New-York tribune., 1907-11-27
NEU1 LIGHT ON TR4GEDY.
Mrs. Grace Smith Led Many Sided
Life of Duplicity.

A, fart after fact comes 10 light concerning
Mrs Nicholas NJ. Smith jrr who killed her nus
band and herself In New Rochelle on SATURDAY
setting IRE their house. 1t seems more prooaoie
+ba. Tho crime was committed in nj OF rage
caused by the refusal OF Smith 20 allow any longer
the svindlirg OF tIadespeople and others by mems
Of which 1t seems that the couple were enabled 10
,ecn IN the pretentious state they affected IN New
pocbelIa They lived as il their means were prac-
ticaIv unlimited. while matter OF fact'
sn,tb.s income averaged less than s70S year
all but $4,000 being dependent upon the amount OF
his sales.
Mrs Smith. under various names. obtained prop
er,y from various persons. all OF whom she led 10
he,ioro that she was either a member OF the
BuIkeley family. of Connecticut, or was soon 20
receive her share OF English estate.
: friend of Smiths. who said he knew the man
as well as any one. expressed the opinion Ees'ei
dav that Mrs Smith had been married at ieast
twice and probably three times before she met
smith There seems to be little doubt that Smith
lived with her about FIVE years. and was used by
her in obtaining goods from merchants POSING aS
her brother There is a doubt. however, as 10
whether Smith knew what was being done for TO
r J. Laplace a dealer In antiques, Mrs smith
then calling herself Mrs. Acton said that he must
nav no attention TO her brother II he should ASK
that credit be denied 70 her, as he was cro1y' L."
place gave the woman about $500 worth OF goous,
he said yesterday. and he was sure that $-''"o
worth was in the house at New Rocheile- fie eA-
poets to replevln this property
The facts learned in the last day or. two seem
10 Justify the opinion that the crime Of Saturday
morning was by no means the first conmitted py
the woman. She had been nurse on Waros ISL
and before she married DIT. Acton and "a rev
months after the marriage Dr.. Acton according
10 the records OF the coroner's office. died from
,oornbire poisoning II was said yesterday that
his wife often administered doses TO him, and re-
cent events would seem 10 strengthen certain sus-
nirions held at the time without much evidence %
back them
II Mrs Smith not a pyromanlac, she at
least appreciated the convenience Of occasional
are for there are records of two fires OF sus
1iciot,s character in apartments where she lived
in this city. In she tried to convince
Isplace that much of his property had been de-
strovcd but he found Il later in an apartment in
Riverside Drive. and recovered a good deal OF 1t.
Later in this apartment. Mrs Smith died
creditors having become pressing, and met
of these creditors her own sister.
IL was about this time that Smith. who had been
living at the Riverside Drive place. went to former
Lieutenant Governor Bukeley OF Connecticut to
tell him that he would marry his daughter. the
then Mrs. Acton. IL he would acknowledge her.
He was apparently convinced Hartford that the
wonlan's pretensions were false. but afterward
came 10 believe in her again. and finally mar
ried TO her despite details of her past that must
have been familiar to him.
The friend who spoke OF Smith yesterday said
that the man infatuated with the woman. and
that he utterly unable to be reasonable in
gard TO her. Nothing else win account for the
way she trusted by hardheaded business men.
IL was learned yesterday that Mrs. Smith had
filed claim for part of the Bulkeley estate which
is 10 be settled tomorrow at Hartford. and the
impending disclosures in this connection may have
had something 10 do with the tragedy.
None of Mrs Smiths relatives claimed her body.
and il was decided 10 bury il Baltimore on Sat-
lrday at the expense Of the Smith estate