The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-02-12
MISS LEuTA KING
MAY NOT FIGURE
IN SMITH TRAGEDY
STATE INDICATES THAT JEAL-
ousY WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED
AS MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
DAUGHTER WAS SUSPICIOUS
etters Written Miss Estelle While
In Convent Were Filled With sus-
picion.-Kidnapping Was Frequent
Iy Referred To.

! ~ heISTECO tO'
COLUMBUS, Miss, Feb 9.-Para
noia is what Charles R. Smith, the
SLAYER of Eugene A. Laurent, has, ac
cording to DR.. w. r. Mckinley, the
first expert witness introduced by the
defense Monday in the famous muir
der trial He was taken through a
maze of hair-splitting definitions in
the field of medical Jurisprudence, and
after each journey would fall back on
his original statement only to be con-
fronted by another hypothetical ques-
ton by the prosecution.
1t was DR.. Mckinley who performed
the operation on Miss Smith for a
trouble peculiar to her sex, which her
father. despite the assurances of the
physician to be criminal. From
in believing to be criminal From
this persistence of a delusion, based
on a mere suspicion coupled with the
defendants habit, according to wit
nesses, of weeping when there
was no apparent cause, crying and
talking while alone, and gesticulating
like a preacher while riding horse
back through his cotton fields, the
doctor drew his conclusions.
Mr.. McConnico, leading counsel for
the prosecution in examining the
witness started to send out for many
books on paranoia when court adj
journed.
The defense has at least two more
experts to bring forward,
Not Jealousy.
That jealousy over Miss Lelita King
will not be the motive the State will
urge for the murder of Laurent was
shown. Mr. McCon-
nico in examining Miss Smith at
the morning session asked her con-
corning Miss King being at her home,
when she turned to the jury and said;
Gentlemen, foresee what's coming
up. want to say my father does not
love Miss King and never did love
Miss King"
Mr.. McConnico said Just to dis
abuse your mind, Miss Estelle, will
say that the State will make no such
This came up when Miss Smith
stated that it was when they were
to Laurent at Artesia last
June that her father was filled with /
great desire and suspicion for Laurent
because, in helping Miss King from
the carriage there "he put his arm
around her waist" Miss Smith stated,
however, that Laurent's conduct TO-
ward her had always been gentleman
Y, with the exception of the time that
1e permitted her to sit by the negro
lriver on their return to the station,
when he himself sat on the rear seat
If the hack with Miss King.
Miss Smith, In her direct examina-
ion this morning, said: when my
ather accused me of improper con
Iuct with Mr. Laurent and threatened
o kill him, said, Spare me! Spare
our child this time and we will start
ife all over again BY that / meant
ust what am going through with
ow / knew then that l could not
make him believe that | was innocent.
appealed to him in the name of my
cad mother, and In the name of my
eligion, but nothing changed his be-
ef."
Many letters to her from her father ,
lille she was in the convent conduct '
d by the Dominican Sisters in Dau- {
euil, a suburb of Paris during 1900 '
g. were produced by the defense and +
artly read by the witness. Their e
urport was: watch ALL confide in |
one; keep your eyes open; all
are backbiters. Fight shy
quick acquaintances; keep your eye I
n the Chicago girl. She might call :
ou off and kidnap you" These were
by the defense to show
rat Smith was always abnormally
lspicious concerning his daughter,
zen when she was in Catholic con- Il
snts, in which institutions she spent Y
urteen years of her life. .