine. All tis ls part 0i nc sworn q tiehent ID .le
e ca from all sources avaaue IN le COM Heated case.
n was early suspected 10y Mrs. Pine between whom
isfrd that Mrs smith would be called by DR.. Pine IN
init CATION Of damages IN the shape o ainoIy ana that
puhlic on the divorce ease which DR. Pnc had let 20 by
default would come upon The record Ii Is now stated
smith that Ms Pine called upOl Mrs. Crosby, aud hrs.
Crsbv ei,d upon 8irs Willard ana no tno earnest re-
Gue-t of Pine it agreed that charges Of larceny
SHOULD be pressed against Mrs. smith n she attempted 70
1puear as witness the rcfereHee, which, amer one or
two aGi ns, had been nna.y sec down 9r iLur0-
day, June Dr. Pines counsel stephen b. J2coos, IN
the time had learned OF the designs of the three
Women and Mrs smith was taken a. .,."t An dni con-
ceaed Or Il On MONDAY, Juae I, sic visited her
house III tnls city anu iound IN "hohy nous ieter
her. IL purported TO come lsoA Well" isbing
friend, and warned h,r THAI her appearance ar the Ietr
cnce would prove ner rum. ~ Aideu tnas II sue
did not wish 10 TESTIFY money @Odld po sup
gieo ner' 'd u n"on,ciniS1 yiib tba rc,nesr hat
she insert q persona! in The heraId of June thar
Mag se VIII not be al Ee trial. II tie personal dd not
appear she would be arrested Tor larceny Upon ratng
the Mrs smith was peIs.stcuty followed Dy Two
h, Succeeded III ttf4A- lS4hohJ it4lNuI
their learning where she was living. Tie personal did
appear tie following morning, ana tAcn Ms ClosOy
went Justice Duy Gt te Jefferson Market Police
CONT and made the threatened mplaut bat the Judge
refused consider lt. rne next went 10 the Twenty
ninth Precinct station AMI repeated the dlit, aud
sergeant Westeryet promptly detailed Onlce g. rnck 10
make the arrest at any place where aIs suita might DC
found.
All tae parties 10 the reference were IL attendance on
the molnng oi Tautsdly, june 7, IN Broklyu. Mrs.
smith waiting outside u ciO-o carriage. IN, WAS called
h, tne counsel and bad just been when OnCer
fariucS vino 10 w.s expected wuUld make iC arrest be-
fore she reached the courtroom, arrived. lie imm,di-
atey claimed Mrs. 5u.oI hl, prisoner, ana Wds -