The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-01
HOMICIDE TRIALS In WAYNE COUNTY
Paper read by Judge Henry C. Fox before the Wayne County
Pioneers Association Centerve August 18th, 1907

| trials caused great excitement at the
time because of the atrocious character
of the act committed. There were
three defendants; Susan Smith who
was the wife of the man killed, and
Jacob and Daniel Smith. his sons. 1t
appeared that the old man Smith was
killed by his wife and his son. Daniel.
His body was thrown into an old well
and covered with stones. The fact was
concealed by the family. After sew
eral days had elapsed. the absence of
the old man Smith, who was cripple,
was noticed. and a search was institut-
ed by the neighbors. His body was
found in the well and taken out. and
the family at first denied all knowl-
edge of how it came there. They at
forwards confessed were arrested and
indicted. The cases were taken on a
change of venue from this county to
Randolph and there tried. Susan
Smith. the wife, was first tried and was
convicted of murder and sentenced TO
life imprisonment. Daniel Smith, his
son, was then tried and received like
sentence He was under twenty one
years of age. The son Jacob. was new
er put upon trial. there being no evil
dcnce against him. After being i'm
prisoned for a number of years, both
Daniel Smith and his mother were par
doned This was the hardest case to
defend that | ever engaged in.
Next comes the case against Levy
Beard. who. in a quarrel in his bar
room, shot and killed a young man by
the name of Straub. This was in Cam
bridge City. Both of the parties be-
longed to very respectable families and
were not regarded as bad men. The
trial of Beard commenced on the 9TH
day of February, 1888. and lasted nine
days and was holly contested Beard
was convicted of manslaughter and Civ
en- seven years imprisonment.
Next comes the case against Henry
Haner, who shot and killed color
ed man by the name Of Hunter in Ha-
ner's saloon on Main street in the city
of Richmond. Haner was indicted and
his trial began on the third day of De-
cember. 1883, and lasted six days. The
defendants plea was self defense and
the jury acquitted him.
Next comes the case of the State of
Indiana VS.. Lee Morgan. Morgan and
his wife resided in a house of bad re-
pute in Cambridge City. A young man
by the name of Carroll, who resided II
Connersville, together with some
friends, went to the house. got into a
quarrel with Morgan, and was shot
and killed by him. Morgan escaped
for a short time. but was soon arrest
ed and was put upon trial on the 9th
day of May. 1889 The trial lasted six
days and resulted in the conviction of
for manslaughter and he was
sentenced to the penitentiary for five
years.
Insane Man Killed.
Next comes the case of James A.
Woods. This case perhaps caused more
excitement than any case that was ev-
err tried in the county. Woods was an
attendant at the Easthaven hospital for
the insane. near Richmond. A lawyer
by the name of Blount, from Henry
was confined in the asylum as
an insane person. Re was a large, |
well developed man, and while in the
asylum was at times violent. On the
day he was killed he became noisy |
and troublesome and Woods claimed
that in attempting to pacify him
Blount attacked him and that he SIM
ply defended himself. He, however, |
evidently did more than this. for
Blount was badly beaten, his body |
much bruised and several of his ribs
e. !,
was beaten. Woods was arrested in
the northern part of the state, was in |
dicted. and his trial commenced on the |
18th day of January. 1890. lasting ten |
days and resulting in a conviction IF /
murder in the second degree with |
-wenty-one years imprisonment in the |
This case was taken to |
he supreme court and reversed and re-
handed He was never retired and /
was finally discharged. This case be-
came the subject of much political con-
for which there was little rea-
son.
The last murder case in which l took
part as an attorney. was the case of
he State VS.. Jennie Boone. Mrs.
Boone was a colored woman living in
City. A young man by
he name of Rears, with a party of
friends, went to her house and tried to
get in. This was in the night time.
She denied them admission and warn
ID them to go away. This they re-
used to do and forced the door open