The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-09-24
IT WAS AN
ACCIDENT.
Result of the Inquest in the Smith
Case.
STORIES OF THE WITNESSES.
DR.. Spalding'S Evidence Upon His In
veSugatiOn-The Jury Decides
Upon the Cause Of Death.

Deputy Coroner Manley and a jury
comprising +. j. Brennan, John Scanlan,
Philip H. Gable, John Stanton, Patrick
Flaherty and p. H. Manley attempted
Saturday night TO get some definite in
formation as to the manner in which John
George Smith, the aged German, met his
death at his home in Brownsville Satur-
day morning, but they were unsuccessful.
The material facts elected were substan.
TALLY as previously reported, with the
exception that the widow testified that
she did not hold the Italians with whom
the deceased associated on the previous
night responsible for the old mans death.
Mrs Louisa Smith, the widow, was the
first witness. Her story as to the hndlng
of the body in the bedroom was the same
as she had previously told the Deputy
Coroner and the reporters. The body fell
in through the window and the ten-year-
old son discovered the death while search
ing the pockets of the deceased Mrs
Smith said she had no quarrel with her
| husband that night. A fifty.Cent silver
piece a watch and a bottle half full Of
whiskey were found in the pockets A
bucket half full of beer was found on the
porch. The deceased said nothing after
he fell into the room. At first the widow
| and two boys thought the man had fallen
4 lltO u uetp sluuUef' " WIS i've minutes
| after the entrance that the widow re
| spOnded to the call of the boy and found
that the man was dead.
| The two sons affirmed the story of the
| widow. There was no evidence TO show
that anybody accompanied the man to
his home on the fatal night 1t was shown
that he first went to the Italian shantv,
then to Lord" McGuire's saloon and then
came to Shenandoah.
| George w. Smith, a son of the deceased
by the first wife, testified that his father
| called at his house, in Leitzel's row on Coal
street, between 10 and IL o'clock on Friday
night. Upon the fathers invitation the
son went to a saloon and they each had
two glasses of beer.' The father was pre-
viously under the influence OF drink. The
couple parted n few minutes later at the
corner of Main and Coal streets each
starting for his respective home. That
was the last time the son saw his father
alive AT two O'Clock in the morning the
former was notified of the death.
Dr. ). G. Spalding testified that he ex.
amined the body upon request of the
Deputy Coroner. He found cOntusions on
the right side of the face and blood was
| flowing from the ear. No postmorten
was made. The injuries We're the result
of violence, but the doctor was not pre
pared to state the nature of the violence.
| Appearances indicated that the neck was
! broken, but the body was so stiff that
that point could not be definitely de
termined. Death was probably due tC
concussion of the braln which may have
resulted from the man falling head-long
| to the floor when he entered through the
| wlndow. If the man fell through the
| window and to the floor upon his head
the shock would be sufficient to kill him
After a short deliberation the Jury
rendered the following verdict "That
the said George Smiths death was due tC
/ nTNV lFnHNsH grHg Of
from window sill while attempting to
| enter his home"