Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-07-31
BANDED AGAINST HIM
CONSPIRACY rs WHICH HUMAN BASS-
NESS CriNINATRS.
James ". S-.t Of C-c's2 Convicted o. a''-'-'
c, Il-s.- ,-s l---slcs Of BIS we
and s. E-su s-A P.o'
Lad Ble.

CHICAGO Jolly al-D De'e''f 'f
nsl,.t tuen.7-aor hours reveal the iA''
,b,+ James vs.. smith, the experienced
d-,r,b.sm,p. who was convicted in Jodse
nf,C,,..lrs Court Sunday Of outrage on
q, sigbt-vssr.ol5 girl, is beyond all dooo'
innocent The i1ry brought in a 'e'ai''
o,yuity and sentenced smith to y years
=, ths psausntiary, The prisoner was
oysrwbslmsd by The shock. Rising III 'n'
c,,-t nom he appealed to heaven TO WIZ
ness tbst be was innocent OF tne crime,
and drswine q small Gasp knife stabbed
himself inst over the heart The aes ere
.tsd a sensation. smiths wife, who vas
nv tainted and both we're carried from
from the room. This morning smith was
seen at the hospital, and though danger
ousiy is not fatally injured.
THE DETAILS or THE PLOT,
which resulted in bis conviction are mark
"A bv selfshnes8. cunning, and revolving
cruelty. almos. beyond human belief.
Fourteen years ago Smith was married ~
an Eastern city. he was q ekilllnl en-
ginser. aud had no difficulty In securing a
resn1nsible position "a the head oraughts-
man for the New York, Chicago and Sc.
Louis Railroad Company, when he moved
fo Chicsg0 Four years prior Co this lit
tIeQirl had been born % the couple, whose
married life had been one OF happiness ahd
corfentment About the time be moved
fo Chicago. smith met with a serious acci-
dent Asurgcil operation was performed
and although the uni0riuuste man recov-
ered from it be was left forever
incapable of committing the crime
with which hs was charged and convicted.
Tt brought blight over the married life
of the couple. and in q few years Mrs.
smith beran to tire Of her husband. de
MAS hind. generous. sober and industrious
and She bsd n0 ground on when 20 de-
mand q divorce. Bu. wOman's ingenuity
,sr,s to her ala. Smith bad secret enemies
in ths euplov oi the company, who were
Jealous of bis rapid advancement ana tney
and the fsithl .ss wife plotted TO accomplish
his disgrace and ruin
Tne scheme was LAID with teudish IN
penuity A tew months ego A5. and Mrs.
smith aloptsd o child from the Home OF
the Fr'e1diess Anna Louise hse was tne
name OF the little girl, who vas about
eight verrs Ola. In three OF four months
ugiy rum0rs began t0 ba circulated around
Grand Crossing. where the smiths lived.
Mr. smith and the railroad rivals Of
smitn were active a. this work. Finally
they cOns1mmated
IN SMITHS ARREST
on the charge of criminal assault on the
Kse child. The charge was preferred by
one, Mrs. Taylor, who lived in the neigh
borhood, who sWore positively that ne was
guilty, and asserted that she had examined
the little girl Smith vehemenuy
asserted his innocence, but was held % the
grand Jury, indicted aEd the case came Co
trial. Then the wife relented. She wished
q divorce to marry another man, but she
did not want lo see her busband convicted.
She visited the isil. and made fall con-
fession to the prisoner The case went TO
trial but her testimony could not be taken
iu q case in which her husband was de-
fendant. The defense. however, confidently
relied on proving Smiths Innocence,
bnt the manufactured testimony was too
strong against them, and Smith was con-
v.cted.
To-day. ss sn last resort, Mrs. smith. a
confession was made public, aud "a medi-
csl examination established Suilh's lnno-
cencs. If he rcclver5 be wiz bs granted
new trial and acquitted The men who
eorsnir.F te ruin him are known, aud