Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-08
SMITH A LITTLE OFF,
According 10 Witness Heard in
 Probate Court Yesterday.

| OotdtC to Siihoiu " ~fahf NNsNN-c of his three daughters. When Smith was alone on a trolley car and was gesticulating and speaking as if to someone else he was a little off, whereas If professor of big Yam kee college was seen doing the same things he was just little absent minded
 Arthur H. Warner, trolley con- ductor once saw Smith as above de- scribed and he concluded he was of" but then twelve years before that Warner and Smith had few words and one night two weeks later Smith laid for Warner and opened his head with blow of stone. Then again Smith, it was said, tried to blow up the residence of the late Emil c. Marggraff who was grand juror in Watertown and Smith there fore was the only man on earth whom Marggraff was afraid of. This was the testimony of Warner. All of which was intended to show that Smith was only of" but was not insane. As for the alleged attempt to blow up the grand jurors residence 1t was said that one night his kitchen stove exploded and Smith was blamed for it.
 The hearing occupied all day and was the fourth day of this contest, instituted by the disinherited daugh- ters, Mary and Edith Smith and Ber- tha Smith Stockman. Mrs Stockman was on the stand the greater part of the day. In the course of her testi- mony she said that short time after the family was broken up she went to live at one 0viatt's on Watertown road. She had been married about six weeks and one day her father entered the house as they were at dinner and said he wished to speak to her. She left the table and the room, saying. T don't wish to speak to you" Pre- vious to the breaking up of the fam- fly conservator had been appointed over Smith and his entire family had testified against him. Mrs Stockman said her reasons for leaving the room was that she was afraid of her father though her husband was present. She was asked if she would have remain ed and spoken to her father had she known, or heard that he, had come to give her $500. and she said 1t would have made no difference. Some years after the occurrence she heard that such was the cause of his visit. When she reached her eighteenth birthday her father presented her with a bank book which represented about $500. She said she was engag- ed two years to be married and she did not tell her father, but she sup posed he knew 1t, though she could not tell how he could have known 1t, unless he guessed it. There were req sons why she did not tell, principally because she was not ready to wed. The morning of the day he gave her the bank book he was sober an hour. He was always peculiar, she said. For instance he had trick of piling up the tinware on chair behind clos ed door and waiting for the crash when someone would push open the door. Then he used to shout and bang things and keep the house in an uproar. Sometimes, she said, he had barrel of whlskey in the house; sometimes a jug of 1t, and ocasional- ly she saw him take drink of 1t as large as Q cup full. She saw him drunk three times day sometimes. That is, he would get drunk before in the morning and then sleep him. self sober. Then he would drink himself drunk again by noon and again sleep 1t of and wind up drunk in the evening.
 As for meeting her father on the street and pretending not to see him, she said he would not talk to her,and when they were all living together he would not allow them to see his sister Mary who lived on Chestnut avenue. There is about s11, ,000 due the three girls from this woman's estate.
 When the girls heard their father was sick they all went to see him, in the sanitarium, and during his ill., ness there were times when his mind was clear.
 Going back to the visit Smith made to witness at the 0yiatt house. she was asked if she was sure she turned about to leave the room and counsel for the will. Attorney Bronson, piled her with questions on that point un- til he got her to state that she could not say whether or not she turned about on leaving the dinner table. Then he got her to admit that from the time of that visit she did not speak to her father until she saw him | A. Ha Nmm mS . ka v4Fe a..r~.
 Mrs Stockman said her fathers other sister. Martha, was "oCd" also and that he once had a quarrel with his sister Mary.
 Were they all craky:" asked At. torney Bronson.
 ''I did not say SO. was the answer.
 Do you wish the court to infer that they were all crazy2"
 Witness said she had not said SO and her counsel said the question was not a fair one Finally Mrs Stock man said she could not say that they were all crazy and she left the stand.
 Waraer the tsclley conductor. then was sworn and he testified as stated above. Mr Bronson asked him if he saw a professor of one Of the big col- Ieges. sitting in a railroad ear be- side his wife. smiling and gestIculat- ing and speaking to himself. just as he said he saw Smith do. would he consider the professor crazy. knowing him to be a professor. and the wit ness said he would consider him ab. sent minded The hearing was then adjourned with sone obvious smiles. to next Monday morning at lv