The news & observer., 1905-11-04
IS NOT THE SAME
Charles G. Smith Was
Not the Pickpocket.
Affdavits From Police Officers and
Citizens State Positively That the
Parties are Different Men and
Clear Up Doubt.

That he might entirely remove any
G.. Smith, of Petersburg, Va, killed
in the depot here during the pistol
encounter between Lilliston and Clark
was a pickpocket has been the work
here of A. NJ Smith, of Petersburg and
Washington
Reports of Charles G.. Smith being
pickpOcket who had been arrested
here as printed in some newspapers,
but not in the News and Observer,
gave great concern to Mr.. A. NJ Smith,
and to prove that these reports We're
not true he has interviewed many peo-
pie and secured many affidavits de-
claring that his brother, Charles CT.
Smith, was not the &c. Smith" ar
rested as a pickpocket on Thursday,
October 10, and arraigned on Friday.
October 20.
The affidavits secured by Mr.. Smith
are positive in their statement and
these entirely free the memory of the
dead man, as they assert in positive
terms that he was not the same man
as the pickpocket These affdavits
are from police officers and citizens
men who had seen and who knew
both parties, and are sworn TO before
notary publics so as to make them
authentic and competent proof.
One affidavit is from Captain Ma
tin Thompson, % the Raleigh police.
He states that he observed &c. Smith,
arrested as pickpocket, While a pris-
oner on Friday. October 20 ANA was
fully able to distinguish him al sight
from any other person That on SAT-
urday. October 21, Charles G.. Smith
Iii 1t mi in oil
eigh, and that on Sunday morning he
went in person to view the deceased
at the undertakers, John w. Brown.
going purposeiy to ascertain if the de-
ceased Charles G Smith, was the same
man who was arrested and arraignCd
before Police Justice Thomas Badger,
charged With being a 'pickpocket''
and my honest opinion is that Charles
G.. Smith, deceased. is not the same
person who was arrested and ar
raigned as aforesaid, as was reported
in the local papers and elsewhere
The same affdavits is made by Off
Ger w. E. Austin who arrested &c.
Smith who was charged with being
a pfckpocket and who was later re-
leased on bail. He sWearS that Charles
q. Smith is not the same person, after
viewing his body to identify it. w. A.
Champion, the turnkey at the station
house, having had SC. Smith" in
charge and viewed the body of Charles
G. Smith swears they are not the same
persons.
Archie M. Parker, of Raleigh, ac-
counts for all of Charles G.. Smith
time While &c. smith, the pickpocket,
was under arrest placing Charles u.
Smith at his boarding house and the
Fair grounds, swearing that Charles
G.. Smith could not have been u.
Smith" Melvin Wood of Petersburg,
swears he slept with Charles G'
Smith and went with him to the FAR
grounds the morning and the day
after the said sc. Smith" was arrested,
and that Charles G.. Smith was not
and could not have been the PICK
pocket arrested and arraigned. r. q.
Harris, of Norfolk, Va, sWears he was
with Charles G.. Smith all day on Fri
day, October 20, and that he was not
&C. Smith" That he knows &c. Smith
and has known him for year; that
he has known Charles G.. Smith for
six years and that Charles G.. Smith
is not the &c. Smith" arrested as a
j. S. Upchurch. of Raj
eigh. makes affidavit and says he saw
&c. Smith" on the Thursday he was
arrested and on Friday when he was
and that he saw the body
of Charles G.. Smith. purposely to see
if it was the body of &c. Smith" and