The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-09
WITNESSES SAY SMITH IS INSANE Experts Hold That DeIusions
 Led Him to Kill MISS SMITH ON TIE STAND Daughter of Defendant Testifies to Acquaintance With Laurent and
 Her Testimony Also Shows
 Fathers Whims.
MISS SMITH ON THE STAND

Columbus, Miss, February S.-(Special.) ) Paranoia is what Charles R. Smith, the slayer of Eugene A. Laurent has, accord ing to Dr. w. R. Mckinley, the first ex- pert witness introduced by the defense today in the famous murder trial. The expert was taken through a maze of hair-splitting definitions. through the field of medical Jurisprudence and after each journey would fall back on his orig inal statement only to be confronted by another hypothetical question by the pros ecution. It was Dr. Mckinley who per- formed the operaton on Miss Smith for strouble peculiar to her sex which her fathers despite the assurance of the physi- clan and his daughter, persisted in be- lieving to be criminal. From this persist ence of a delusion, based on a mere sus- pcion. coupled with the defendants habit, according to witnesses today, of weeping when there was no apparent cause. crying and talking while alone, and gesticulating Hike preacher" while riding on horse- back through his cotton fields, the doctor drew his conclusions. MT. McConnico, leading counsel for the prosecution in cross questioning the witness started to when court adjourned. The defense has at least three more experts to bring for ward.
 Jealousy Not Motive.
 That jealousy over Miss Lelita King will not be the motive the state will urge for the murder of Laurent, was con- clusively shown today. MT. McConnico, morning session, asked her concerning Miss King being at her home when she turned to the jury and said: Gentle men, l forsee what's coming up. I want to say my father does not love Miss King and never did love Mss King Mi. Me- Connico said:
 Just to dsabuse your mind Miss Es- telle, I will say that the state will make no such contention This came up when Miss Smith stated that 1t was when they were introduced to Laurent at Artesia last June, her father was filled with great dislike and suspicion for Laurent because in helping Miss King from the carriage there The put his arm around her waist"
 Conduct of Laurent.
 Miss Smith declared, however, that Laurents conduct toward her had al ways been gentlemanly, with the excep- tion of the time that he permitted her to sit by the negro driver oh their return to the station when he himself sat on the rear seat of the hack with Miss King. Miss Smith, in her direct exam ination this morning, said:
 When my father accused me of inn proper conduct with MT. Laurent and threatened to kill him, said Spare me spare your child this time and we will start life all over again By that I meant just what am going through with now. l knew then that 1 could not make him believe that l was innocent I ap- pealed to him in the name of my dead mother and in the name of my religion but nothing changed his belief"
 Many letters to her from her father while she was in the convent conducted by the Dominican sister in D'Auteuil a suburb of Paris, from 1900 to 1902, were produced by the defense and partly read by the witness. Their purport was:
 Watch all; confide in none; keep your eyes open. All strangers are backbiters. Fight shy of quick acquaintances; keep your eye on the Chicago girl She might call you off and lrdnap you"
 These were introduced by the defense to show that Smith was always abnor- mally suspicious concerning his daughter, even when she was in Catholic convents. in which institutions she spent IA years of her life
 Remark of Miss King.
 Miss Smith was asked about the re- mark attributed by the defendant to Miss Lelita King in which she said she had done all the mischief she could here and never intended to visit Mississippi again In reply witness said the remark was made in light vein and she never paid any attention to it.
 Miss Smith declared emphatically that she believed that her father was insane when he killed Laurent and did not have the mental capacity to distinguish be- tween right and wrong when the deed was committed
 Fined for Contempt.
 Little Rock. Ark, February B.