The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-09
SMITH ON STAND
DAUGHrnR or RICH MIssrssTPPH
 MAN TEsTIFIEs. .1
Zefters Written by the Defendant rn- dieste . Constant Fear for
 Safety of the Young Ef Woman. f

Columbus. Miss, Feb. s.--Miss Es- telle Smith. who was on the witness stand when the trial of c. R. Smith for the murder Of E. A. Laurent was adjourned Saturday last. resumed the stand again today.
 witness was asked about the remark attributed by the defendant to Miss Letitia King in which she said she had done all the mischief she could here and never intended to visit Mississippi.
 In reply the witness said the remark was made in a light vein and she new CT paid any attention to 1t.
 Counsel for the defense endeawored to show that the witness had noticed signs of insanity in her father long before the killing of Laurent and had isold the friends of the family of his eonditfon.
 Several letters were read to the jury and they indicated that there dwelt In the mind of Smith constant fear that his daughter would form undesirable Acquaintances.
 Notwithstanding the alleged breach 5between Smith and his daughter, the young woman greeted her father most laffectionately when he came Into the zcourt room this morning.
 Miss Smith was seated near the Judges stand when her father entered fby way of a rear door and as soon as
 
 arms around his neck.
 Judge Buckley, today as measure of precaution and in order to prevent Lany outbreak in the court room, swore an several additional deputies.
 1t was nearly 10 o'clock when the fsxamination of. witnesses began. Miss ESmith, whose direct examination was Idn progress when, court adjourned Sat- iurday afternoon was recalled. Mir. lfVNitherspoon, who interrogated Miss Smith, seemed to be endeavoring to show that she had suspected that her fathers mental condition was unsound Hong before he killed Laurent, and with this end in view . number of let- saers which defendant had written to his daughter. while she was attending school at different convents in variouA parts of the country and in France, were read to the jury
 There was nothing irrational about Shese letters. Smith admonished his slaughter to be careful in the selection of her companions and to avoid unde- Birable acQuainfances.
 Mss Smith was followed by !. N. Harrell whose testimony vas unina- portant.
 At the conclusion of Harreil's exami- nation the court recessed for lunch and Che firt witness to be examined at the afternoon session was Miss Esther Mercer. housekeeper at the Smith home. Miss Mercer swore that she be- gieved the defendant to be insane, but MT. McConnico submitted her to a searching cross examination.
 During Miss Mercer's cross examinaa tion Miss Smith, who created such dramatic scene Saturday by calling. on the people to protect her father from the searching cross examination which he was then undergoing, again created aaf he hn language used by the attorney in his ! snterrogations. ~
 Tn referring to Laurent's visit to the Smith home Mir. McConnico said nome- thing about the hack having hauled" the guests, and Miss Smith objected to the word hauled" calling out loudly ko the attorney: 'Td have you under stand. MT. McConnico, that we didn't haul our guests, we conveyed them."
 MT. McConnico apologized, declaring Hhat in using the word haul" he meant no offense and the examination of Miss Mercer continued.
 Following Miss Mercer came l.. R. Walker, overseer on the Smith place. and J. A. COckerham, manager of the they had seen Smith do a number of things which led them to believe him crazy.
 On cross examination they admitted that they had seen hundreds of other men do the same things and had never questioned thefr sanity . st.
 The last witness to be introduced this afternoon was DF. w.. R. McKin- ley, who testified that he performed an operation on Miss Smith, not of Q crin1- 1nal nature.
 Dr. Mckinley declared that he be- aieved Smith to be insane.
 When court adjourned at 6 o'clock, pr. Mckinley was being cross exam ined by MT. McConnico as to the grounds upon which this opinion was based.