The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-01
DRUNKARD LYNCHED.
Because He Had Murdered His
Wife and Daughter.
TRAGEDY At cAsTELLA. CAL
j. W. Smith, After Butchering His
Family, Fails to Finish Himself,
and Citizens Attend to Il.

DuSsxurR, Cal, Sept SOL. W. Smith, . car.
penter who has been working in Dunsmuir this
summer, took his wife aud little daughter down
to Casteila, six miles below here, last evening,
and in the night killed his child. fatally injured
his wife and tried to shoot himself. He was
iynched tonight.
When Smith and family got off the train
at Castella they went to Mrs. Mullen's
and engaged lodgings and board for q
week, but when shown to their rooms Smith re-
fnsed to stay In them, but, acting all the while
Ike crazy man, he took his wife and daughter
to tent in the brush and timber back OF the
house, where some party had been camping.
They thought the tent would do and save eX-
pense.
About 10 o'clock a shot was heard, and from
that time on the shooting was kept up till day
light Smith then brought bundle in a
blanket and laid 1. on the porch in front of
store. The storekeeper, noticing blood on the
bundle, laid back the wrappings aud was horri-
fed 10 find the mutilated form OF a little girl.
One side OF her body had been blown and torn
away BY shooting aud her throat was cut, nearly
eevering her head Smith was walking around
in caxed condition. In few minutes Mrs.
Smith came lettering toward the store, her left
arm and shoulder being shot away. She was put
to bad by Mrs. Mullen. She said that she gave
Smith two revolvers and Il shotgun, and that
they agreed for him to kill the child first aud
then to kill her and last himself. She said a
vigilance committee was after them and they
wanted to get away from them. She was very
weak, but seemed rational. Smith seems to
have made effort to shoot himself, but the
charge only grazed and blackened one side of his
head. He was arrested and tied down to the
floor in the store.
The family came to Dnnsmuir from Sieson.
Their neighbors here speak we'll of them Others
cay that she wanted to leave him and take her
child with her. They had not always been har-
he took his family away from Dunsmuir 10
Mrs. Smith was bright and educated lady. ard
smith has been common drunkard.
As the south-bourd express left Dunsmuir at
O'Clock this evening about fifteen men boarded
1t with rope and everything ready for quick
work. As soon the train s!sckened speed at
Castella they jumped off and rushed to where
DEPUTY sheriff of Shasta county stood with
guard ana smith, ready to board the train and
take the prisoner to Redding. With drawn
pistols the party forced the deputy
sheriff and guards 10 stand aside,
aid while some of the party kept the
officers covered others took Smith a short dis
taree ana hanged him to an oak tree Within
ten minutes after the train stopped Smith was q
dead man. He said: Gentlemen, deserve it.
did wrong"
Before nightfall the strangers were back in
their homes
Some believe that it was Smiths threats that
made Mrs. Smith tell the story of their agree.
ment 20 murder the child and then herself.
Mrs. Smith passed away att 80 this evening.