Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-01-12
Smiths Statement.

Johnson, Richard Pines and
Eugene Dorsey of Completely
In The Murder of Schultz-Dis.
claims Participation Himself
Says He was "Sw Gated" by the
Police and Compelled to En-
dure Hunger Until He Repeat
ed Words Put in His Mouth by
Officers.
The time has come when the COM
munity should be relieved Of the sus.
pense which 1t has endIIed since lsst
Saturday when 1t became known that
Henry Smith, eolored, who hsd oeen
declared guilty of murder In the hfs.
degree for participation In the kliilng OF
Walter L. Schultz, had made STATE
ment. The authorities, for reasons
which to them seemed best, refused to
diyulge the nature of this statement,
and as the news concerning tbs story
spread all sorts of constructions were
placed upon 1t. While the disclosures
made by Smith are startling, they are,
in the main, the opposite from what
most people had supposed. 1t Was
paturally believed that be had given
the details of the murder, bad
implicated Others, acknowledged The psrl
he played ia the crime and cofroborsted,
at least, most OF the assertions he made
nm the stand In the CORPORATION Court in
regard to the completely OF Johnson,
Pines and Dorsey. But his sta!emen!
ful6lls none of these expectations. de
absolutely exonerates the three men, es'
pecialIy the frst.named, and says be
happened to see johnson on the night OF
March 6 and after his arrest concluded
he would implicase him IN the crime.
Smith in excalpating the others presends
that he had nothing to do With the kill.
ing of Schultz, and when asked Why he
made his statement to the officers, in the
Police Court snd subsequently, In the
Corporation Court which resulted In the
ssnteucipg to death OF the convicted men,
be laid the odi1m upon Caief G PODS and
Ohcsr Sampson, and charges them with
putting the words in bis mouth In order
that they might establish q record Tor
ruuniug down murderers. He also Gays
he was cruelty "sweated' while confined
in the station house and Vas made to en-.
dure hunger until he made his statement.
As was indicated In the Gazette yesler-
day, Smiths statements are contradic'
tory In many places, and but few sre in.
cined to take his latest story cum grano
sails,
10 an interview yesterday With Mr.. B.
D. B,umbsck, enc OF bis counsel, be told
the latter that 10 one would become &C.
qusinted With the true facts Ia connec.
ton With the Schulz murder until be
(Smith) shsll have been placed Ia the
electric chair.
In consideration of the facts given
above, Judge Barley aud Common
wealth's Attorney Brent early last night
communicated With Governor Swanson
by telephone, and, at their request, the
governor reapited Johnson, Pines and
Dorsey, Who were to have bsen electric
cuted next Friday, fox sixty days.
Reference is made above to The state.
mens made by Smith to Mr.. B umback
yesterday. The following is the negro'H
story 10 full:
81 desire to state tia! the confession
made by me in the three trisls CT Calvin
johnson, Richard Pines aud Eugene
Dorsey was false and untrue; that il they
had anything to do with the commission
OF the murder OF Schultz | knox abso.
lately nothing aboutit. Tue reason | Wal t
to make this statement Is do not want
innocent men to sufferer By reason oil
any story told by me. / bad always in
tended to deny this confession bad l
been acquitted. That wss the reason |
wanted the judge to sentence me at once
go could tell The truth before johnson,
Pines and Dorsey were executed. l also
want to say that thia story was made by
Chief Goods, Officer Sampson and my
SELF Chief Goods mentioned the names
Of Pines and Dorsey and l suggested
Johnson's name. God knows l am In
nocent of this crime. I know absolutely
uothing about this murder. Had muir.
dered Schultz l certainly would have
cotton all his money and gone away.
To show that | knew nothing about the
commission OF the crime, I told Chief
Goods at the frat trial I could not 10 ate
the spot nor the position OF Schultz
body. I didn't know which direction his
head or his feet were pointed, and then
be told mo he would put stick In the
ground while | was 10 jail before the
trial came OF. he placed the stick so
that the big end would indicate tbs d..
rection OF the head and the small end the
feet. Officer Sampson told me when We
we're again out on the ground 10 the
trial of johnson to watch the chief and
the way he goes over the fences. He nc.
titled me while l was in Jail that new
fence had been put in there, and / was
told by him to act when l reached that
fence as though l did not know 1t was
there, and was also told by him ss he
walked BY my side while going another
time to the spot to act as though could
DOT locate the place and Afterwards to
End 1t. Mr.. Sampson came to
the cell up stairs where I was
| concealed while In the police
station and said there WAS very little
blood found on the ground where
Schulz's body was found. Then l made
| up The story about the rags having bean
tied tightly around Schultz's neck when
| he vas murdered, and Mr.. Sampson go'
the rags and put them there 80 that they
| could be found. During all the trials
Chief Goods sat behind me, and Mr..