The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-01

This was previous to Mrs Smiths death. |
have forgotten to mention that Smith WINS Civ
ing Mrs. Chamrin money. She confessed IT,
But q the time she said that she got it from
Mrs warner.
| came homo ono week previous to Mrs
Smiths death. She was in bed sick. Inrrivcd
NJ half past O'Clock in the evening As | came
sitting together on the back door steps. When
J." saw me he ran through the house and out
j" did. for was maddcned and possibly might
have saved the State n few thousands by trying
his case. How thankful am that. guided 10y
the hand OF Providence during all these TRIMS
Of sorrow. have had no rnmorsc for any rash
act. Tho next week when came home. on sat
urlay night at about Ii O'Clock, Mrs. Smith was
in dyinl, condition. Mrs. Champin WINS ut
Smiths | went there and tried to persuade
nrr to come homo with me. Mrs. Warner and
Mrs. Warner told her she WIS not needed and
might as well 40 home. But she positively. ro-
fused TO 20. and went UP stairs TO bed with Mary
the door open between. What occurred In that
chamber, while death WINS swqyins its sr"ptrc
in the room below. God only knowsi but the
scene in TINT house OF death ON the following
night east back shadow. At nbout ~ O'Clock
Mrs. smith WIS thought TO bc dying. Mrs.
Warner went ~ the stairway door and called
smith To go for Dr. Arthur, He drnwied out in
,Vn' M nn o dn nrNr V So
AT went alone nearly half mile for DR.. Arthur.
J went to my own house aud PASSED sleep,
less night, aod ~ tossed about on my pillow
could srr the shadow Of coming events. | after
ward asked Mrs. Champln If She was NJ much
and down ma ali ngt bu Mrs. Warner , %Y %p
that neither Mrs. Champlin nor Smith came
down Unit sh" called them To breakfast. Tho
morning duwned; most lovely and beautiful
Shhbth. The angel Of death fingered around
Mrs, Smiths bed, and waited not long, for the
sun had scarcely passed the meridian ere her
tired spirit took it, flight. and weeping friends
stood around the bed. | saw Smith stand ny
over the body OF his murdered wife, IN leavoring
Ia cuscthc lips and the eyes. that. fixed IN death
stared him IN the farc. Mrs. G.. did not 10 to
nrr home during the day. ut remained at
Smiths. She and her friend. Mrs. Nell Fisher
We're I" watch with the body. Can II be believed.
| expressed my sympathy with Smith in his
nini Ton The scene IN Smith = house duriiu.
the following night IL too reyoting To relate"
n one room lay the lileles- body " Mrs Smith.
a an adjoining one sat Mrs. Champlin and
Ira L. smith locked IN each others arms.
A few minutes after Mrs Smith diei called
Mrs. Champlin out of the nous" and told her 1
had concluded To remove to Essex She posi-
lively refused to 40. | saw SIN nth about a weed,
before removing, and told him he had DESTROYED
my family and TINT he must not Wis my house
e. undo the wrong he had done my children he
mai better de- II His reply WAS that | was
charging too much upon HIM.
Il INNS tat th- day OF my departure with my
children irom Nergcunos was the saddest one
oi my lie. Nor" than once during Tn" day the
two youngest children. boy OF seven and grl
81 four. were suhhing AMI weeping Us though
their litt' hearts would break while hearing
me- plead with their mother not 10 leave them,
Prometheus Ike. she lay fast bound upon tho
rocS OF initmy by the chains which that scduc-
NV lend smith had put upon her. SLe wept
tnr little ones and hade them good-by. really
thinS the poor Woman felt the power OF tn
spell. and would have broken II II She could. |
1t" not cNaggrratc my ieeliu,gs when | say
could have buried the Whole family. mother and
children and suffered less sorrow than did
Tho letters used in the trial show what fol-
lowed. He tried To- br1be the chemist who hi
ia" stomach and other parts OF hI- Wif.'s body
un ."r analysis. OF his conduct and treatment
Of Mrs. Champin at various times and places
he eNultinlly boasts h. the detectlvn. Hear linn
n ips n
what he would have done mad they kept away
q hall hour longer Regardless Of my feelings
am trying 10 show u the world the true char
actor Of the man smith.
The want of love and nielity TO my wife is
not the cause of the arrangement Although |
have given up all hopes Of her restoration to
her family. yet nothing IN this world would give
me Iry"'rr !9y than to Know that she VII
Disgrace into which she mas fallen. and RISE
forgiven OF God. 10 life Of purity ANA happi-
ness.
In conclusion. I will state what think Mrs
Champlin knows about the poisoning OF Mrs
smith; ami believe sne knew what would have
soc her from the time left N"rgeun"s until
tho evening previous to the examination
~ Middlrbury. do not believe she had any
tninH "a, DO win administering the rois"n.
Bet do believe that after Mrs.. smiths death
and burial I'll" came INTO full possession Of the
secret ih"r" had been l",it"i that she was
chief IN the cHs". hut from my knowledge Of the
woman and from her Kindness t. Mrs. Smith
during her sickness, ! Was convinced Ia the
contrary. was fearful that smiths defenders
Intended To- shit the whole load upon her and
determined. IL poSs ible TO persuade her to Iii
yulge what she knew about the matter. | visited
her in the Jail just before the examination.
She burst into tears when We met. She WIS N
stayed hut short time. On the following
morning visited her again. Then besought
knew Of the poisoning At FIRST she sad.
don know anything about it. Again urged
her. and she told mo what think IL the lost
LINK IN the chain OF evidence agninst Smith.
give. as near IL possible, her words.
She told me she heard Smith say when he hid
any thing. he hid 1t in the barn in a brace NOR
and Mrs. Nellie Fisher STAYED at the house
while th. friends were, gone to the funeral She
SEQ what We can find" They went to the
barn, where she took from brace
mortice small bottle containing white
On the top, being about two-thirds Fun. She he
put 1t in her pocket. She said the label on the
bottle WAS soiled. She said II WAS not the same
bottle which Smith had shown her on "A certain
occasion at Mrs. Warmers store Tina, vial con-
n9G %e sps 9T sad sS Ssd took T"' labelled S 6
hands and read the label. She asked Smith
what he intended t. do with it. His reply was.
she says he promised her 10 destroy IL. This
no doubt. II ths strychnine which Smith bought
OF Mr.. sprague at his drug store N vergennes
short time previous 10 Mrs. Smiths sickness
and death
Next comes the disposing Of the bottle found
IN the barn; On certain night after Mrs.
Smiths death and burial. Smith and Mrs. c.
were found sitting in the back door of my house
Their conduct excited the suspicious Of our son
George; and when / told her what Georgie
said he saw Mr., Smith doing. she said he was
mistaken and that smith was trying to get from
her pocket the same bottle which sho found in
the barn; that she finally crushed it on the
cover Of a barrel which was set in the ground
close by the steps.
These admissions were made In the presence
OF her sister Slrene, who was with me- AT the
time. ! urged her TO take the stand ~ wit
ness and tell all sho knew Of tho case She r,-
Piled, Oh dearl ! don't want tor and
dropped the very signii ant remark. ! don't
want to say anything IN hang Smith | am
confident she would have done so then had |
informed the State Attorney Of her,ndmssions.
! believe sho would have made a iull confession
10 mo, had we not been interrupted by
her counsel. Mr. Hard She reported TO him
the statement OF finding the bottle in the barn.
Confident that she knew of the poisoning /
urged her counsel TO advise her TO make IA full
confess on. Taking her story 81 tho bottle in the
barn. which she found and finally destroyed.
and also the bottle of strychnine which she saw
and handled, nud placing II in connection with
what Smith says III ono OF his letters TO her
(which was produced and read nj the triad.
" II we live through this. shall cons der my
- I Obligated To- you" would indicate that she
II possessed of the secret and was endeavurng
with him Ia cover the crime.
| visited her at the Jail every evening during
the examination. Her children also visited her.
She seemed deeply affected when we left her
and returned home. She kissed her children
gOOd-hy. hrver to return to them again. |
Vrot la hpr aavprnl lpffara n raj