The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-10-02
Lunacy Inquest Held Today
Before Judge Reed and
Jury in Circuit Court...City
Hospital incident.

Ject OF lundcy inquest To-Day IN tue
Circuit court.
The jury in the case is: Adam
Hovenden, Hugh Burrows, ]. P. Holt
S. p. Martin, w. H. Kane, w. NJ
Smith, j. r. Blandford. w. S. Moore
wv. II. Colman, T. J. Etter, Louis
Green and A. ID. Ray.
Hendrick and Corbett and Judge
Grassland represent Smedley and
Commonwealth Attorney John G
Loyett and County Attorney Alder
Barley the state.
Principal interest centers around
y the incident of Smedley being taken
/ from the jail to Riverside hospita
for treatment for the drug habit
While there he smashed windows and
dishes and furniture, and was sent
back to Jail. Smedley said a rubber
tube was inserted under his door
filling the room with gas fumes, and
he smashed the windows to get air
Indicating serious Authorizations. But
nurses at the hospital testified to in
tercepung a letter from Smedley Ia
his wife, saying they were taking
away his drug, which would spoil his
insanity plea, that he had tried to
commit suicide but was stopped and
then began raising hi"
His eyes burning like Goals of fire
from the pallid setting Of his slightly
emaciated face. his restless, trem-
bling hands, now raised to his face,
now elasping and unclasping, his
lower jaw dropping loose, as IL he
had lost control of 1t, Hiram Smedley
sat huddled, shivering, in a chair at
the end of the table. where his coun-
sci sat during the inquest this morn
ing.
At their bidding he took the wit
ness stand, held up his hand and
swore to tell "the whole truth" and
then answered the questions asked
him as follows:
what is your business now"
County court clerk"
How long have you been county
court clerk"
"Three years"
where do you spend your timer"
at the jail some. I'm the office
some, and at home very little"
"Are you of sound mind?"
Certainly l am, with some as
perty). Why not?"
When asked IL he used morphine
he said: "No, sir"
He admitted that in 1902 when he
was sick a doctor gave him two in
jections.
Asked IL he possesses any real
estate. he said, Eyes, sir: a home on
Fourth street, two-story frame, and
between $1,000 and $1,000 in the
Citizens Savings and City National
banks"
When asked il he had not decided
his home to Cas- Grassland. he re-
piled, Not that know of, SIR"
His story of the city hospital Incl.
dent was quite exciting. He said he
was taken out there 10 push me out
of the world" He explained that
one night he awoke about ~ o'clock
suffocating. and found a small piece
OF hose under the door that was fill.
ing the room with gas. He smashed
the windows just in time to get fresh
air and save his life.
He denied writing letters TO hi.
wife from the hospital, in which he
said they we're trying to cure him ,oi
the drug habit. and that would fl,
his insanity plea in September, ant
denied attempting suicide.
DIR. Sights.
DR.. II. p. Sights, alienist, said
Smedley appeared to be insane, anS
he called it toxic insanity due to tn,
use of morphine and hyoscene. II,
called insanity "a condition of mint
characterized by changes in manne
of thinking, feeling and acting" HI
said these drugs pervert the mora
sense. He judged by Smedley's &C
lions that he was insane. Two year
ago when physicians talked of operat
ing on Smedley's wife, Smedley sal,
If his wife died he would kill tn
doctors operating on her. DR.. Sight
thought then he was Irrational
Attorney John G. Miller, Sr.
Thought Smedley was not at himsel
mentally.
County Jailer James Eaker coult
not say whether or not he though
Smedley insane
Former Deputy Jailer p. G.. Kirl
told of Smedley setting fire to hi
: bedding aud said he considered Smed
? ley insane.
Hon. John X Heudriek, Smedley'
{ attorney, said he and Mr.. Corbet
: could never get from Smedley
: statement sufficiently rational to en-
: able them to make a defense for him
! He detailed his experiences will
,Smedley. who would never stay In th'
office long enough to talk over mat
tiers, promised to settle his shortages
denied his guilt, wished to sue 70
u.