The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-04
Sickness and Death
Have Strangely Fol
\ lowed Smith Case.
ATTORNEY PACE
AND WITNESSES ILL
Judge Clopton Forced to Con.
tinue Manchester Trial Until
Tomorrow on Account Of
sickness-Pr and
Jury Were Sadly
Disappointed.

Disaster seems to surround the Smith
case, and the old saw that "misfortunes
never come singly" is moro than bourne
out In the murder trial that IL now going
on in the Corporation Court OF Man.
chester.
Since that Wednesday night OF April
18th. when poor little Ralph Smith, five
years OF age, was found lying naked
ana dead on the floor OF his mothers
bed room. his body covered with bruises
and with fresh wounds upon his face and
head, fate has laid heavy hand on
several who were. or have been in,
anyway connected with the case. The
misfortunes that have followed are
morn than unusual; they are uncanny.
Ever since that night two months ago.
when Mrs. Estelle Townsend Smith was
arrested charged with numbering her
own son. the black hand OF misfortune
Z mas not rested upon her alone. Her hus-
band who had left the city with his
employers money was captured in New
York and brought back TO Manchester.
charged with being n party to the mur-
DER or his son. Next tho aged mother
OF the prisoner, Mrs. Charles Town
send. was stricken down. and 1t was not
thought that she would be we'll enough
10 make the long Journey from New
York to the side OF her unhappy
daughter. Following this. came the
death Of Mr.. Turner, the next door
neighbor of the Smiths. who was one
OF the most important witnesses for the
Commonwealth. 1t Is said by his stricken
family that the death OF Ralph Smith
preycd upon him, and that from the time
OF the tragic event until death claimed
him two weeks later, the awful scene
was ever before his eyes. and the story
was. ever upon his lips:
Attorney Taken Ill.
When Judge Clopton had set the trial
of the case for the latter part of May
and everything was ready, fate again
played commanding part, and delayed
the proceedings, for Commonwealth At
torncy Page was taken SO i'll that It
was found tha: he must be taken to a
hospital and must undergo a serious
operation. For some weeks Mr. Page re-
mained upon a sick bed and it was not
until the middle OF June that he was
able once more to give his attention to
the case which the whole country Is
watching with intense interest. Mr.. Page
grew stronger day by day. and when the
Vast WAS CdLcO On ldsl IiodS uu!aS
9th, he was so determined that mo
further delay should occur that he stated
that he would try the c:ise at any cost
to himself. Without assistance. and weak
from the effects OF the recent surgical
operation. the labor necessary for the
preparation of the case oppressed him
greatly and his friends urged him to
agree to the delay asked for by the
counsel for defense. He was not willing
to let It go over and plunged in manfully
and with the earnestness that character.
izcs all his work
on the second day, before a Jury had
been empanelled, his suffering was great.
and after witnesses had begun to give
testimony more than once he was forced
to ask the court to discontinue for a
few minutes, so that he might consult his
physician.
On Saturday his condition was serious.
and after the adjournment Of the case
he tainted upon the street In front of his
office. Late on Saturday night he again
suffered so greatly that his family ply
sician was called in. On yesterday he
again determined to take his place in
court but so desperate was his suffering
that DR.. Hill refused to allow him to
enter the courthouse. and sent the fol-
lowing statement to Judge Clopton:
This is to certify that I have ,ex-
/CnDtpyad nm ENphth