The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
GOOD NEWS FOR SMITH,
Experts Say the Blood May or
May Not Be From a HUI
man Being.
His Sentence VIII Probably Be Com
muted to Life Imprison-
ment.

Fremont Smith, the Colusa murderer
who was to have been hanged to-day, but
was reprleved by the Governor until the
9th of August, pending certain microscope
cal examinations, will probably escape the
death penalty after all. He certainly will
if the question of reasonable doubt is al
lowed to enter in the deliberations of the
chief executive.
Three noted experts have found them
selves unable at this late day to tell
whether the blood found on Smiths over
alls was human blood or that of hog.
Smith, it will be remembered, was con-
victed of numbering his two partners near
Colusa. He and the two murdered men
owned team in common, and it was to
gain exclusive possession that he killed
them.
Their bodies were found in the river last
December, and Smith was arrested charged
with the crime. His overalls were found
covered with blood, though he accounted
for this by saying that he had killed a hog.
The Jury, however, refused to believe the
story and Smith was sentenced to be
hanged. These facts were all laid down
before Governor Budd who granted Smith
few days lease on life, ordering at the
same time that the overalls worn by the
condemned man at the time he is said to
have committed the double murder be
sent to some expert chemist. The clothing
was accordingly sent to DR.. D. w. Mont
gomery, who associated with him DIR. John
G. Spencer and DR.. Albert Abrams, two
Well-known experts.
The result of their combined investiga-
tons places Smith within one-thirteen
thousandth of an inch of the gallows, yet
the fact that it is no nearer means life to
him.
Ones mind can hardly grasp what is
meant by one thirteen-thousandth part Of
an inch, yet there is just that difference
! between the average red corpuscle Of
! human blood and the red corpuscle of g
hog, and it is this inconceivable degree
| that will probably allow Smith to die {
! natural death.
| DR.. Montgomery and his associates, in
report mailed to the chief executive las
| night spoke substantially as follows:
In the case of Fremont Smith we are unabl,
to answer If the bloodstains on the overall
were those OF a human being or of a hog. Thi
would have been difficult undertaking unde
even the most favorable conditions but tn,
lapse of time and other points to be nance
hereafter render positive opinion PRACTICAL!
| impossible.
The red blood corpuscle of some men ii
smaller than the average, approaching conse
| quently those of the hog, while some corpus
| cles OF the hog are larger than the average, ap
preaching that OF man. The difference 0
| diameter between the two is about one thir
! teen-thousandth of an inch.
me blood IN this case was dry. Those in the
| habit of making examinations are aware how
delicate are blood corpuscles. We must tax,
these blood corpuscles and soak in some fluiC
OF equal density with the element from which
| they came.
To know how long to allow them to remain
! in this fluid in order to reach their origina
diameter was practically impossible.
| AS a matter of fact we were unable to fine
what we could positively say was a red blood
corpuscle in spite of the fact that all are USED
| to examining blood at least once week. Hat
it not been for a chemical and spectroscopi,
test we would not have been able to say it wa
! blood all