The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-12-26
MANSLAUGHTER.
Little Twelve Year Old Ira
Smith
Pronounced Murderer Of Most
Frightful Mien
BY a Jury OF Twelve Stark COanty
Men This Morning,
After being out sixteen HouIu~.laiGht
stand For Aoquittai on the First vote.-'
Rumored That tho Court Win Dot the
Verdict Aaide---The Case.

Saturday morning the Jury Ia the case
of Ohio W Ira Smith, charged with man.
slaughter, returned q yerfiut, finding the
defendant guilty aA charged IN tho lndlot'
ment.
When tho verdict was read the court
house was we'll filled with PERSONS eager
10 hear the report, When Il was announc-
cd n murmer came from The lips Of almost
everyone present,
The boy, who IN hut ~ years old, aud his
father, who were seated together, heard
tho anawer OF the twelve m0n who had
been called upon % render "a verdict nc
cording 70 the testimony produced. They
east u glance at each other for moment
and both burst into tears, causing the
heart Of every spectator 10 beat with aor.
row NJ the Thought Of tho fate that awaits
this boy, wnen ho N taken away from
home, father mOthpr br0thOra and sis
tors, 70 be cast Into an institution which
will leave stain upon his life forever
All through the hoerlng tho court room
has boon crowded. Those who have hoard
all the testimony introduced aas0rt that
the verdict N outipgeoua They claim
that from the worry frat tho case showed
spite work by H0lghhora having unfriond-
ly feelings toward tho SmithA.
Tho boy was thkon to the Jail 20 await
Hentenoe, which viii be pronounced upon
him The first of the coming week. II N
reported on tho etfoet to'dny that when
tho Jury retired 20 the Jury room and the
first ballot vas taken, they stood olghtfor
ncqulttal and -four Tor conviction, and nf.
ter bcing out aiXtoen houm they then re-
turned a yerdlutOf guilty.
Tho ease " the talk ~ Tho streets to-
day, and indignation in cortain quarters
10 aNid 10 he running high. II IN reported
that the Judge eWlll s"t tho verdict aside.
TuE oAsil
Tho oaao W The result Of shooting nf-
fair which occgrrod near New Berlin on
The eleventh day Of Aupiint In which Car
Ollho llnopp, girl about N ycara of age,
WA Killed by tie discharge of u gun in
the handaofn ie-yAhrold boy named Ira
Smith, Considerable feeling has been
aroused IN The noighborhood whore this
ahpgunR took plnce, aud the pnrcnia Of
the byg, aawcll 90 those OF tho girl, are
very bittcr towards ench othor,
rilEyl0rni p4uWs.
IA. A.NgwelneMocRAr reporter anw Ira
Smllhnt tho county iRil this nftornoon
and on being nskdd ps to how the Aopi-
.fl0i,l happaaaIa, liilisit s,phrn-,vc yetiit
homo from Sunday school on that day,
and was going through the yard, our dog
barkcd ntus, and tie knopp boy asked
me " h0 was mad. | told him
that ho might bite but was not
cross, The lfnopp boy said II ho had q re-
yolvor ho would shoot the dog, We went
into the house to the room where the gun
was standing behind the door. | picked
the gun up and told him that " this waB
loaded we could easily shoot tho dog " we
thought he was mad, As | held
the gun IN my hand Il wont oil
never know the gun 10 bc
be loaded while II WIS In the house. /
did not zee the Knopp girl while we worc
looking at the gun, and did not know that
she was standing thcro. When the
gun went of aud she foil
10 the floor was The first time | know
Hho was there. | was scared nearly
10 death 20 thing what had done. l was
afraid they would bang me, 40 / ran
10 tlo barn and climeh up on the granary.
Bathor had loaded the gun the day before
and did not say anything about II,
mover handled u gun w my life before.
cannot bear 10 leave homo and 90 10 that
reform farm, but ! will have 10 go,
uieaq "