The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-11-25
POINTED Gun
At PARENTS
Mother Tells Startling Story Of Smiths
Actions on the Morning Of
the Shooting.
DEMANDED money FROM father.

The inquiry as to the sanity of Mel
win r. Smith continues In probate
court Attorney Sterling. who is
Smiths counsel, is evidently attempt
ing to get a line upon what testimony
the prosecution will have to present In
the event the prisoner is held for muir
der. as he goes into all the details OF
the crime in examining the witness
es.
This line of inquiry was kept up
until Thursday evening when Judge
Aungst told the attorney that he must
confine his questions to lines bearing
upon the mental condition or the
prisoner, and not a'ong general lies.
II is noticeable that Attorney Sterling.
in referring to the killing of Conduc-
tor James Shelter by Smith, refers to
the affair as "the accident This may
outline the plan of defense If the ell
fort to have Smith declared insane
fails.
Mrs. Reuben Smith. the mother OF
the accused. was placed upon the stand
Thursday evening. She seemed to be
frsiI. While middle aged woman,
her hair is quite gray, and her con-
dition is said to be the result of wor-
ry over her son.
Mrs. Smith told of the return of
Melvin from Akron a few days before
the shooting. He came home unex-
pectedly and complained of his eyes
hurting him and of pain in the head
He came into the house and cried al
most all the time. He was restless
and insisted on going out and riding
wheel or walking about. He got
a delusion in the night that some one
was in the house.
He made another trip back to Akron
Tho parents did not know where hi
was and were greatly worried He re-
turned home and the night before the
shooting went to the opera. When he
came home about midnight he COM
planned of a pain in his head and said
he would have to go out and walk.
The morning that he shot Shelter.
he came home about $3.50 o'clock and
went to his room and seemed to be
getting ready to leave home. He ate
no breakfast. When he was ready to
start out of the house he demanded
some money from his father, which he
claimed was due him, saying that he
was going away and they would never |
see him again. His mother went to
his room and attempted to persuade |
him to remain at home, when he point !
ed a revolver at her and ordered her |!
to go down stairs. He followed her to
the head of the stairway still pointing
the gun. The mother said to him:
Melvin, you would not shoot your
mother, would you?"
mo" replied he; Il don't want to- |
Stay away. Stay away"
''He also threatened to shoot his |
father If the money were not forth
coming. He left the house with his |
suit case about 7 o'clock, and the next |
thing we knew of him, was when word
came Of the shooting"
The mother went on to tell of his
actions prior to the time he had been
sent to the asylum. He had been rest.
less and was given to wandering abour
at night. just as he was before this
shooting was done. At one time he
wandered away and was found at
Louisville. at another time at ALI
ance. and also at Beaver Falls.
Special Policeman Charles Heminger
told OF the occurrence upon the car,
when Shelter was shot. He insisted
mat Smith was drunk. He and at
torney Sterling had quite a contro-
versy about the matter. Heminger
nnally got stirred up and became
facetious. Sterling insisted upon his
teiiing what particular symptoms
there were about Smith that indicated
that he was drunk. Heminger was
dealing in generalities and the attor-
ney wanted something specific. The
Ana
and said to the attorney:
Dld you ever see any drunk men?"
Yes, lots OF them" answered SterI-
ing
Well, Smith looked Just like those
fellows you saw" said Heminger.
Ihe witness finally stated that his
face was flushed. his ewes bloodsbo,
and that he smelled OF liquor upon his
breath when ne saw him the night he
tore the shooting. He had a revolver
with him, but 1t was not loaded.
Charles Smiley who was on the ear
and Laverne Goudy, the motorman al,
80 gave the details of the shooting
bringing out nothing new.
One witness testified that the niybt
before the shooting Smith had oc-
cupied box seat at the opera and boa Y
q pistol In his lap all through the ner-
iormance. He claimed It rubbed his
nip when he kept 1t in his pocket wbiia
sitting upon the chair.
The testimony of number of re,a-
uves was taken Friday. Eva Smith
sister of the accused. was placed
upon the stand and corroborated the
evidence given by her mother as TO
the peculiar actions of Melvin the
few days preceding the tragedy. When
she reached the point where her
brother pointed the revolver at her
mother and threatened TO shoot. tho
girl broke down and weDt bitterly.
Ruben Smith, the father of the boy.
was then placed upon the stand. He
vert over the same ground as tho
preceding witnesses and corroborated
81 IIo thrsS I