Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-14

of Washington was varied and exciting:
From the summer OF 1851 to the close OF
his career as an expert stenographers he
was engaged in reporting the proceedings
of nearly every prominent deiiberative
body in the country requiring the services
of a shorthand writer He spent the sum-
mer of 1853 In Boston In the convention to
revise. the constitution of Massachusetts
and in the summer of 1857 reported the
convention which framed the constitution
of Minnesota. Mr.. Smith liked to tell OF
that convention.
Split in Two Parts.
This body" he said like some modern
political bodies, was not harmonious
one and split in two parts. The two con-
ventions sat side by side during the entire
session, my colleague, T. F. Andrews, COW
ering the proceedings of one convention
and I the other. After several months OF
wrangling, during which each convention
had framed a constitution of It's own the
good sense of the members returned TO
them and finding there was no chance OF
either an appropriation from Congress to
pay their expenses or a recognition of the
reports of either faction, they reunited ana
by adjusting their differences promulgated
a constitution which was adopted unan-
imously and everybody was happy.
Mr.. Smith reported for the Associated
Press the trial by court-martial of the
Lincoln conspirators and the subsequent
trial of John H. Surratt, after he had been
arrested in Rome and brought back to the
United States. He also covered the fam
Gus trial of Gen. Dan Sickles for the kill
ing of District Attorney Key and took
some part in reporting every other impor-
tant trial during that period, including
large amount of reporting In the United
States Supreme Court. His work included
fully one hundred court-martial trials.
At the close of the war MI. Smith was
appointed commissioner Of the Court OF
Claims to take testimony in the south reia-
tive to cotton seized during the war, that
work involving an immense amount OF tes-
cradle period of time in Richmond in the
convention called to consider the war
question then pending. The convention
was elected with a large Union majority
and had nearly finished its work when
the firing on Fort Sumter began. Mr.:
Smith always believed that the first act OF
war was for the special purpose of its eff
feet upon the convention in session at
Richmond.
"What Will Virginia Dop"
During every hour of the day." Mr..
Smith said, "despatches came from the gov
ernor of South Carolina directed to Gov.
Letcher of Virginia, stating the progress of
the bombardment and closing with the
words, What will Virginia dor The reply
in each case was Your despatch has been
referred to the convention for action. II
this experiment was made for that purpose
1t was great success. The convention adj
journed from Friday until Monday, with
nearly two-thirds Union majority. During
Friday afternoon the United States flag
was lowered from the state house and the
state flag took its place and during that
night there was torchlight procession OF
the most enthusiastic and furiously-ine-
briated set of men 1t has ever been my for
tune to witness. AS I viewed 1t from the
window of my hotel it seemed as If the in
fernal regions had broken loose When the
convention met on Monday there was not a
bakers dozen Of the members who were not
in favor of secession
Mr.. Smith was known to be strong
Union man and by the advice of his friends
morning-the last train that ran through to
Washington for several years.
After resigning his position as a reporter
at the Capitol, Mr.. Smith was appointed by
General U. s. Grant a member of the board
Of Indian commissioners which at that time
had supervision of the entire Indian service.
During the three years following his ap-
pointment he visited nearly every Indian
agency and every place Of interest in the
Rocky mountains Sierra Neyadas, Coast
Range, and on the Pacific coast from
British Columbia to Mexico.
Prominent in Business.
When Mr. Smith resigned his position at
the Capitol in 1875 he declared that never
again would he make SO much as single
pot hook. He was in extremely poor heal h,
brought on by overwork, and was dissatis-
fed with the business, mainly in conse-
quence of insufficient funds being furnished
to secure the best class of assistants He
substantially adhered to that resolution, at
once engaging in business in the national
capital and becoming prominently identified
with the city,. its growth and its CONNER
cial institutions. He was one of the incor-
porators of and for twenty years was a di-
rector in the Second National Bank and
member of the Washington Board of
Trade.
For four years he was president of the
Washington Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation, succeeding Gen. o. o. Howard In
that office. He was member of the execu-
tive committee Of the Columbia Hospital
and of Howard University and mainly con-
Quoted the financial business of those insti-
tutions. He had at one time or another
been officially connected with nearly every
general religious and benevolent organiza-
Mr. Smith was an enthusiastic Mason. He
was initiated in St. Johns Lodge, No. II,
F. A. A. NJ. in this city in March, 1857, and
was raised June Is. 1853. He subsequently
became a charter member Of Mount Her.
mon Lodge. No 17&. A. F. and A. NJ, at
Hyattsvlle. where he resided for many
years, and was president of the town coun-
Gil. He was also member of keystone
Royal Arch Chapter, No. 81, of Hyattsville.
He invariably refused office Of any kind in
these bodies. but was ever ready to respond
in every way to fraternal calls upon his time
and purse.
For many years Mr.. Smith was a mem
Der of the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, and later, upon his removal to
Hyattsville, became a member Of the Pres
byterian Church there Upon his return
to this city to reside he Joined the Wash
ington Heights Presbyterian Church. of
which he was a member at the time Of his
death.
BoNAPARTE READS COMMENTS.
What People Think Of His Address
on Anarchism.
Secretary Bonaparte passed. an interesting