The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-16
An EXTRA0R DINARY LETTER
EIID 10 HfTE mrs WRITTEN IN JAN
Br BENNETI 10 HRS. SMITH


Tho trial u Covert u. Bennett and Mrs.
jennie r. Smith On the charge Of numbering
Police Onlccr Richard II. Smith was resumed
, sinrday in Jersey city. The attendance Of
spectators WIS much lnrgrr than on the pre-
yi.u- do}s " the trial. and the throng increased
unul every available space WIS occupied
Several adde's wcrc given chairs inside the har
Mrs. Smith looked naler than usual and her
cy.s seemed weary and heavy. Mrs. Mary
Phillips resumed her ,stimouy and identified
letter dated Jan .. rs having been written Ly
her 1t was offered in evidence by the State. II
reads:
lIrnsoS cousrr Jan, thursday. Jan. 9th. 1879
u ~ Jsnais n Smith ION, NJ Iifv p piihfs
have never felt 50 hcfot bon life To think what
had To stand here this moriu. the abuse tcrrlcti
~ my eyes and then a. that were the only
say word Tor me the oue that have Wrongcd But
n have hatn'd Nou Mrs smith holc you viii Try and
forgive sometime 81 not do blame you hut will
trust W God 10 forgive me
when came here first johnny Allen was ALWAYS after
me. a. YOU cam tell and every one W here say the
" they wish 90 tel the truth he never came M
but what he had something to say 90 me You know that
he has been hours In my and YOU Mrs Smith has
been the only object 81 the you also Know
after INN sud haVeing some words one cvcnng that he
said should 20 In room and sleep with you. aud
were ON the hest of terms said in your prc,cnce
I would sleep with you but oh my gol you did not
Know that was a spy on you through him
iohnny Allen, ir went III TO aud here what
could told YOU deal OF what he has saiI
TO me and what he promised do for me think he did
do what he todd me he would but lac that his
oncct a. tor what told you heard thing "
what sai but told everything what you said me,
Dee ufcd me on To- say things Knew nothing Tor when
De talking to me said things that wa. not SO and
was sorry aitcrward / have h,cu thinking of writing
t. letter ever since have seen Mr Fleming hut please
don't lame me was lead hv one whom I have
found 20 be- villain hc used me Tor his own
base iurposc be told INC II not against he was
but Mr. Bennett and would try 10 save yun
Tor Il did not you void never give auything away
AMI be knew that liked Won and n could get one Of
yopr. ne Nj bcnucits letters Jennie do you remember
tc letter you read some nj TO and then tore up ami
the other one you ti not tear hut instead you threw II
IN the closet aud you went out and lett there. we'll
1wrkod ihc letter aud " to JOHNNY Allen DR.
ami Dee gave 10 10 Mr.. McGui. that was before got
out and then when / went home he came down and
begged to 10 To Mr. Means house and tell
hun there In his presence where ! got the letter
! won't there ami Mr. McOlu PROMISED inc on his
word as gentleman that would not be brought into
any Trouble ANA would not haNc be "a witness az the
trial were they got me to do i and see how Nr NcG
aud Mr Jack Allen Jr both keep their word never
had ihoulht of hurting you but will looA 30
40 the eyes at the people did intend TO do harm
be Mr. AcGil asked mc other -ions but
sand anything to inc | had nothing 10 ton You would
Try aud otsive ito you knew what vain and SCR
ruw % has caused ne 60 think that have done such
mean thing hut Of course II cannot he helped
have thourhtit over and have to the concu.o on
uhat 1t Will be the best 10 write aud tell you this
you DO uot know OF that am sure I have been told
not 90 tell This To you so hurc YOU will not hate IL
for Jennie void De- viiilns take your place today II
Of don't think they viii get mc there
saw thing against you ! am most Broken hearted
from c way that they using me here II
they were afraid since aud have spoken N each
other hut he has sad rs void take the OF
lot him dare To doitn was small again void be a
match for him void let him know what mate
tsirncdl Mrs Many Pa rniLLus
The witness said she thought that she had
dated the letter the sth. and that 1t had been
changed to the 9TH. but she was uncertain as to
tho rartieular dnv an which sha wrcta
On cross examination by Mr.. Winfield. Mrs.
Phillips testified that she was sent to Jail on the
7th OF September for the murder OF her child.
and was assigned to n room adjoining that &C.
cupied by Mrs. Smith in the quarters reserved
for female witnesses. John Allen. Jr.. the Jail
er's SON. instructed her to watch Mrs. Smith
and report her actions and II possible get some
OF her letters. Tho witness obtained the letter
above referred to from the closet on the 2sth Of
September. and was discharged from Jail on
Oct %. She visited Mrs Smith frequently
after being discharged and always reported the
result Of these interviews TO young Allen. At
the end Of two months the witness was rear
rested 10y special officer on tho charge Of Kill
ing her baby. and recommired e. her former
quarters IN the jail, whore She still continued TO
watch the movements Of Mrs. Smith.
Did John Allen. Jr tell YOU that II You
watched Mrs. Smith as he directed. and WAS ever
indicted for killing your child. he had the key
Of the jail and would let you escape =
- Yes. sir. he did,
Did be- Kiss you when he said ?"
Did he Kiss ne r. exclaimed the witness,
smiling aud blushiug.
"D Did h. Kiss mef' Mrs Phillips muttered
slowly. rs though tie qu stipn were problem
thPt dcmandeAA q great iaisl.rciuol effort 10
voice. believe be Didn't"
"D.d he ever Kiss you, asked Mr.. Winfield.
Did h. eyer kiss IN" p
Yes, did he eyer Kiss you =
believe ne did
Jan. 3. when YOU said you meant to xiii your
self =
suddenly assumed the most wrctchcd express
sion. " would ns soon kli myself ~ not
In reply 10 = gu,rslil!9yq by Pr1s.cpi,or MeGill;
the witness added: Mrs. Smith told me that II
! should XII nyscli in, Jail. people would say
that she had Killed me. She aitcrwarl told mo
that she did not know how she aud Bennett
were going to get over that eisht-unse le,tcr eN
cept that should write the lett 81 Jan. 10 and
then kin myself. II killed myself after writ
ins IL. she said. people would believe II and she
asked me 10 DO SO. The letter WAS written With
that intention. and It wis addressed to the Pros
erutor with the unders landing that II should
not be given 10 MN untl after should have
committed suicidc. Mrs. Smith told me that II
killed myself should not uSe her penKniie,
~ u W9lld direct suspicion to her. d.
- Did Mrs. Smith ever tell you not TO commit
SulciieY' asked the Prosecutor.
ia Mr. McGul ever t,ll you not to commit
suicide? asked hr. Winfield.
No. sir the witness replied. amid the
John Allen Jr.. was the next witness. He
corrOlOrated Mrs Phillips story. and said that
he delivered the eight page letter 10 Assistant
Prosecutor NanderyOort Tho letter was pro-
duced and he identified IT, Mr.. NunderyOOrt
in turn identified the letter and testified that he
had transferred II TO the District Attorney
After recess joseph J.. Payne Of brooklyn. an
expert on handwriting. 4 A. Hardcnturgh.
President Of Tn" Hudson County National Bank,
and several bank tcllers. testified that they had
compared the writing Of the eight PAGE letter
with tho signature u Bennett on nnumbcr Il
receipts signed l> him, and that the suit q
tAeir Investigation and comparison satisfied
th"m TINT the handwriting OF tho letter was
Il unct =.
The cight-page" letter was then read in evil
dence. II Is MS follows and II genuine. was
wrtten by Bennett to Mrs. Smith some time In
q tpbcr last while both were in the Hudson
County Jail;
MY ANGEL: am SO hnppy to-dny. compared
with my state Tor tho Inst six weeks. aud more
particularly for the last ten days. Darling. !
can sec how lWoula have felt II YOU had written
me that would never b. yours again. No mat
ter what | had done 10 deserve II. | know |
would huye been driven 70 desperation. 30 |
cannot blame you more. | Will never blame
my own llttlo angel any more, no matter what 1
think She docs; l Will not believe any one hut
her. know size VIII MT do anything contrary
20 my wishes You viii not, dearest. ~ it not So?
You say have wronged you; that | have fed
you ou cruel words. Darling, thought truly that
you WIS feeding my love with cruel actions.
Things looked So but / take your word simply
H. a