The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-09
AN AWFUL CURSE
FOLLOWED HIM
FuIiilIment Of Prediction Made by Muir.
dered Mans Brother.
THE STORY OF A GEORGIA MURDER
The Brother Said the Assassin Would
Never sleep Again, and for Two
Years the Criminal Had Nothing to
DO with Morpheus.

An interesting story of how the
curse of an injured man was fulfilled
on the murderer OF his brother is told
in his autobiography by Sol Smith, now
decea sed, one OF the Oldest American
actors. and chronicler of authentic
and important theatrical events.
"Often-very often" writes Mr..
Smith. in a book published several
years ago, II have attempted to write
of my brother LemuerS murder in
Georgia. but l could not. Thirty years
have elapsed since that terrible event,
and yet whenever ] put pen to paper
with the intention of recording the cir
cumstances attending 1t, l was unapie
to do SO.
about eleven years ago | went to
Montgomery, Ala. with the intention
of visiting my murdered brothers
grave at Milledgeviiie, but. in the mid
die of the night. as the train was pass
ing through the old Indian Nation a
chill came over ME warning me to re-
turn and l did. | could not go on. Re-
turning by the morning train, deter
mined to write u history of that horri-
BILE scene in Georgia. in 1882, and give
some account of the circumstances that
attended il.
My brother. Lemuel Uhe youngest
of eleven of us). was - years of age at
the time he was cruelty cut off from
life. He Is still remembered by many
feurgianS as an actor Of great promise
How and where he became acquainted
with William Flournoy. his slayer.
have never learned. They We're to-
gether at a drinking saloon at the capi-
tai of Georgia on the night of the 18th
of November. 1882. Words passed be-
tween them on Il trifling subject. AL
though my brother had been warned
against Flournoy as Il dangerous man.
he paid no heed to the warming He
remarked to his friend that if Flournoy
wanted anything of him he might come
ON, ut the same time pointing To u ham
die Of Il pistol, loaded only with pow
der. as it was found afterwards. This
remark was communicated a. Flournoy
and saved his life from the halter. At
the time, and until the trial of the muir
derer. two years afterwards. l knew
nothing OF these particulars, and had
only learned the actual facts of the
killing. Flournoy came up to my brother
apparently in friendly manner, and
after inviting him to drink with him,
remarked: This Is the id rascal
who inSulted Inc at Etonton.' With
these words he drew a pistol from his
bosom and fired two shots through the
body Of my brother, mortally wounding
him.
mo one to my knowledge, has ever
been able to solve the meaning of the
words, You are the ID rascal who
insulted me at Etonton' My brother
had never been in Etonton, and had
never met Flourney there.
when informed of my brothers
murder / rushed to the fatal spot, and
found him weltering in his blood. The
murderer had fed. The victim re-
taned his senses to the last. and in
formed me and the bystanders that
William Flournoy had fired the fatal
shots. A few hours afterwards he
breathed his last
1.-The coroners jury brought in ver-
diet of 'willful murder against Flour