Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-16
A DEATH WATCH SET.
William Smith, the Murderer, Placed
Under Surveillance
UNTIL he EXPIATEs HIS CRIME.
He Drops the Appearance Of Insanity,
and Pleads for Mercy.
ONLY TEN DAYS LEFT FOB HIM TO LIVE

The death watch has been placed upon
William Smith, the colored wife murderer,
whose execution is fixed for the 26th of this
month. by order of Sheriff McCandless. He
will never be left alone again until he
reaches that portal across which every man
must pass unaccompanied. The manner in
which this prelude to death was received
has removed from the minds of the Jail Off
cials the last lingering suspicion that Smith
is insane.
Deputy Sheriff Charles Rice and Deputy
Constable John fisherman were appointed
as the death watch by the Sheriff,
and they will stand alternate eight
hour watches. Yesterday morning Warden
Berlin took Rice to Smiths cell
and introduced him to the prisoner, in
forming the latter that he would now have
company day and night until the day of the
execution. Then, for the first time, Smith
appeared to realize that his end was fast ap-
preaching.
INSANITY PLAYED OUT.
Smith has been very obstinate and re-
served since his trial, and has absolutely re-
fused to talk to anyone, not even to his
friends or the physicians who examined him
for evidences of insanity. When approached
upon any subject, he would simply reply,
81 know my business" and then relapse
into stold silence. He has all along been
impressed with the idea that his attorney
would secure him new trial or commuta-
tion of the death sentence.
When the Warden began to explain the
meaning of the death watch yesterday,
Smith trembled violently, and seemed to
feel that all hope was gone. When he
partially recovered his serenity he insisted
that he did not want n death watch as
he did not wish to be bothered by men
hanging around his cell all the time. When
it was explained to him that his wishes
could not be respected in this instance, as
the law requires the placing of the watch,
Smith sprang to his feet nervously, and
seeming to believe that the Warden was to
be the executioner, exclaimed excitedly:
"Say, boss, you wouldn't have the heart to
to hang me for what I did, would your
Why, there's a dozen men who only got
second degree for shooting people down ON
the street in cold blood for nothing at all.
tell you, boss, had cause to kill, had.
HE REALIZES HIS POSITION.
The Warden left the cell and Smith lay
down on his cot and for a couple of hours
was lost in deep meditation. Then he
aroused himself and began talking to
Watchman Rice on different topics. From
that time on he has spent his time in read
ing the newspapers, smoking and talking,
varied with an occasional nap. He is not at
all cheerful, and appears TO fully realize his
position.
The duties OF the death watch are mo-
notonous and onerous, but Watchman Rice
is well up in them, having served in like
capacity for seven condemned murderers-
Carter, McSteen, Babe Jones, Weinberger,
Frank Small. Ward McConkey and Ed.
Coffee. The member of the dead watch on
duty sits in front of the open cell door
and watches every movement OF the
condemned man. Every article taken into
the prisoner is searched for fear knife,
poison or some other means for cheating the
gallows may be hidden in the package. He
is allowed nothing to eat or drink until it
has passed through the hands of the Jail
officials or has been prepared within the
walls of the institution. The prisoner is
not allowed a knife and fork at his meals,
the iood being cut up before given to him.
He must eat with a spoon, and that and the
necessary dishes are removed from the cell
the moment he finishes his meal.