The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-15
SMEDLEY WAS DISCHARGED
IN SPITE OF STRONG EVIDENCE
AGAINST HIM.
His Accuser, Miss Goodfellow, and
Her Baby, Which She Declares Is
His Also, Confronted Him.

Pennington, July 14-Ernest w.
Smedley. who is charged with having
committed adultery with Miss Isabelle
Goodfenow, was given preliminary
hearing before Justice Naylor of Boun-
tful precinct yesterday at p. m.
County Attorney D o. Wiley, jr-, con-
Quoted the prosecution and Attorney
u. y. Straup of Salt Lake represented
Mr.. Smedley.
The case, from its sensational nature,
attracted a great amount of attention,
and the court room, in the Central
school house. was filled with specta-
tors. Nj Smediey's wife, who believes
sincerely in her husband S innocence,
was present, as was also the proSecut-
ing witness. Miss GoOdfellow, and the
baby in the case. a pretty, f1aXen-halr-
ed. blue-eyed little girl l. months OLD
The FIRST witness for the prosecution
was Mrs. Annie Barlow, Smedley
mother-in-law. who testified TO the
marriage Of her daughter to the De
PENDANT on Nov. %, 1883.
Miss Goodfellow, the complainant,
was then sworn. and for nearly three
and a half hours she was on the stano'
most of the time under scathing
cross-examination Her testimony was
very STRAIGHTFORWARD, clear and con-
else, and il made a deep impression up
on those who heard it. She was gooo
witness. Under cross-examination, her
testimony was not weakened, and she
made no material contradictions.
She testified that she was 26 years OF
age. had lived in Bountiful p years.
had known defendant many years
lived as neighbor to him. Her father
and mother were dead, and she lived
with her brother. On the evening OF
May I6 1896, Smedley came to her
house while she was alone, between D
and 6 o'clock in the evening; he stayed
two hours or more; made indecent pro-
posals to her which she at first resent
ed and finally yielded 10. 1t was then
that her ruin was accomplished. a rev
days later he visited her again, and the
previous experience was repeated. Sew
eral times since then he had come 10
her house but there had been no Illicit
relations since June, 1896 Her papy
was born Feb. 16 1897. Had seen Smeo-
ley several times since then; he mad
brought milk to her house, and once
came with some other men to fix up
her house: later fenced the lot and
plowed the grounds, md said he would
see her brother and get property decided
TO her. that she might have nome
When asked why she had not named
the father of her child before, she SAID
il was because of Smedley's wife and
family. The reason she had told ms
name now was because he kept coming
around. In June last he came and tan
taliZed her over some tools her brother
had. and remained so long that she
feared his intentions and drove him
away with an ak. y week later she
told Marshal Wiley that Smedley was
the father of her child.
Very little new evidence developed on
cross-examination beyond the fact that
she had worked in Salt Lake, at the
French Hand laundry, the defense try
ing to show by this and her actions
while in Salt Lake that she had been
in bad company. She positively denied
visiting Fort Douglas or staying out
late at night; also denied playing cards
or going out with one Andrew Putnam,
whom she knew only as a neighbOr.
Several other witnesses were exam
med by the prosecution and they gave
evidence corroborative of the girls
story.
The defense introduced no evidence
whatever and arguments were proceed
I'd with. They lasted until very late in
he evening. and at their conclusion,
Justice Naylor discharged the defend
ant from custody.
1t is learned today that the result Of
he preliminary examination has raised
4 storm of Indignation in Bountiful.
The discharge Of Smedley came as a
surprise TO almost every one, and par
ticularly TO those who had heard the
testimony The Herald correspondent
talked with TWO BOuntiful men today,
and both were much wrought up over
the affair. One of them remarked that
if Bountiful could be polled it would be
found that five-sixths of the people
were surprised at the decision.