Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-08
GOLDEN CITY.
wash Smith Indicted for involuntary
Granddaughter.

The following indictment was returned
against Wash Smith, the captain of the
watch, yesterday by the grand jury: That
Wash Smith, on the Both OF March, 1882, in
the county aforesaid feloniously did kill
and commit involuntary granddaughter on
and upon the body of one Miss G. Smith in
the manner following. to-wit: The said Wash
Smith was then and there
CAPTAIN OF THE WATCH
on a certain steamboat called the Golden
City, plying in the waters of the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers, and the said steamboat had
on board large quantity Of freight, highly
inhammable in Its character, to-wit: 100
empty coal-oil barrels, forty bales of junk
and forty bales OF jute, which said freight
had been before then diligently, carelessly
and improperly loaded and stored away,
and negigently left uncovered and ex-
posed to fire by the officers of said
control of the loading and storage of
SAID freight, all of which was then
and there we'll known to said Wash Smith;
and the said steamboat had on board at the
same time large number of passengers, to-
wit: Thirty men, twenty women, and fifteen
children-which was also well known to said
Wash Smith; and the said freight being
highly infsmmable in its nature and being
negligently loaded, stored, and exposed TO
fire, as the said Wash Smith we'll knew
would easily burn if any flames should come
in contact with said freight, and thereby the
lives of said passengers and the crew of said
steamboat would be greatly endangered;
and the grand jurors charge that on the day
and year aforesaid, and in said county, said
steamboat, laden as aforesaid, being then
and there in the waters of the Missippi river
and in the county of Shelby, the said Wash
Smith did carry certain lamp near to said
inaammable freight, and did then and there
neglgently, -carelessly and fsloniously han
die said burning lamp at and near to said
highly inhammable freight, to-wit: The said
bales OF jute and junk-whereby the said
burning lamp did touch and fall against said
bales of jute and junk, by reason whereof
the said junk and jute was then and there
burned and inflamed and the sad
flame was then and there communicated TO
the other freight and TO the entire boat, by
reason of which the said boat was then an
there, in said county, entirely destroyed and
Consumed, by reason of which said fire and
burning caused, as aforesaid, the said Miss
e. Smith being passenger on board said
steamboat was then and there suffocated and
burned, by reason of which said suffocat;on
and burning, caused as aforesaid, by the
said Wash Smith, the said Miss q. Smith
did there and then instantly die; and SO the
grand Jurors, upon their oath, do charge and
say that the said Wash Smith, on the day
and year aforesaid, in the county and State
aforesaid, and by reason of said criminal
carelessness and negligence aforesaid, did
kill and feloniousy commit involuntary
manslaughter ON and upon the body of the
said Miss c. Smith.
The second count charges him with COM
hitting a similar crime against divers per-
sons whose names are unknown to the grand
jury.
1t is understood that the officers OF the
boat are also to be indicted to-day The
general impression is that nothing can be
made OF the case, as it will be difficult to
establish the jurisdiction of the case. The
McIntyres were down the river yesterday
looking after the wreck. They are ready to
answer any charge that may be brought
against them.