Evening journal., 1915-03-24
Three BRIDES DIE
BY Drowning
Londoner Accused of Wed.
ding, Then Staying
Each In Turn
ALL WERE FOUND
DEAD IN BATH

LONDON. March Charged with
the murder OF three women. George
Joseph Smith, in the Bow Street Court
heard Public Prosecutor Bodkin de-
clare he had made away with three
OF his wives. The crime in each case
being committed shortly after he had
married them. Each of these women
was found dead In her bath room;
consequently, the case has come 10 be
known as the Brides in Baths" case
Smith had described himself an a
man Of Independent means According
TO the evidence Of Scotland Yard,
which has been inquiring into the
deaths of these women, Smith made
use OF various fictitious names In his
matrimonial ventures. The women he
married we're found dead a few days
after the ceremony. Verdicts of ac-
cidental deaths have been returned.
but now certain Of the bodies have
been exhumed. with he result that the
charges Of murder have been prefer
red
The public prosecutor gave the
names Of the three women and the
dates OF the alleged murders as
Beatrice Mundy, July. 1912; Alice
Burnham, December. 1913, and Mar
garet Lofty. December. 1914.
Smith, according to the police, was
born in London. the son OF an insur-
/ ance agant, and is 45 years OF age.
| Smith was married, according to the
evidence given at a preliminary hear
] ing under the name of John Lloyd.
TO Margaret Elizabeth Lofty at a
I registry office at Bath In December,
/ 1914. The couple came TO London the
same day and the next morning the
liride was found dead in her bath, her
Husband calling in a doctor who re-
( ported the matter. as a result of
which an inquest was held. Tho
jury brought in a verdict OF acci-
dental death.
In February information having
reached the police that Lloyd was not
the husbands name he was arrested
and identied. the police say, as George
! Joseph Smith. who in November, 1913
had married at Portsmouth Miss Alice
Burnham. The latter a month later
also had been found dead in her bath
In this case too, a corOncr's jury had
brought in a verdict of accidental
death
The police also have had the body
oil another woman oXhumed. This
woman, who likewise died in her bath
shortly after her marriage at Hern'
Bay. was married to a man who gayl
the name of Henry Williams and wh'
is believed by the police to be Georg'
Joseph Smith.
Prosecutor Bodlkin said the accusei
had been married Ave times in all
His first wife was Caroline Beatric
Thornhill, whom he married in lS9
and who now Is on her way TO Lon
don from Canada.
"The prisoner will now be chargel
with the murder OF three OF these nv
women" Mr.. Bodkin continued. 9Th
case is remarkable for the greed 70
wealth which was the dominant motiv'
in the taking of these three lives. w
shall show thai at the death Of two o
them $500 pounds ($l4,OOO) was OBJ
tanned and that the prisoner, when ar
rested. was in a fair way TO Obtain
700 pounds (SS,500) more.
The prosecutor related how Smitl
had ardently courted each woman an'
had obtained from each will making
him the sole legatte.
"In the death of these three womei
precisely similar circumstances eX
i, isted." Mr.. Bodkin said Each wa
/ found in her bath; each died of drown
/, ing, and each was first discovered b.
the prisoner"
The prosecutor said he considere
il remarkable that the prisoner ha
been able TO face the coroner's iurie
untrapped after each death, and tina
he should only at the last be brough
to court on a technicality regardin
/, the use of Q false name in an applica
tion for a marriage license.