Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-25


Mrs. Ethel Smith of Manchester, who
three years ago beat her five-year-old son
Ralph to death, and who was given the
very light sentence of five years in the
penitentiary by the jury, has been re-
leased from prison and has returned to
her home in New York city. The woman
is said to have eloped and married her
husband and soon after the birth of her
first child she developed a hatred for it.
In court the woman said that the child
was given to immoral practices and that
she was forced to correct 1t. Neighbors
of the Smith family told of how she
would give the child but scant food. little
clothing and would frequently plunge 1t
into tub of water and leave the child out
of doors to suffer.
When the woman was sent to prison
the husband took the other child and went
back to New York, and the mother today
left on an early train and supposedly
joined her husband and relatives. She
has a brother, DR.. Wisner r. Townsend
who is said to be a successful and wealthy
practitioner In the city of New York.
Colonies All in Line.
Some days ago report gained currency
here that certain members of the staff
of colonies named by Gov. Swanson when
he was made governor had renowned
and would vote for Judge Taft. The
prominence of these gentlemen in the
social and business world made the re-
port interesting, but they are all now ac-
counted for and declare that the report
has done them an injustice. There are
some eighteen OF these gayly uniformed
and snowy citizens, who are to be seen
tons given by the governor and have
done much to make the administration of
Gov. Swanson socially brilliant. They
were much In evidence during the cere-
monies and state days at the jamestown
exposition. The report gave the colonies
friends INVITING them about holding their
positions and voting against the views
expressed by their chief.
Restoration of Whipping Post.
Virginia will be asked to restore the
whipping post when the general assembly
next convenes. 1t is notorious that since
the establishment of the negro reforma-
tory in this state the number of juvenile
criminals has almost doubled. The re-
formatory is crowded so that 1t is impos-
sible TO get another inmate accommodate
ed. The young negroes are giving more
trouble now than at any time since they
were freed. They are the class which
will not go to school, but run the streets
at all hours of the day and night. The
reports received here are to the effect
that the jails of the state are filled with
negroes, male and female. awaiting a
chance to be sent to the reformatory.
They are an enormous expense to the
state and are too small to be sent to the
penitentiary. For this reason the return
to the system of whipping the youthful
offenders for the first and second offenses
is being seriously considered by men who
have given time and study to the matter.
The plan most advocated at this time is
to give the negroes two chances, and
when they are arrested a third time to
place them in the reformatory till they
shall reach the age of twenty-one years.
or for a given number of years.
In this connection there is great COM
plant that the jailers of the state are
not needing the law which requires that
inmates of the prisons shall be sent to the
roads. Some of the officers are not max
ing reports. though there is big demand
for the convicts. The jailers get fees for
guarding and keeping the prisoners while
in Jail, but If they are sent to the roads
this is lost to them.
Last Week of Campaign.
State Chairman Ellyson has completed
his program for the last week of the cam
paign. and he will have a corps of some
forty speakers on the stump from now
until the day OF election. The fifth and
nlHtn uislrlctS are the storm centerS. The
republicans there are active, and Mr.. Ely
son and the state committee are anxious
that there shall be solid democratic
delegation in the next Congress The
chances are that Slemp (republican) will
be returned In the ninth, while Judge
Saunders. in the fifth. is being given a
hot contest by Senator Parsons The best
men 10 be had are to be kept in those two
districts.
One of the candidates for Congress in
the fifth district. Elliott Matthews, is in
the county jail The man resorted to the
use of postal cards in making his an
announcement for Congress. 1t was learned