The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-13
MRS. SMITH AND BENNETT.
TRYING TO SNOW THEM As LOVERS BE
FORE TIE MrRDER.
= Witness's Story or Kis.-The Man Mrs.
McGregor Saw In the Celinr-Chief Nathan
mud Lawyer WInaeId-One Wuue.a's Death.


Judge Knapp, whose beard and general
capital outlines remind one Of the plaster casts
OF Pcriclcs. opened tho court promptly Mt 10
o'clock yesterday. The trial OF Mrs. Smith and
her alleged lover has come to be n matter Of ab
sorDing interest in Jersey City, and the ancient
and inadequate court house on the hill seemed
bursting with the load 1t contained. third at
least OF the body Of the court room-the best
third. next to the bar railing-was filed with
women; this commendnblc favortism in re-
gard to place being chargeable upon his Honor.
whose gallant attention to tho sex has como to
be proverh in Hudson County. Two consta-
blcs plying their long staves without mercy
aud uttcrine sharp cries Of Way. way !" slow
" urged the iurymen in single procession
through the dense human packing OF tho con-
tre aisle. and conveyed them. after deal OF
hard bufretiing safely to their chairs. The two
prisoners came close behind them.
District Attorney McGill rose at word from
his Honor He s young. slender. neat. natural
and precise. and his sallow face Is imperturb-
able and generally slightly smiling. He con-
ducts the whole case for the State. or at least
has conducted II up to this time At the small
table associated with him. sit the Assistant Dis
trict Attorney and the Attorney General. but
these are no more than amanuenscs Mr..
stockton. especially does yeoman work in
writing out the testimony. digging away pre-
cisely like the gifted Capt. Shandon In PEN
Dennis" and dropping inky slips OF legal cap
all about him on the floor. his specialized eyes
meantime approaching so nearly 10 his work
that his bushy gray moustache sweeps along
tho paper in company with his rapid pen.
Mr.. McGl called DR.. Waterman Lampson.
who had not finished his testimony ut tho time
Of the adjournment OF tho court on Tuesday.
Thore was not much more to be got out OF him.
however. He testified that he had been the
physician OF Mrs. Smith for thrco years. and
that she had chills and fever. and was subject to
occasional cpilcptic fits. lie had Mt times given
her ether. but only an ingredient. and he
had never left bottle OF ether or Of chloroform
with her. His impression WINS that she was not
strong enough to have inflicted the wounds
which were found on the murdered man e head.
Abraham Carmen, a carpenter. and the step
father OF Mrs. Smith. testified that ha had
worked in Benncu's house. and had heard him
say that he would break Smith on the force I:
| and there were bits OF testimony from others.
subsequently,. TO show that Smith and Bennett
| dislikcd one another. Charlotte McGregoT. the
| wife Of James McGrcgor who testified on Mon
| day. was more profitable witness. In point at
| least ot length and the number Of incidents de.
on Mrs. Smith in April. soon after she came to
| witnesses house TO live. and that he called sub
sequenty always when Smith was out Once
| there came n ring at the door. Mrs. Smith
being in witness's room. and Mrs. Smith said,
| I'm 60; that's Doctor" She ran down. and
| Mrs. McGregor going into the hall saw Bennett
enter the parlor. Once after Bennett had called
| Mrs Smith told witness that he had come TO sce
pointmcnt with some Sunday school teacher.
| bennett smiled as the witness said that, and
seemed 10 admonish him.l Another time Ben
nett had remained until It was nearly time for
| the husband to come homo. When he had gone
| Mrs. Smith came running UP stairs and said:
Dear me. poor Dick will be homo in a quarter
Of an hour. Well. I'll fix him up something and
Tho witness advised her not 10 have Bennett
call, for It would hc found out and cause ,rouhe,
always speak to Mr. Bennett. whethcr Harry
| likes IL or not, for he was very kind 10 me-"
which was TO the eject that on tho day before
the murder. at about o'clock in the morning.
she had seen man In the cellar. Snc went
| down for flower pot. and had got 10 tho foot of
| the stairs rs she noticed the man. standing with
his back 10 her. He wore mixed suit. His
up. much frightened ana cnlledsSmlth. who
took his pollcemans club and made a search
| Before he went down he asked his wife Tor some
| matches She moved as II To ge, them then
stopped and said; q" have no matches"
| DIR. Charles q. Niers was called He said that
he examined with q mlcroscop" some substance
| that he got from under the handle OF the knife
which had been found in the vault. and discov-
cred blood corpus les ne could not say whether
As the witness said this the five lawyers for
they S'v,i' were wiring. Mr.. Winddcds fcxible
brows arched themselves then swooped down
and made shaggy wall from beneath which
said he. At the end Of a portenious moment.
What led you to believe that there was blood in
that sutsttsnce ,E, w9es you discovered under the
Because" said tho Doctor, " l saw hematine
and eolored matter. which led mo to suppose II
And did you in your testimony before the
Coroner's Jury state that you had found blood
corpusscles in that substance which you OK
amined;
Mr. Colnss fingers ran over mass OF fools
cap notes containing the Coroner's evidence.
and he found passage and passed II over 10
10 the witness, showed it TO him, and asked: Is
that your ssnatureT
And here you say" reading Il examined
tho, ,substance, which | scrapcd from the knife.
and failed 10 discover any blood corpusces?"
clared then wns more likely 10 be correct than
what his colletion now recnlledf
Now, Doctor" pursued Mr.. Winfield tip
ping back in his chair liz the appreciation OF the
| audience at this charge expressed itself in u
hematine exists wherrf'
" cannot tell exactly
Docs i not exist in the corpuscles9"
Yes ! believe IL DOES. ~
Then If you iailed to discover the corpus
cles you could not discover the hematine p"
Michael Nathan, GtGe( ottke jersey City po-
ice, WIS called TO tho stand He appeared TO
| have great self possession. and answered In n
loud voice The District Attorney asked him
to tell what had happened as he knew IT, from
the time when he first learned Of the murder.
The witness began detailing in substance the
same story that other witnesses had told. At
one time he began 70 tell what he thought.
"ConAne yourself 10 what you did, Chief" said
| Mr.. Winfield; " we'll get your thoughts by and
by" The witness took up his narrative again.
| aud presently he came To tell Of something that
he had said to one OF his officers.
Now. Chief" said Mr. Winfield appealingly,
" His direction to an officer is competent"
said Judge Knapp.
| - think so yes. sir -
This was said to the Judge, and II was said In
such perfect innocence by tho Chief. and car
ricd In It's tone such n hearty acquiescence In
and 80 much APPRECIATION ofhis HOnors ruling,
that lawyers and all gave full rein TO their mer-
riment; and this time his Honor did not check
the very audible mirth.
The witness went on 10 tell Of n conversation
which he md heard at the Police Headquarters
! between Mrs Watson, q sister OF Mrs. Smith.
and Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Watson had sad. speak
ing of the murder; Jennie you did II. or else
you know who did it," The witness added:
d" As her sister said this Mrs Smith seemed
very much affected"
=" Never mind your own opinions, Chief" said
Mr.. Winfield
said his Honor
" Yes. sir glancng Mt Mr. Winfield. II no.
ticcd Mrs. Smith. and she seemed very much
! Y.,ttt..