Evening journal., 1906-11-13
KILLS HIMSELF WHILE
NEIGHBORS LOOK ON
Harry P. Smith Hangs Him
self in Rear Yard Of Mother
in-LaW'S Home
HIP NEARBY
But NOE CAME


while his mother-in-law and a neighbor
stood by watching him prepare for DEATH
Harry p. Smith, aged 80 years, hanged
mself this morning to the door Of The
4 . building in the rear Of No. go East
Niprh street, the home of Mr.. and Mrs
George Crookham, the parents of the un-
fortunate mans wife Stranger stiH, sew
eral men who were attracted by the cries
of the women fr help failed to cut the un-
fortunate victim down and there he hung
until the arrival of Special Officer David
Wardle, fifteen minutes after the hanging
was reported to the police. The policeman
imediately cut the man down, but life
had left the body.
Eighteen months ago when Harry T..
Smith and Miss Jennie Crookham were
married at Asbury NJ. Z. parsonage, there
was no happier a couple in the universe.
To-. he husband is dead and the young
wife \. h a four-months-old baby clasped
to her bosom is prostrated at her home.
When a reporter for The Evening Jour
nal called at the home Of the woman's S
parents at No. go East Ninth street, the
young wifes pitiful means. intermingled
with the cries of her infant child, told
him Of the intense grief Of the girl and
the awful abyss into which she had been
plunged by her husbands rash act.
The Smiths had a home in McIIugh's s
Court a small thoroughfare between
Church and Locust and Seventh and
Eighth streets. Yesterday the couple had
angry words and Smith who had been
drinking, chased his wife out Of their
home. He then nailed every door and
window fast, so that she could not re-
turn. The woman went TO her mothers
home and remained there all night. This
morning Smith called on his mo her-in-
law, but did not enter the house lie want
ed to take his wife home but she was too
Il to leave her bed.
The next Mrs. Crookman saw of Smith
he had entered the back yard, and ac-
cording 10 her statement, he went into
the outbuilding. She vent up stairs "a
give her daughter medicine and on com.
ing down TO the first floor she saw her
son-in-law hanging by the neck to the
water closet door. She screamed and sum-
moned help. Charles Jett Of No. 522 East
Tenth street; Lawrence Jones, of the
southwest corner Of Ninth and Spruce
and ]. p. McCreary- a groceryman al
Taylor and KirlSwood arrived on the
scene shortly after, but neither one made
an effort to cut the man down. Had either
done 50. Smiths life might have been
saved. Their reason for not doing So was
that they were afraid Of interfering with
the law and so they let the man hans
until officer Wardle's arrival
Mrs Albert Gallagher Of No. As Kirk
wood street, saw Smith make prepara-
tons to hang himself, but said she was Sc
excited that she could do nothing. The
first time she saw him he was fitting the
nose around his neck. and she turned
away from the window. Again she looked
and this time the man was hang ng END
forcing his body from tho door with his
feet in order to more quickly strangl,
himself.
Mrs. Gallagher said her attention was
first called to Smith by the latter's moth
er-in-law, Mrs. Crookham, who upon see
ing Smith at the outbullding cried out
What are you doing Harry"
No reason is assigned for Smiths act
except that he had been drinking. He wa,
emplyed as a rubber in .he car shops Of
the Harlan and Hollingsworth Corpora,
ton.