The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-17
MODERN BLUEBEAR PAYS
PENALTY FOR HIS CRIMES

FRIDAY, the thirteenth, witnessed
.he execution of George Joseph
smith, the modern Bluebeard. $
VINO was convicted of Staying three
ci his six wives Each of Smiths
victims was slain in her bath shortly
AFTER marriage; consequently the
case mas become known as the
brides of the bath case Smith g
execution took place at an early
hour Friday at Maidstone prison and
was conducted in private. Thursday
the condemned may received visits
from his spiritual adviser and from
several relatives.
! me crimes of which Smith was
convicted arelooked upon bv scot-
iahd Yard as among the most COM
Flex mysteries of recent years. The
evidence on which the prisoner was
convicted was wholly circumstantial.
out OF so convincing a nature that
the Jury required less than thirty
minutes to arrive at a verdict of
guilty.
smith. according to the evidence
was born in London. the son of an
insurance agent. and was As wears
old. Possessed of good education
and plausible manner. he easily
succeeded in ingratiating himself
INTO the good graces of the fair sex.
for nearly ten years. according to
the police. he made a business NJ |
marrying women for their money
In his matrimonial ventures he made
use OF various fictitious names.
Ihree of the women he married
were found dead few DAYS after tho
ceremony. In each of these cases
vrdict Of accidental death was re-
turned. The suspicious of the
were finally aroused
however. and several of the bodies
were exhumed. with the result that
omlth was arrested on three charges
Of murder.
Al the preliminary hearing and
ne subsequent trial the prosecution
presented evidence concerning the
leath OF each of Smiths three wives
all instances, it was maintained
ne defendant had just persuaded
hem to make out their Wills in his
avor and to take out life insurance
mlth also made it appear that each
vas Ill Immediately before sre was
ouha drowned in the bath. During
ne time they were in the bathroom
ast before they were found dead.
NTH made it appear that he had
'ft the house. Upon returning he
eht upstairs. and Immediately
'ied Tor help. These. precausions.
'eprosecution declared, were taken
avert suspicion and in an effort {
make 1t appear that because of 81
e illness of the victims, they were al
owned owing to having tainted in ca
e tub.
'ohoer the name of John LLOYD. tn
NTH married Margaret Lofty at a tn
s'stry office at Bath in December, CO
II. The couple went to- London ca
same daily, and the next morn at
9 the bride was found dead in her m,
tn. A verdict of accidental death tn
Is returned. Later, it was ascer- ca
med by the police that Lloy was DC
the husbands name and he was
rested and identified as Joseph Ey
orge Smith, who, in Noyembe
IL, mhad married at Portsmouth
ice Durham. She had been found
~ IN her bath month after the TIL
emony. His marriage to Beatrice We
Idly In July, 1912, was also traced of
1t was found that she had met wa
tn in similar manner a short lin
Re after her marriage. an,
Fhe testimony at the triar sbowod Gus
t Smith had married at least Tel
ee other women in addition to Go,
sc he was charged with having pro
rdered. The testimony also I
wed that in each case Ire had OBJ Obi
led money from the women i'm cha
llately after their marriage. The uni