Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-09
Woman Charged Will Beating
Son 10 Death Guilty of Vol
{ untary Manslaughtcr.
COLLAPSED IN COURT ROOM
Especial to tho Daily prcss.o

M = Especial to tho Daily Prcss.)
iInCIlMOND, VA, July S.-'rhc case
pfc Mrs. Shepard *. Smith, of Nun
Chester. charged with heating her five
WSel5old SON tn death, WA; submitted
iO.Ilc jury, without argument, at I1:15
O'Clock this morning. At :3j o'clock
tlie afternoon the following verdict
WIS, rendered.:
,flve The jury, find the prisoner
guilty of voluntary manslaughtcr and
ascprtain her term of Imprisonment
at slive years in the ncnitnntiary."
af Prisoner Faints.
Estellc Smith tainted in the arms
of Ncr brother, DR.. Townsend, her
brcast heaving nightly. her lips
apart and on her face the pallor of
death.
a. minute had hardly elapsed when
the form of the commemorative at
torliey was seen To crumple In his
chair. ~ court attendcnt rushed to
him and then another. lie was famed
and his arms and wrists rubbed. but
"a" t'a"H'iHb opcll tOOh UH I'LL OIL
hystcria.,
Strain Too Much for Page.
Tic Strain bad been too much for
him. Weak and annotated when he
began the prosecution, the task of
fencing in the law with IT, M. Smith
and Ernest Wells lad worn him out.
lie was carried into the judges room
and DR.. NJ. c. Syclc. who was present.
attended linn and gave him an in.
lection of strychnine.
lie was bitterly disappointed and
kept moaning that he should have
made the arguments, blaming himself
for the slight verdict because he had
not undertaken the task. 70 have
cndcavorcd To argue might have meant
his death. lie seemed to regret that
he had not made the risk.
DIR. Townsend, Il great big, noble,
kindly man, held his sister in his
arms. patting her aGcctionatcly.
smoothing the hair from her face
and occasionally applying rcstora.
tives.
Motion to Set Aside Verdict.
The jury was sent back TO the room
to write the verdict OH the back of
the indictment. After the verdict had
been read again. Mr.. Smith moved
that sentence be suspended and also
made the motion that the verdict he
set aside. In making these motions
counsel for the defense asked q few
days i'll which TO prepare material
for the arguments. Judge Cloptun
gave the defense until Tuesday week,
when the motions will he heard and
argued.
MIR. Page had been taken home i'm
IL carriage and III his place y. V. Cog
bill spoke for the commonwealth
briefly.
The prisoners mother was later in
formed of the verdict. She is very
feeble and utterly cast down. The
prisoner was taken back to the Man
chester Jail with her husband, who
will be tried later for the same crime.
All for Correction.
II was learned that Mrs. Smith had
narrow call from heavier sen
tchce. Two of the jury stood for
murder i'll the second degree, with
sentence of eighteen years. six of
thcm for murder in the second degree
ana ten years, and four stood for
voluntary manslaughtcr and five years.
John Avis was the foreman. There
was some argument in the jury.room
and finally the agreement on five years
and a verdict of voluntary manslauglI.
ter was reached.
To every one except MI Page the
return of the verdict was unexpected-
ly prompt. Few people expected to
hear from the jury until tonight.
Judge Clopton thanked the twelve
men for their faithful anu good service
to the commonwealth and discharged
thpm