Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-28
A HORRIBLE CRIME.
A Four-year-old Child Most
Brutally Outraged
AND AFTERWARDS MURDERED
BY Black Devil The Most Brutal Crime That
Has Ever Dlsgraoed Lamar CounE-lI
Captured the Fiend WIN Meel Justice
al the Hands Of the People.

Paris, Tex. Jan CSpeciall Never
has ulis city been 30 excited as tonight
aud never has 80 brutal crime been
pcrpctutcd here as was last night, Yes
tcrday evening Myrtle, the little 4-yenr-
old daughter of Henry Vance. was play
ing on the sidewalk when Henry smith.
a large nuattu passed by aud picking
her up In his arms walked on with her.
A playmate ran Into her home aud asked
her father 10 come out and make the
negro put Myrtle down. but be- thought
the negro was only taking her home aud
paid no attention TO iL The negro was
also seen 10y Mayor Cate wifi the child
but he Thought nothing oi e. Myrtle
MOI coming home. her father began n
search aud soon learned the factR, but
WIS led by false report tO think the
child had been carried 10 the country
and pursuit was fritlcsHly made thnt
way. This morning, nothing still having
been heard, parties were organized TO
search A visit 10 Smiths home dis
closed the fact that hc had been absent
ull night. only coming I'm about daylight
this morning. Ills wife who had heard
Of the child'a dinpppargnce md his CON
nection with It, asked him what he had
done with the enid, and told him he
had better carry IL back home II he hud
not already done so on hp would have
trouble with the white folks. Smiths
reply was damn the white folks, ! don't
eat children" He then made her get
him something TO eat and at once left
Several months ago Vance, then on lac
city police force, arrested smith for being
drunk aud disOrdcHy and had hard
time Of n, as Smith. when drinking. was
very mean and tried 20 use his knife
ON Vance, aud was only arrested after
Vance had U2pd hi WH"o freely. Smith
sworc then that he w0uld live 10 get even
with Vance FOR the hcntng he got
All day today the search for Smith
and the child continued and this evening
about 3i}O o'clock. party going through
dense piece of woods near the dog
pound. In the southeast part Of the city,
found pool Of blood and few signs
Of a struggle AT the foot OF tree In
Eve or six feet on a bed Of leaves was
the impression Of mans body, and
crumplcd and bent az " laid upon was
@ hat that was Identified as Smiths.
NCur was also an under garment worn
by the missing child. Further search dis
covered not twenty feet away, covered
10y leaves and brush. the lifoless body Of
Little Myrtle Vance. A slight bruiRe
on the right temple was the only sign
OF violence, until her body was examined,
when IL was found that she had been cru
ely outraged by the brute, The body
was torn and manglod IN n horrible mum
uer. aud IL was evident that the torture
was almost. II not the entire, sole cause
Of death, and after doing tho deed the
brute had laid down and slopt an night
Ia twenty feet Of his victims body.
Smith rs about six feet high, yellow
skin, frcckled. coarse open hair. not
kinky broad wide apart teeth bnlgng
forehead, very thick Tipped, wore boots.
one with heel OF. one small heel. both
tops cut on stiped pants and blue over
nils instead of underwear. talks conrse.
smaI scar on right check and scar ON
side of head above right ear.
II brought here he win expiate his
crime at the hands of the people