The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-09-30
SMYTH, ON STAND IN DUMAS TRIAL, STILL
Being GR|LLED BY ATTORNEY FOR DEFENSE

Robert e. Smyth, who went on the
stand in the Dumas case yesterday
afternoon, following Attorney E. e
McDona1d's outline for the STATE and
who told in open court his story OF
how DR.. Dumas had offered to gel
men to burn the store at Puposky OF
which Smyth was u manager, was
turned over to the attorneys for the
defense at the morning session Of
court and since that time has beer
given a merciless grilling at the
hands of Freeman 5P. Lane, who is
aided in his examination by Judge
Spooner and A. A. Andrews.
Mr.. smyth said he was q years
old; that since last May he has been
a deputy fire marshall; that he was
manager of the Puposky store which
was owned by A. E. Smith MIR
Smyth. at this afternoons session
admitted that he was interested in a
saloon at Nebish and that he had told
Mike Davis that he wished the books
at the Puposky store destroyed at
the time of the fire..
2 About the Books.
"And after the Puposky affair
those books were shipped out of the
country, into Ganada--to Winnipeg,
were they not?'' asked Attorney
Lane. 49,. r. .
"They may have BEEN" said Mr.
Smyth
The defense tried to get Mr.. smyth
to admit that on the day of the IA
nous meeting in the John Larson sa-
loon here, DR.: Dumas had asked him
to come to Be1nidji to settle his
doctor bill. Mr.. Smyth insisted that
he had paid for all medical services
on every visit made. -- .-..
In telling of the saloon meeting
Mr.. Smyth testified that Mike Davis
had told DR.. Dumas he wanted to
get a watch he had planted at the
rear of the Endion hotel.
Asked About The Watch.
Sand yet you sassas'' sexclaim I'd At
torney Lane, chat at this same meet
ing Mike Davis said he would go to
Cass Lake and get from DR.. Dumas
the nitroglycerine to be used in blow
ing the Puposky safe. Now you face
that jury and tell them why Mike
Davis wanted Dumas to get the
watch when Davis himself was going
to Cass Lake that very night
"Well, the watch was discussed
before the dynamite" replied the
witness.
Mr.. Lane made frequent sarcastic
comment on Mr.. Smyth's work as a
detective
Thought it His Duty.
"You knew that when the detec-
tives and the sheriff and the other
men went to Puposky they were
heavily armed and that they had gun
holes in the buildings and that either
Mike Davis or Behan or both might
be murdered. didn't you" asked the
attorney. ... .. t. ..u ......
II did"
"And yet for 500 a month you
was willing to plan a crime that
might end in murder, were your
Attorney Mcdonald objected to the
question as improper but Judge Nc
Clenahan permitted it to be answer
ed and Mr.. Smith said he did it be-
cause he thought it was his duty.
Denies He Wanted Fire. T.
"Now honestly, Mr.. Smyth, didn't
you want that building burned fol-
the So, 500 insurance." demanded the
attorney, who got quick, "no, SIR
in reply.
"Well, with the flames bearing
down on the building, didn't you
send the only team away and did you
do one solitary thing to save your
store,' persisted Mr.. Lane.
ri sent the team to the Hodgdon
home to get. the women and kids who
were crying, and I carried several
pals of water to put out the fire out. .
What did you carry water for
when you though the building was
doomed?" was the next thrust, why
wasn't you trying to save the stock?'
"It's pretty hard to save a retail
stock. did take out my typewriter
and the books.
The attorney for the defense es-
tablished the fact that when com
mittee of citizens called upon him tc
contribute toward the expense OF
clearing the brush away from his
store that he failed to contribute.
What He Had Said.
All this line of testimony was
taken as an effort on the part of the
defense to discredit the testimony
of Smyth who on direct examinatior
had told how Dr. Dumas had pointed
out two men leaving his Office as
couple of the cleverest men il the
business" that the doctor had ther
shown him two guns and a bottle O
/ nitroglycerine left by these mel FOL