The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-22
SMITH WRITES
EXPLAINS HlsR CONNECTION WITH
DAYLEs TRAGEDY.
she says Her Part In The Monroevfilc
incident Has Been Misrepre-
scented ~ The News

Mrs. James Smith, who was an Inn
portant witness In the hearing before
the state Board of Pardons which re-
suited In the tragedy at Monroeville
In which Senator o. O. Bayles lost his
life has written The Advertiser let
ter asking II to correct some state
ments concerning her position and
testimony published. In various Ala
bama papers.
Mrs. Smith 10 q sister of the Shir-
leys, for whom pardon was sought.
She was the wife of the man. for
whose murder they are serving a SEN
tence It was said that her examina-
ton before the Board Of Pardons, caused
the tragedy In which Senator Bayles
was shot by her brother-in- law. d. X.
smith.
Her letter written from Mobile fol-
lows:
Owing to erroneous statements
about myself, which appeared in the
columns OF The Mobile Register, Item
and other papers. In connection with
the particulars of Senator o. o. Bayles'
death. I ask permission through the
medium OF your paper of 1ustifying
myself and correcting the statements.
ION July the 18th. was called be-
fore the Pardoning Board in Montgom-
cry, In the case of the Shirley's, con-
victed of assault with attempt to MUIR
der OF James 4. Smith. my husband.
The Shirley brothers, Isaac and Jessie,
are brothers of mine.
ION going before the board, 1 found
that Senator o. o. Bayles an attorney
for the Shirley's, had placed before
the board false and cruel accusations
against me and had / not been given
an opportunity Of correcting them, 1t
would have been detrimental to my
character. or perhaps married 1t for life.
After finding out particulars. l felt 1t
my duty to place before the board,
proof that these statements were
wholly incorrect. This seemed to make
Mr.. Bayles very angry, and he was
ungentlemanly and merciless in his
questions to me, making 1t more a
personal matter than that of securing
q pardon for the boys.
However. the papers state that my
brother-in-law, d. X. Smith was
present, and became very angry at the
time. This Is q mistake. He was In
the capital with DIR. r.. A. Smith, his
brother OF Brewton, Ala, but neither
one of them was present during this
merciless questioning.
II stood 1t all though very trying,
as any lady placed in that sad posi-
ton would have to do. Still I asked
three or four times during the exami-
hours, the Boards kind permission of
calling him down In hts persecution,
which was willingly granted me.
why Senator Bayles was SO merci-
less to me, is more than ! can under
stand, unless 1t was a plan he had
fallen on to gain q pardon for my
brothers. but it seems to me that any
man could have found a more gentle
manly way in which to have gone
about II.
"Then again wish to correct an
other false statement which appeared
in the papers q few weeks prior to
the meeting of the Pardoning Board.
which stated that I stood in great fear
OF my brothers-in-law, and that I had
been kept hidden from my family.
This Is absolutely false, as 1t can be
proven by the mere fact that 1 have
been assistant postmaster for the past
three years at Monroeville, Ala.
A correction of these facts through
the columns of your paper will be ap-
preciated by me very much.
Very respectfully.
Mrs. Smith"