Daily Republican., 1882-08-11
a xOUTHFUL PARnICIDE.
Guy Smith, Aged Twelve Years,
Found Gu1lty of Murder I'm the
FIRST DeEree- History OF the
OFam0-Th0 ROYSA TARafmNmw

~uy SmAtms AKeU NWe1vO Years,
Found Guilty of Murder I'm the
F1fst Negree- History OF the
Crame-The Boys Testimony.
Guy Smith, the boy who killed his
father at Kirkwood, Missouri, on july
Z, was placed on trial for murder In the
first degree. ............... .......
The facts of the crime were these :
Guy and his brother quarreled about a
milk pail. The brother ran and told
his father, who came out and whipped
both the boys. Guy finished milking,
went into the house with his father,
washed his hands, and, going into his
grandmother room, where a double
barreled shotgun was kept, took the
weapon, returned to the kitchen and
deliberately fred at his father, who
was then washing his hands, From
the effect of the wounds Mr.. Smith died
in eight hours. ....... ...-. .
Saturday Guy, the boy murderer, was
himself put upon the stand. He is quite
. small boy with peculiar head,
narrowing conelike to the top. A scar
Ia on his forehead, and the feeling on
seeing him is one of surprise; only
twelve years old, he locks even young.
er. He is slight aud small, and a boy
whom you would expect to be out play
ing marbles rather than in the felon's
seat of Courthouse on trial for his
| life. .yEa
He seemed very nervous when he
took the witness seat. He said "Yes,
l had trouble with Lou; have not
spoken to him since last Christmas; for
milking we each had our own bucket,
Louis took mine and we quarreled
about it; hit him and he fell down; he
then jumped on top Of me and hit me,
and then, when he saw father coming
he ran away; father whipped me as
hard as he could; he hit Louis two licks;
We all went into the house and washed
our hands; he had hurt me badly, and
wanted to hurt him as bad as he hurt
me; when went into grandma's room
l saw the gun, and ' took 1t into the
kitchen at once and shot at him, not
TO kill him, but to hurt him; have not
spoken tn my brother Orrick for two
years; everybody knows that / never
went to church and never went to Sun
day school; yes, l was inside church
once at wedding of one of the neigh.
bors. never saw any one die"
On cross examination he said: Yes,
have shot the gun at dogs that came
around the place l have killed dogs
and squirrels with the gun. When
father licked me that morning he did
not know that had done wrong. L
started to tell him about it, but he told
me to shut up!"
This closed the case, and the boy
stepped down from the stand to his
former seat beside his counsel He did
not seem impressed with sense of his
condition. The jury was instructed
and the case argued by counsel and
left in the hands of the jury, as acquit.
tai appeared q certainty.
The boys grandfather was seen
while the jury was out and asked what
he would do with the boy.
IL would like, said the old gentle
man, 'to bring him home; but am
afraid his two brothers would devil
the life out of him after what has hap
pened."
"Did his father leave much proper.
typ"
"No, he did not, but Intend to di.
vide my property between Guy and
his two brothers when l die and think
there will be enough for all of them
Guy would be good boy ii he was not
deviled so much he'd give the shirt off
his back to any one who treated him
right"
The jury after celebrating an hour
and ten minutes returned a verdict of
murder in tue first degree. The boy |
was taken back TO Jail. A motion for |
a new trial will be made.