The Portland daily press., 1893-09-22
NOTORIOUS N. D. SMITH
Asks for a Pardon and Then Repents and
Withdraws His Petition.


never heard of n. D. Smith, one of the
most picturesque criminals in the histo-
nv of the state. Smith is a very venera-
BILE looking man, and in his time was
somewhat prominent locally in politics.
He is now in prison in Massachusetts,,
and before his last sentence was street
preacher, meeting with some success in
that line. He is man of more than Or
binary intelligence and is said to have
been years ago ready speaker. He was
once trial justice and qualifying officer
in Somerset county, and was appointed
by Andrew johnson, postmaster OF
Smithfeld. That was when johnson was
trying to find Republicans in sympathy
with his policy to fill the offices. Smith
was not in accord with the President and
declined the appointment.
He recently addressed a petition to
Gov. Russell, asking for pardon. but
before it was acted on withdrew it in
letter to the Governor in which he said:
s.For fear your excellency might take
action on nv petition, write once more,
which will end my bother in the State
House. I now desire to confess to you
that 1 have been trying to obtein par
don by false statements, claiming to
have been innocent when | was guilty.
II have stood out for long time, hop
ing might get out, as my health is
poor.
81 did not want to bring disgrace up
on the church and Christianity by con-
Tossing. But [ now see that God does
not want this. So | give up all my
claims for pardon, and beg the pardon
of your excellency, of the council and
the whole commonwealth.
Liquor caused all my trouble. hope
that good will come out of my down
fall.''
N. D. Smith, known in many states as
criminal of a class almost peculiar to
himself. was born in Mercer, Me-, lit
tie over so years ago. He married at
20, and for the next Is years was only
known as good and rather ambitious
citizen. Then he had some trouble
with his wife and was divorced. Shortly
after he fell violently in love with anoth-
er woman. The first time he saw her he
said that he thought II must marry that
woman or I'm a ruined man." He made
her acquaintance, and she at last, so
Smith says, consented to marry him.
They were then in Augusta, where she
lived, but she wanted to live in Boston,
and Smith, who then was working at his
trade, that of blacksmith, went to
Boston, and hired and fitted up a tene-
ment on Washington street. He then
wrote to the woman to join him in Bos-
ton where they were to be married, but
she had changed her mind, and never
answered his letter, OF any one of the
many letters, hundreds in all, that he
wrote to her in after years.
In time Smith became tramp and
criminal He served term in the Jail
at Wiscasset, for breaking into the No
bleboro station of the Knox & Lincoln
and stealing $50 Then he was in the
house of correction at East Cambridge,
and in the Massachusetts state prison
for three years, next in the Portland jail
for stealing a watch, then in jail in Au-
gusta, and then in that of Bangor From
Bangor he went, to use his own quaint
words, Ito ST. John, N. B., filled with
liquor, and in great agony of soul"
There he was arrested and sent to prison
for six years, serving in the prisons at st.
John, Dorchester and Kingston. He
then returned to Augusta where he tried
to see the woman who would not marry
him. According to his story he stayed
outside the house until the lamps were
lighted and he at last saw her face. He
remained watching her until the lamps
were put out in the parlor, when he
went away and for months she was ig-
norant of the watch kept over the house
by the homeless and starving tramp who
had once loved her SO well.
He next went to Portland, where he
got the idea that his best course would
be to get employment about some prison
temptation ana where he could earn
money with which to make restitution
to parties from whom he had stolen
property. He nearly starved, but man.
aged to get numerous signatures to his
petition, and at last fell back into his
old ways, was arrested, and sentenced by
Judge Bonney to prison for six years.
His time expired in 1890, and in 1892 he
received his present sentence in Massa-
chusetts. During the administration of
Gov Robe, Smith made strong effort
to obtain pardon, but his petition was
rejected after thorough investigation
of his case.