The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-04-07
A Deplorable Tragedy.

A Deplorable Tragedy.
J. L. G. Smith, a resident of
HALEY, and proprietor of the Hot
Springs near that place, was in
stantly killed by shot from rifle
in the hands of his wife last Mon-
day about 4 o'clock P. N. The de-
tails of the horrible deed have been
fully published in the HALEY pa
pers, we will therefore only briefly
refer to the principle parts of the
evidence of Willie B. Smith, a son
of the deceased and the only eye
witness to this sad affair, before the
coroner's jury. The following are
extracts from the report of the in
quest: willie B. Smith, II years
old, and son of the deceased, says
that his father came home about
$3.50 o'clock or little after. My
mother and myself were home when
he arrived. The shooting took
place about five minutes before 4"
Question: From the time your
father came home till the shooting
occurred did either of you leave the
house?" Yes, sir, my mother left;
she went to Mr.. Browns house,
about block away; she remained
away two or three minutes; when
she came back she went into the
front room through the kitchen, or
front door, don't know which"
Here follows the witness account
of assisting his father in attending
to the horses, while his mother was
gone from the house, after the
horses were in the stable, l went
into the house and he followed me
in; he went out of the house two
or three times, staying not exceed
ing a minute at any time; the last
time he was in the house two or
three minutes before the shooting
took place. When my mother re-
turned from Mr.. Browns house,
father was in the kitchen; he was
in the front room when he was shot
he was standing at the head of the
lounge; he was moving when he
was shot my mother shot him with
rifle" Witness explained that
he had been shooting on the flat
near home two weeks before and
had left cartridge in the gun, but
did not know whether his mother
knew it was loaded or not. He con-
tinued: "He was threatening to
strike her at different times, and
attempted to do so; / pushed him
off five or six different times myself,
and just before the shooting my
mother went into the bedroom and
he kicked the door open; in open
ing the door it threw her against the
foot of the bed, she caught her bal
ance and Strengthened up; he then
caught her with his left hand by the
right arm, he raised his right arm
in the attitude Of striking; caught
him by the arm and pulled him
away; he swore he would clean us
both out and came at me again he
made another attempt to attack my
mother; as he was going to make
the attack he advanced with clinched
fist III threatening attitude; just
as he started to advance mother
took up the gun, and as he made
about three steps she fired. He had
nothing in his hands when he ad-
vanced toward mother that | could
see. He said just before he started
II will clean you both out" Cues
ton: "At the time of this fuss
could you not, both of you, have
left the house if you wanted tor"
eve could, but if we had think
he would have executed his threats
of burning down the house. | never
saw my mother handle this gun
previously to the shooting. l con.
slider that both my mothers life and
my own were in danger" The cor
oner's jury rendered a verdict to the
effect that the deceased "came to
his death on the I'd day of April
1888, in this county, by having been
! shot with a rifle in the hands OF
Mrs. Margaret Smith, his wife, and
that the jury believe the same in.
tentional." Mrs. Smith is in Gus
tody, and her preliminary examina-
ton will take place next Monday.
A Dam Nuisance.