The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-17
DR. SMITH IN DANGER.
Walter K. Clinton Threatens to Kill Him
 Was Prepared When Arrested.

Was Prepared When Arrested. Walter R. Clinton, young mechanic about twenty years old, living in West Haven, was arrested Saturday evening by Captain Cowles of the detective bu-
 reau upon information of Rev. Dr. Newman Smyth, pastor of Center church, that Clinton had threatened to kill him. Dr. Smyth furnished evidence
 that led the police to believe that there was imminent danger of the reverend gentleman's death should Clinton meet him, hence the arrest, Clinton has been an attendant at Dr. Smyth's church and the latter has taken considerable interest in him. He once, at Clinton's request, called and examined device which Clinton thought would yield a fortune.
 Six months ago he wrote to Dr.
 Smyth, telling him that he had injured him (Clinton) to the extent of $900 by
 getting him discharged from several shops. He said the clergyman's object
 was to compel him to become minister.
 If you get me a loan of $12,000," he wrote, q will build @ machine shop and
 manufacture the machine I have in vented. You can do this, and it will be doing me but little justice. If you re- fuse there will be a first class funeral some day, and you or I will be the corpse"
 About week ago Dr. Smyth talked to the young man, telling him that he must stop sending him threatening | letters
 About this time Clinton conceived the idea that Dr. Smyth belonged to pow erful secret society which controlled all the restaurants in town, and that
 he also controlled his mothers kitchen.
 He believed that Dr. Smyth intended to
 poison him. For several days he has eaten nothing at home or anywhere l else.
 | A few days ago Dr. Smyth received a i letter from Clinton in which the writer
 said that unless $12,000 was placed to
 his account in a local bank by Satur- l day he would destroy ten times that
 amount of property and wreak ven | geance on Dr. Smyth. Two other let ters of the same description followed, | but Dr. Smyth paid no attention to
 them
 Saturday afternoon W. w. Smith, agent for the Conunecticut Building i and Loan association, who had been in | formed by Clinton that he intended to
 kill Dr. Smyth called the latter by | telephone. The clergmyman was not
 at home, and MT. Smith would not de- liver his message to anyone else. He did not wish to alarm the family. When Dr. Smyth returned he called up MT. Smith, and was then told of the threats Clinton had made in the brok- 1 CTS office. Dr. Smyth reported to the
 police.
 | Clinton was arrested just as he was
 about to leave home for this city. He had 32 and a 2S-calibre revolver with | him and told the officers that he was
 going to New Haven to kill Dr. Smyth. l At the instance of the police authori- i ties Dr. Louis J. Gaynor, the police sur | geon, examined Clinton yesterday and
 will testify in the court this morning as l to his sanity.
 | Clinton yesterday afternoon still en- ! tertained the idea that he should kill
 his would-be victim. He refused to eat
 while he was in the lookup, saying that | the food was poison.
 Dr. Gaynor had him removed to the | patrolmen's quarters, where he ate his l dinner. There is little doubt that Clin-
 ton must be treated before he recov-
 CTS his sanity. Clinton's friends called l to see him yesterday. A bed and bed
 ding were sent to him. A bed and bed
 sel has been secured and if Clinton is
 committed to an insane retreat it will
 be after a determined fight.