Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-09-27
die @tirst iegree vas COMMITTED 81

1.-The trSI degree was COntniLlSu9 sOtl
Thursday evening, between and q
O'Clock, January 81, in Shepherds
town. Smooth met his victim, Miss
Susie G.. Ferrell, in company with
Miss Lucy SchepPert, on one of the
principal streets, and grasping both
hands of Miss Ferrell said he wished
to speak with her. She told him not
to touch her. and exclaimed TO her
friend, g Lucy, run for lielpl he has
a revolver" As Miss Sehoppert
started to run away Smooth told her
! if she ran he would shoot her, but
she. did not heed him. She rushed
for assistance and gave the alarm
In a moment coiored boy came to
the rescue of the young lady, whom
Smooth was still holding, although
she struggled frantically to release,
herself. With wave of therevolver
he compelled The colored boy to re-
main at distance. Putting his left
arm around her neck, Smooth placed
tile muzzle of the 39-calibre revolver
to the top of her head and sent ball
through her brain, killing her instant
lily. Her lifeless body fell upon the
snow at his feet. In few minutes
James w. Kearney and I. 81. Davis,
two citizens of the town, arrived
where the body lay and carried it
into the residence of Rev. A. "A. p,
Neal, where it was discovered that
life was extinct. Drs. A. S. Rev
nolds and 1. S. Tanner soon arrived,
and an examination of the wound
showed that the hair had been burn
ed by the fame from the revolver.
and that the ball had penetrated the
skull and was somewhere Embedded in
the brain or head, the physicians not
being able TO locate.it. IA.
Smooth turned from the body of
his former sweetheart. for such she
had heen, and went to the Entler Hb-
tel, where he met his brother Charles
He told his brother of the deed and
asked him if he should commit sui
eide. His brother replied that he
could give him no advice. Together
they started homeward, but stopped
at tie Office of DR.. Stottler, where
Smooth several times placed the re-
volverot his head and breast, but
did not have the nerve to end his own
life. He threatened to shoot any
one that should attempt to arrest him.
BY promising to protect him from.
violence DIR. Stottler induced him to
give up the revolver. A constable
soon after entered the office and ar
rested Smooth. He made no resist
ance to the arrest, but asked to be
protected from the father of Miss
Ferrell. He was taken to the office
of the mayor and ina few minutes a
large and excited crowd gathered in
front of tie office and threats of
lynching were made. By the efforts
and cool Judgment of Deputy Sheriff
Col. w. A. Morgan, assisted by
those whom he called to his aid, the
crowd was persuaded to use no vio-
lence, and the prisoner was hurried
into hack and driven distance of
eleven miles to the Jail at this place.
For several days after the murder it
was feared the Jail would be attacked
by mob and the prisoner lynched.
He was removed from the Jail at
night and kept under guard. The
feeling against the prisoner was so
intense that one night the Jail was
guarded by a company of State mi
litia until the prisoner could be taken
to the railroad station to be conveyed
to Charleston, w Va, where he was
kept several days until the feeling
Il ahated. At the February term of
the court he was brought to this
place for trial, but the sudden death
of the judge, Hon. Joseph S. Duck
wall, caused n postponement of his
trial for that term.
The cause of his crime is said to
be unrequited love. About two
years previous to the murder Smooth
began to pay attention to Miss Fer
rell, and, it is said by his friends,
she encouraged his suit for more than
a year. This changed, however, and
while on a visit to friends in Hagers-
town, Md, last summer Smooth went
to see her and she received him cold
lY. This enraged him, and during
her long visit he remained in Hagers-
town and annoyed her with his at
tentions. Upon her return home he
came back to Shepherdstown and con-
tinued his endeavors to obtain her
consent to marry him. Thus matters
remained until they eliminated in
the awful tragedy.
Miss Terrell was the only daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles FerreIl, who
are well-to-do and highly respected.
She was twenty=three years of age.
and was great favorite among her
friends. Her vivacity and lovely
disposition won friends wherever she
went. She was Christian woman,
and bore character above reproach.
Harry f. Smooth. whose parents
! are dead. was twenty seven years
old. and at the time of the killing of
Miss Ferrell had three brothers and
three sisters. all Older than himself.
Since his conviction one of his sister
died. His parents were highly re-
spected, and his brother and sisters
enjoy the respect of the community.
He was a young man of temperate
habits, and before the killing of Miss
Ferrell enjoyed the good reputation
of his fathers family.
Smooth was tried at the June term
1of the Circuit Court of jefferson