Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-10
THE THREE SMITHS.
Trial Of the Trio Of Clay County
Murderers Begun at Henrietta
Much Interest Manifested.
.+sSeral Witnesses Examined by the
state-NO IntimatIOn as to the
Course the Defense VIII Take.
Some Export aeutinaony which Goes u
show that Two OF the Cans OF tho
smith Boys.were Not fired.
special to tho Gazette

Special to tho Gazette
HENRIETTA, TEX, July 9-The pre-
liminary hearing Of Doc Thompson, Ster-
ling Dawson and Tsck Douthitt, charged
with the murder OF Lewis Smith, James
Smith and Elmer Smith, was begun
this morning in the district court
room before Hon p M. Slime, county
Judge. The defendants are charged
separately with the murder of each of the
deceased, making three cases against
each defendant. E. d. Mum
day, county attorney, assisted by
l.. C. Barrett and Vincent Slime,
represented the state, aud Plemons,
Lakewood and Templeton represented
the defendants The first case taken up
was that for the killing of Lewis Smith,
The defendants
WAIVED THEIR TRIAL
to make a statement A large number Of
witnesses were sworn and put under the
rule.
j. /. McCloud, the nrst witness,
testified as follows; knew Lewis
Smith during his lifetime. The
last time saw him alive
he was about one-quarter OF mile south
of his house. He came TO his death b.
being shot He was shot in Clay county,
Tex, about one.quarter OF a mile south
of his house on the 9TH day OF July, 1886,
about O'Clock in the morning. AT the
time he was shot his two brothers, james
and Elmer, Doc Thompson, Sterling Daw-
son and Tack Douthltt were present, and
two other men whose names | do not
know. | think Andy Ryan and Jack Col
| Inns were their names. was ordered TO
90 to that place by Nat Butcher to help
Douthitt on the fence, No
one else was present when
Butcher ordered me to 20 there | have
been working for Butcher for three weeks
or month. Douthitt had been working
Oil a fence for Butcher about three-quar.
tiers OF mile from where the killing &C.
Cured. do not know who was at work
with Douthitt the morning Of the killing
/ went to the work alone. / first saw
Douthitt
SITTING DOWN IN THE CAMP
talking with Doc Thompson, Sterling
Dawson and Andy Ryan, This was moi
over nifty yards from where the killing
occurred.
do not know Just how long this was
before the killing, probably fifteen OF
twenty minutes / had Just about IN.
ished one post-hole The deaf mar, Calm
was then at work when got there. Tuck
Douthitt told me could go to digging
Sterling Dawson and Doc Thompson
were standing near by. They had moth
ing In their hands that / could see. Al
the camp there are two buildings, both
made of logs, one pretty old, the Other
new. The new one is only about ten OIL
fifteen steps from the old one, When /
was ordered to go to work the defendants
were only two or three steps from the
new building. They were sitting down
talking. There were three guns sit
ting by the south side OF the
house. The boys were on the west
side; know where the mother Of the
deceased lives; her house was little
west of north from where the camp is;
there were some horses tied near tue
camp about fifteen or twenty steps; |
saw Tack Douthitt Just as
THE SHOOTING COMMENCED.
do not think saw him from the time
left TO go to work till Just before the
shooting. When next saw the defend
ants they were coming out TO where |
was at work; they each had Winchester;
they were Tack Douthitt, Doc Thompson
and Sterling Dawson; | did not hear
them say anything TO any one, but
before the shooting began Sterling
Dawson came up close to me
do not know just what Doc Thomps on'e
position was Douthitt was south OF us.
can't say just how far. He was not be-
tween me and the house. The Smiths
drove up right by the hole where | was
digging. All three OF the Smiths were
together. Lew Smith jumped out Of the
wagon and began filling up the post hole.
The Smith boys got there before Dawson
did. Lew Smith had spade in his hand
when he got out Of the wagon. When
Dawson came up he scid; HYop are ILL
ing II up, are your and Smith said az
am" / told Mr.. Lakewood Of what
Dawson said at the time. He came up
to where Lew Smith was 1lllng up
the post-hole. After Lew Smith had filed
up the hole his brothers told him TO get
the post. He started to pick up the post
and Dawson put his foot on the post aud
told him 10 put IL down. Dawson had q
gun in his hand at that Tins. II was In
his right hand, hanging down. Lew
Smith did not make any reply TO Daw-
sons order TO
PUT DOWN THE POST.
Tack Douthitt at this time was little
southeast of me. lie had gun In his
hand and ii was In shooting position.
About this time saw Jim Smith raising
up his gun. The wagon had bed OF box
on. was only two or three feet from
the wagon about the left hind wheel.
Jim Smith was just raising up when
first saw him. Just as he was raising up
i heard some guns fred. looked at
Dawson TO see what he and Smith Lew
were doing, and just as / turned the
shots were fired. All the shooting was
done inside Of minute. was In the
same position when the shooting was
over. The horses ran OF with the
wagon towards Mrs. Smiths house. The
last time saw Lew Smith before the
shooting | think be had a spade In his
hand. saw him Just as the shooting
was done, and he was lying
on the ground He was not