Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-10
CHILD
THIN SUICIDES
Mrs. Mary Smetena, Wife of
Cedar Rapids Policeman
Commits Awful Crime
HER SWEAR. OLD CHILD
While Husband Was IN Duty at the
Carnival She Kills Her Child and
Then Herseif-Had Been an Invalid
for Years and Was Very Despond-
ent.
ecial 10 Times Republican.

/ Special TO Times epublican.
Cedar Rapids. Oct. l0.-While Nigh,
jaiier Smetena was doing extra police
duty at the carnival grounds yes erda,
afternoon. his Invalid wife took thei,
little 3-year- old daughter into the little
Workshop at the rear of the house. 154i
II street, west, and hanged the, little
girl TO a beam with clothes line. then
she took some strips OF cotton cloth and
tied them together and hanged herself
Their bodies were found a little. while
later by the aged mother who lives
with them, and who went 10 see what
had become OF them. A telephone mes
sage was sent to the police station, Just
as Jailer Smetena had come in after a
long afternoons work, taking part in
the travelling mems parade ard then
doing police work on the carniva,
grounds in the immense crowd
Smetena. With all the night forces
has been on extra duty all this week,
working regularly all night and work
ing in the afternoon at the carnival
grounds seeking to protect the crowds
from pickpockets and from accidents.
Yesterday he left soon after IL o'clock,
earlier than usual, In order TO take par,
in the travelling mems parade Just
before that his little girl had come and
Iii ss h ,,,tr tA rrr,Sr ~,
play with some of her little friends
nearby, she said. His wife had asked
him Why he was going away so early.
and he had told her the reason. Mrs.
Srnetena had been sufferer from ner-
vous trouble for about two years, but
she seemed no worse than usu;il at that
time. The son. Fred, 10 years of age.
and the aged mother of Jailer Smetena
We're at home with her
Found the Bodies.
After dinner Mrs Smetena told Fred
that he might as we'll go 10 the carnival
ana that he need not go HON, 10 sup
per. She and the little girl ana the
aget! mother had their supper about 5
O'Clock. and then she said sh,. was go
ing out back OF the house for a little
while. She went out taking the little
girl with her. Her mottier-in-la
waited for some minutes and then Went
sat to look for them. She found NJ
signs Of them and when she tried the
door OF the little workshop she found
that ii was locked. This was not anus
lal, the door fastening with a spring
ock She went to the home OF thu
leares, neigthor but they were no:
there. and then she returned with the
aeighaoor Passing the window OF the
she pushed il oper, and then
gave A terrified Shrek as size saw the
bodies hanging there. The door was
kicked open by 4 neighbor attracted by
The screams The body of the little girl
was hanging high up from the floor
i clothesline tied twice around It's neck
and then tied TO beam above. The
,ody of the mother was hanging near
the feet almost touching the floor
She had taken some strips of cotton
,loth, tied them TO the bearl ana tnen
led a rope ON them and tut II twice
around ner neck. A chair vas standing
near and she probably stood upon IT
while tying the knots and then stepped
Of and strangled. Near the bodies was
the little girls hood. which had evil
ientiy been taken off by the mother
when the fatal rope was placed around
The little ones neck Whether the
little one tired to prevent her mother
from carrying out her awful purpose,
can only be conjectured.
The bodies were quickly cut down
and the ropes taken from the necks ana
then the neighbors set to work to try
to bring both Of them back TO lie.
Neither was quite dead and the aged
m6ther said last night That she be-
lieved they might have been saved had
a doctor been there at the time. For
A long time efforts to revive them
were kept UP but they were useless
and when the doctor arrived they were
dead. The bodies We're taken into the
house and the little girl was laid ON
table While the body OF her mother
was placed on the bed which she has
occupied for the greater part of the
last two years. Friends and neighhors
did all they could to comfort the
man. His grief was
pitiful to see.
Coroner King arrived and made an
examination. but the facts OF the case
were so plain that no inquest was nee
essary.
For the last two years Jailer Snete-
ma has performed his duties at the po-
lice station with a heavy burden Of
care and anxiety constantly upon him.
His wife has been suffering from shery-
Gus trouble and from anaemia and his
life has been ore of rare devotion
He has worked al his arduous duties
as taller all night and in the daytime
he has tenderly cared for his invalid
wife. Much of her tine was spent in
bed. She has been In various hospi-
tails. some of them special private
hospitals, but her ailments refused to
yield to treatment. Her continued
illness made her exceedingly despon-
dent and she constantly brooded over
it. Often She wished she was dead,
vet she never made any threats and
there was never a thought that she
would commit suicide much i%>t
the life of the bright little girl 30
was the idol of the household ana Of
the neighborhood