The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-29
No Reason Assigned for the Rash Act Except III
 Health
WAS PROMINENT IN
 LAW AND POLITICS
Republican Candidate for Governor in 1902 and Son of the Late ex- Governor w. H. Smith-An
 Ideal Gentleman

yesterday morning at Il 30 o'clock in the law offices of Julius w. Davidson, SIS Woodward building. MT Smith fingered until 110 o'clock, when he died with
 out speaking.
 | The ghastly discovery of Mir Smith | lying in a pool of his own blood, re- volver by his side, his head pillowed on | law book with it's binding clotted with | blood, and crimson stream trickling down his forehead, was made by Julius | w. Davidson, in whose offices the shoot l ing occurred.
 | He immediately rushed into the adjoin- ing office of pr. Richard Nice and sum- | moned him to the aid of MT. Smith, Dr. Gaston Torrance was also summoned. | Their efforts were In vain, and MT. Smith died at 1:10 o'clock.
 MT Smith was found lying on the floor of the office. A small couch was pulled to his side and the two doctors | with Coroner B. l.. Brasher who had been summoned, watched the life grad 1 ually ebb out.
 l. w. H. Smith, a brother of the dead man, was notified of the act Of ms | DTOtner anu uuIIico tO iiio oiSS' deeply affected by the tragedy and would not discuss the cause of the shooting. Immediately after death occurred the | body was removed to the parlors or Lige Loy. The funeral services will be heid | from his late residence, 712 South Ihlr- teenth street, this morning at Il O'CLOCK | Interment will be in Oak Hill cemetery
 
 l Friends of the dead man are at loss | to account for the cause of his act. They state that he was apparently in the best l of spirits when he left a party of friends | earlier in the morning. It Is stated that | Mir Smith had been in i'll health for | some time previous to his death and some assign this as the reason Tor ms | suicide
 | MT Smith had an appointment With | Mir Davidson to try the case or lhe | state vs E. H. Hickman before JudSe
 Sharpe. He left MT. Davidson earlier in the morning telling him that he was | going to get shave. MT. Smith did not appear at the hour named and Mr. Dav- dson proceeded with the trial of the | case.
 | At about 12:15 o'clock he returned 10 his offices to find his friend stretched on the floor dying MT. Smith fired but one shot, the bullet striking him Just peiow the right ear and ranging upward At | tending physicians state that there was 1 absolutely no chance. for recovery, ana Mir Smith was not moved for fear or causing instant death
 Dr. Nice Heard Shot It was at least 45 minutes after MT Smith had fired the fatal shot that ms
 body was discovered by Mir Davloson'
 pr. Nice stated that he heard shot
 about 11:15, but that it seemed 10 come from the lower floor. He sent maid .o find out about the shot, but she was uh- abe to obtain any information. He then
 maid no attention to the matter until MT. Davidson rushed in exclalming that MI
 Smitli had shot himself MT Smith was 53 years old and was
 A widower He resided with his brotner' w. H. Smith, at TIP South Thlrueth street He is survived by n brother and daughter, Mrs. Ida Fillamon, and TOUT sisters. Miss Annie Smith, MISS Lucy Smith, Mrs Mary West and Mrs. d. Fletcher McCary.
 1 MT. Smith was prominent in republican no,itical circles of the state, and in 1902 was republican candidate for the gover- | norship He possessed the implicit con hdence of his colleagues and was lookeo | mon as one of the highest types of southern gentleman. MT. Smith was the son of the late ex-Gov. w. H. Smith | Mir. Smith was born in Wedowee, Ran dolph county, and came to Birmingham | 20 years ago, since which time he has | been an esteemed member of the bar. J. w. Davidson Talks | MT. Davidson, who was the first to dis- cover the body of MT. Smith, made the | following statement to an Age-Herald reporter yesterday:
 "I had an appointment with Mr. Smith l yesterday to try a case before Judge | Sharne He left me earlier in the morn | ing apparently in the best of spirits, say inp that he was going to get shave. He | did not appear when the hour came Tor | the trial to begin and I tried the case
 without him. After the trial was over | I re,rrned to my offices. The inner door
 was locked, and when I opened it
 caught sight of MT. Smith lying on the | floor His head was to the north and
 he was gasping for breath. l hurried
 into the office of Dr. Nice and called as
 sistance. but it was of no use Mr. Smiths wound was fatal.
 | "The scene that met my eye when l o,a,ed the door beggars description. l ,rbere was large pool of blood by Mr. Smiths side and the law book upon
 which his head was lying was covered
 with blood.
 "Mr. Smith was one of my best friends
 and his tragic death Is severe blow to me have known him inrmately for years and he was a gentleman III every sense of the word.
 | q am at a loss to account TOT ms act as there was no reason for It so
 far as I know. except his i'll health.
 It was evidently premedtated as the
 revolver was a new one and one pock-
 ct was filled with new cartridges. The
 weapon used by MT. Smith was .3S calibre Howard"
 Dr. Nice Makes Statement Dr. Nice made the following state nept
 "I heard shot about 11.15 o'clock