The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-15

ACTED VERY STRANGELY
d. ehssr1n says ths Child,s Death Was
CAuOd b. oerangulation = Mothers
. Story = Smith Whom Ar
rsssoo Was very Nervous.

u la6t f'Ns
at q coroner's inquest held last evening
By Acting Coroner f. J. Laurandeau.
TIE inquest was not finished, and was
adjourned until this evening after a
number OF witnesses had been exam
ined. The mother of the murdered
child testified. and nearly broke down
several times. Throughout h even
M she sat and listened to the testi-
mony, weeping silently behind her veil.
ne evidence looked TO the
accused man, Smith, but there was
nafhing In the way of direct testimony.
A new theory was advanced. which
mAkes II appear that the murder was
ma cummitted in the clubhouse In the
vault of which the body was found, but
n q barn adjoining. and then thrown
oDwn the closet.
Deputy County Attorney Daniel Yam
cey conducted the examination of the
witnesses. The first witness was Mrs.
all, the mother of the child. She told
her story Of Ethefs disappearance from
hpme a. has already been narrated in
the Standard. Saturday morning. she
aid. she went down to the warehouse
and asked about a man who had been
sen talking to a child.
In the meantime a policeman came
Z along and said a child had been heard
10 cry near an ice house near by. and
asked to search II thoroughly. While
ne stood talking Mr.. Ayers. at Fosters
warehouse. told of the man he had seen
talking to Ethel shortly before he closed
NJ Thursday evening. Mrs. Enos, who
lives With me. n l started on down
the road. I would get dow on my
knees to look under the lumber and
finally went around between the lumber
- -~-Al~ I'D u-onf M Inward the
depot. I kept feeling the child mad
been foully dealt with. What made
. me 70 into the closet. I don't know,
hut went and looked. thought i
cav . little stocking. but changed my
mind started to go away, u
turned back and raised up the v
again. and got down and peered into
the vault. saw my ehnds WAIST.
ana rushed out and cried: MY God, my
: child has beer murdered! The men
around could not believe 1t, but j said
I knew Il. and cried to get a policeman
and get her out. Finally ] could stand
it no longer. and had to go home. 1
was broker down"
What made you suspect foul pIayF
asked Mr.. Yancey.
.Recause she always minded SO
wen. i knew she would come home II
nothing detained her." Mrs. GIN was
asked II she saw the man arrested by
the police. Asked IL he answered the
description of the man seen by Mr.. Ay-
ers. she said she did not think so. the
poor mother nearly broke down several
times while telling her story. but
choked down her sobs and went on ne
roically to the end. She said In conclu-
sion hat she had no suspicion as to
who committed the deed.
Z DIR. p. j. Sheeran stated hat he had
examined the murdered child. % the
body" he said. Il found a confusion on
the left side of the forehead. IN next
most noticeable was a thumb mark on
the throat. The skin was broken, show
ing the pressure must have been great.
cut into the throat and found the
larnyx broker. The yes were dilated
and there was every indication that
she had died from s~uffocation. On ex-
aiming the sexual rRans l found con-
elusive evidence that the child had been
outraged. The child had been dead
something more han "a hours. From
the marks on the throat i could tell
the right hand had been used In chok-
ing the child" Asked II he could tell
IL II was the mark Of a mans hand on
the throat ne said yes. The body had
been washed when the examination was
made and he could not tell whether or
not the child had bled from the nose
and mouth. Mr.. Yancey asked the wit
ness II he a examined the clothes of
: the accused man Smith. and he said
YES. He examined Smith himself also.
but found no suspicious Indications. ex-
cept the blood on his coat. IL was inn
possible to tell how long the blood had
been on n garment. The blood was
found on the lapel and sleeve and an
other spot on the vest.
The father was the next witness. He
told the story almost word for word In
his wife's language and was unable e
throw any light on the investigation.
Captain of Police Dawson told oi
Mrs. Gill coming TO him and saying
her child was missing. That is a very
common occurrence and 1 told her shs
was probably out playing n had got
lost. and that she would probably COM
home. ]. however. sent word To all tn
ofheers to look for the child. That's al
I know of the circumstances of th'
child being missing. but with regart
TO this fellow Smith, when he was ar
rested he had blood on his shirt ant
was highly excited. As we were lock
ing him up. before I knew of the chilc
being murdered. he kept asking 70
water and appeared very feverish.
said TO him to see whate effect IL oult
have on him. We've got you dead u
rights. Your partner has squealed oI
YOU He started and sad: Why.
ia nv ~ Nv - '' ~,
more agitsted and said: For God
saks put out those lights. They hur
my eyes. pull down the blind. 1 don
want these people rubbering at me
When he was left alone in the cage h
broke his bed and tried to pry of tn
lock with one Of the iron bars of tn
bed. ] then sent him to the count
jail"
Captain Dawson expressed his belle
that Smith committed the murder an
said II would ave been impossible 10
the child to have been placed in tn
closet vault after Smith was arrested
as an Officer was stationed there con
etautly. in citizens clothes. we eve
sent him his meals In the hope of catch
ing others connected with the hard
ware robbery. The officer was relieve,
but one vas there all the time unit
after the child was found. and he wa
within 20 feet of the closet all th
time.
Sergeant Of Police James Leyden tol
Of receiving a telephone messas
~u~.I~- >rc.snD .hcsr@ 4 oseIoTE uof