Daily Republican., 1881-05-21
Clara Slnith,s Death.


Smith, young colored woman, has re-
suited in holding Atwood Carpenter,
also colored, her paramour, for her muir
der The case was complicated and in
yolyed in much doubt, but there seemed
10 have been sufficient evidence OF vlo-
Ilence TO hold the accused for court, even
though the evidence should not be sut-
fcient to convict him of the crime OF
which he stands accused. Had the
body of Clara Smith been eXhumed
soon after it had been buried the physi-
clans who held the poSt-mortem examl-
nation would have been enabled to ar
rive at more definite conclusion in the
matter, but their evidence in the case
was sufficient to show that the unfOrtu-
nate victim died from violence instead
of smallpox, as had been supposed by
the physician giving a certificate in the
case. No doubt there will be a general
disposition to censure the ephysiCian who
gave the certificate that the woman died
| from smallpox, and who was certainly
not as careful and diligenU to find out
the cause of the woman'S death.as some
physicians would have been-perhaps
he was more careful than others would
have been, but we must remember that
in cases of this kind there are a great
many eXtenuating circumstances that
are allowable in cases of epidemic dis
eases, and in this case 1t was very easy
for a physician to be deceived, and if
mistake was made it should not
be used to injure the standing of the
attending physician.
The facts of the case briefly summar-
lied, show that Carpenter and Clara
Smith though not married practiced a
very loose code of morals, for years
Carpenter was quarrelsome and jealous.
He often beat Clara and had often threat
encd to take her life. On Saturday ev-
ening, May 7th, he was more violent
than usual, striking his victim about
the head, and as she alleged kicked her
several times The striking in the head
was witnessed and the kicking was
witnessed by one whose testimony is dis
credited, but only SO far as she is not cor
roborated. Carpenter admits that he
struck the girl. Clara went home crying
and told her mother and others that
Carpenter beat and kicked her. She
went to beG, grew worse and the phySi-
clan was sent for. There had been a
fatal case of smallpox in the same row,
and it was but natural that it was feared
that Clara was taking the smallpox,
the beating which was only the repeti-
tion of many other beatings which the
girl had received from Carpenter not
being at the time considered of par A.
mount consequence, though it was pro-
posed to have Carpenter arrested. The
girl grew worse and on the following
Monday the physician was sent for. He
sent some medicine with the promise to
call the next day. On Tuesday the girl
still grew worse and the physician was
again sent for. He called on her be
tween twelve and one o'clock. HefOund
marks about the girls eye and cheeks
which she said she got in a muSS with a
man on Saturday night This was con-
sidered Of trivial Importance and the
physician still thought Clara might be
taking the smallpox, but he was not
sure, the disease not having developed
sufficiently to show. He left a prescrip-
tiOn and promised to call next day when
he could tell more about it. The Doctor
left but had only been gone about four
hours until Clara died. Then Carpcn.
ter comes upon the scene again and is
anxious to have the corpse buried. He
went to the attending physician and got
from him certificate that Clara died
Of smallpox of three days duration, and
the same night she was buried in the
Aims House burying ground. There she
would have laid undisturbed probably,
had not Mr.. H. S. Brown, City editor of
the REPUBLICAN, heard Some rumors
Of foul play and in investigation of the
case in search of news items found sutfi-
cient cause to charge Carpenter with
the girls death, The rest is well known,
the post-eXaminaton held on Thursday
by Doctors Ogle and Springer, though
made under difficulties fully substan-
tiating the suspicious Of the enterpris-
ing Young journalist who had Carpen-