Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-21
SMITHS IN COURT TO-DAY. Story of Their Married Life Told by Many Witnesses The Defendant Took the Affair i'm a
 Good Natured Way.

The Smiths, who are ventilating their domestic troubles in the superior court before Judge Thayer, are well known in Waterbury. The defendant, Truman J., may be said to be very well known. He is assistant sexton of the First Congregational church and his fame as story teller goes far and wide. The role in which he now ap- pears, a wife beater and all that 1t i'm plies, caused great surprise to many who knew him, for he seemed to be a joviai fellow, oontented with the way the world was using him.
 Mrs Smith was telling her story at press hour yesterday and 1t was appar- ent then that Smith was habitually profane and his house a seat of chronic disturbance caused by his temper. If Mrs Smith happened to be in the kitch- en and the door was shut he would not allow her to open it, and if it hap pened to be open he would not allow 1t to be closed.
 The final quarrel took place on Sep tember 15, 1900. The night before some vines were blown down and this seemed to irritate him considerably. That day she left with her children, and John Smith. her husbands broth CT and lived with Mrs Murphy in Oak vile.
 Her daughters are school teachers, and Mrs Smith had $70 in bank. She went to work and with her daughters earnings continued to get along.
 While living with Mrs Murphy, Smith offered her, Mrs Smith, $10O. and asked her to return to him. She declined.
 Tn April he was committed to the hospital for insane in Middletown, and during his confinement she went back to- the farm, which, however. was sold before he was released Smith drank occasionally and was ugly when he over-indulged. Once he cut a. man in the face while under the influence of drink. Mrs Smith did not oppose the sale of the farm which was sold by his conservator She did not consider 1t any of her business what became of it. though he was raised on it, made a good deal of money on 1t, and raised his family there. After the sale of the farm she did not consider she owed her husband any duty whatsoever. He had often tried to sell the farm. His idea was to get nearer to town and keep boarders.
 MT Smiths mother lived with them for some time prior to her death which took place in 1887. Besides doing her homework and taking care of the chill dren, Mrs Smith said she also took charge of the dairy. Smiths court record was ruled out
 John Smith Oakville, brother of de- fendant. testified he worked for and boarded with his brother He heard him call Mrs Smith "all sorts of names'' and islander her. He wit messed various physical assaults and threaten her. He saw the butt of re- volver protruding from his hip pocket "quite number of times" Once he saw him strike her in the face In every respect witness corroborated Mrs Smiths evidence. He would have it understood the defendant was quarrel dng constantly during the past twenty years.
 After Mrs Smith returned, |, to the farm, while defendant was ,dfi the, re treat. witness frequently called there. He denied helping her break up home, though Attorney Cole got him to admit that he assisted in arranging the things for the sale.
 When he witnessed defendant strik- ing plaintiff in the face. he did not re- monstrate. The morning of that occa- sion he had been drinking cider Wit ness drank occasionally, but he never saw Mrs Smith drink Her conduct under all circumstances was admira- ble. She never gave her husband cause for complaint, not to say assault her. While he was in jail she visited him twice Defendant struck witness with his fist in the right eye and de stroyed its sight.
 lives in Watertown. She is the wife of Frederick Gone and lived near the Smiths. She visited them, frequently and saw defendant quite often under the influence of drink. At the request of Mrs Smith and the girls she often stayed in the house until defendant got to bed Once she saw Mrs Smith with black eye and other marks of vio- lence
 Edith Smith, eldest daughter of the ntigants, said she lived in Waterbury with her married sister Bertha. Her story of the final quarrel was that de fendant was very cross and advised ter and uncle left the room. and Der left the room. Defendant was having dinner. Suddenly he struck Bertha, another daughter. and witness, her sis ter and unclet left the room, and Ber- tha took the revolvers out of the room He threatened to kick them all out of the house. Witness was afraid of him and at last defendant did tell them all to get out of the house or he would find means to get them out Then they all left. Witness then corroborated the respective instances of alleged cruelty told by her mother and of his showing them his two revolvers. Witness is a graduate of New Haven normal school. Since she was a small child. she said, her father was not good father to her. though he paid for her education.