The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07
Daughter of Defendant Declares
 Her Innocence
MUCH MYSTERY IN CASE
The Belief Exists That Smiths Idea of Laurent's Wrongdong Was Fixed In His Mind, But Was
 Merely Imaginary.

Columbus, Miss, February 6.-(Special) "Gentlemen, l am innocent of the sin 1 am accused of, but I am guilty of the 1 death of MT. E. A. Laurent: knowing the condition of my fathers mind, l did not have the strength to have this thing stopped, which l should have done.
 q did not contradict 1t as I should have done, and what is more. I asked him to meet me on a Friday afternoon in Artesia when I was almost sure that MT. Laurent would be there" These startling words of Miss Estelle Smith sent thrill through the crowded courtroom where Charles R. Smith is on trial for the murder of E. A. Laurent at Artesia because, as Smith has claimed on the stand, Laurent debauched his daughter The evidence of Miss Smith, in which she declared her father was suf- | fering from delusions when he made the accusations against her and then proceed ed to kill what she termed an innocent man, was of the most sensational sort, and the great crowd held with breathless suspense on every word of her recital
 Miss Smiths Story.
 
 anger that Miss Smith told her story. ]. Feeling for her parent, who has blasted her name in open court, was evident in the fearful story she told of her relations with Laurent from the first time that she met him up to the last of January, when her father shot Laurent to death, and after he had fallen. remarked that If he is not dead I will shoot him some more
 Beginning her story with her childhood days, Miss Smith told of the IA years she had spent in Catholic convents, four years at Jackson, Miss. six years at the Visi- tation academy in Mobile; one year at Mt. St Vincent, on the Hudson, and three years with the Mendicant Sisters in Paris. At none of these places was she allowed to receive visitors
 It was through her cousin, Miss Lelita King according to Miss Smith, that she first met Laurent on June 6, 1906 that she first saw Laurent, when she had driven to the depot with her father. Miss King and another young lady named Miss Mercer. Laurent hung around the car riage, but finally came up and was in- troduced.
 Father took dislike to him from the start.'' said Miss Smith.
 Meeting With Laurent.
 Then followed the recital of a number of meetings with Laurent Miss Smith did not invite Laurent to her home on ac- count of her fathers prejudice to him. On one meeting in company witn Miss King, who was stopping at her home Miss King i invited Laurent to call on her.
 ''f felt embarrassed, but l could do 1 nothing but say that l would be pleased to have him call at our home.' 1 Several visits at the Smith home by Laurent followed and on several occa- met him on the train travelling to and from Columbus.
 Laurent introduced young friend named Estes and brought him to the Smith home He proposed a walk in the woods but Miss Smith says she refused to go, asking Miss Robinson, young lady who was visiting at the house. to take her place. As they were departing , Miss King asked for a lap robe and took this with them when they went out.
 Laurents Remark. It being summer, when the party re- turned supper was served on the lawn During the meal Miss Smith heard Lau- rent lean over to Miss King and whisper: 1T have a great mind to hit you broad side
 T saw the color rise in fathers cheeks and I knew that he resented the re- mark"
 In July of 1908 Miss Smith said she had to take q trip to Mobile and when she returned was i'll. She told her father of her illness and he advised her to consult a physician The doctor advised that an operation be performed.
 T was suffering from one of the ordi- nary ills that afflict woman, and the operation proposed was not criminal one" said Miss Smith.
 i She told of wanting to go to Mobile to have the operation performed but her father insisted on it being done in Co., 1 lumbus and she assented to his wishes
 It wa snot until after the operation l that father conjured up the horrible idea that my illness was due to any improper cause. He came into my room and began ! to cry, and from that time his manner toward me was entirely changed"
 Fathers Unbelief.
 After she had left the hospital Miss Smiths father asked her if she had been indiscreet in her relations with either Laurent or Estes, and when she replied that she had not he openly accused her of the crime. She tried to reason with him but he was obdurate in his eonten- tions
 Papa, if you will accuse me of a thing like that you will accuse me of theft: i you will accuse me of murder"
 Torn between sorrow and anger Miss Smith confided to her friends, Mrs. Gen eral Sharp, the horrible accusations her father had brought against her Mrs Sharp told her her father must be crazy. It was then that she made up her mind to leave her home, but Mrs. Sharp advised her not to- do so. "If papa had not been alone I would have left home. If mother had been ! there or If had a sister to look after papa I would have gone. But I could 1 not bear to see him there all alone" i She told of her fathers strange ac- l tions of the queer look that came into | his eyes. He was constantly accusing