Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-09-16
Edward Jones Kills
Lawrence Smack!
Brooded Over An Alleged Wrong To His
Daughter By Murdered Man-Daughter
Denies Intimacy With Smack

Hill Jail for shooting to death Law
renee Smack, % years old, at IRON
shire last Tuesday.
Smack was sitting on the front
porch of Vests store at lronshire,
when Jones came up about II o'clock
and passed into the store. Smack
got up and walked in the direction
of Quillen's store less than hundred
feet away. Jones remained in the
store only a few minutes and i'm
mediately after he came out of the
store he called to Smack, who turned
and started back. Jones was ap-
preaching him, and when they were
only few feet apart Jones pulled a
pistol and fired. Smack reeled and
staggered to the Quillen porch, where
he fell with his head against the
doorway. Jones ran up and emptied
his pistol into the PROSTATE form.
The Sun correspondent in describing
the murder, says: Jones then got
into his automobile and drove to his
garage at Berlin. There he found
Chief of Police Birmingham and sur
rendered his weapon and himself. He
was driven to Snow Hill in his own
automobile and placed in the county
Jail.
"Four men who were sitting on the
porches of the stores sensed the APP
preaching tradegy and made for
cover. The only witness of the final
shots was William Bratten, a deaf
mute, employed in the store of Wal
ter West.
"The shooting was the elimination
of quarrel of several weeks standing
between the two men, and Jones, it
is alleged, has been threatening to
kill Smack for more than a month.
The quarrel arose when Sallie, the
l7-year-old daughter of Jones, took
poison on July %. Smack was ac
cused of poisoning the girl and was
held under $1,000 bail for the October
court According to Mrs. Elsie
Smack, wife of the slain man, the
girl had been absent from home all
the day previous to taking the poison.
Her husband, Mrs. Smack said, had
been away in the afternoon playing
baseball. Gossip among the farm
hands coupled the names of the two.
The SmackS were at that time work
ing at the Jones place. The girl re-
turned home and after quarrel with
her family swallowed the poison.
Mrs. Smack said Sallie had told her
where She was going and had asked
her to accompany her, but she had
not told her family
Mrs. Smack Gets Warming
"That night Mrs. Smack was warn
ell by her mother, who is a sister of
Mr.. Jones, to tell Lawrence to make
himself safe and do it quick. Mrs.
Smack said that she delivered the
message to her husband who had re-
tired, but that he profeSsed ignor-
ance of any cause as To why he should
hide. About II o'clock Jones drove
up to the Smack house, which is about
a mile from his residence, with a
shotgun. Mrs. Smack, her father and
brother went down to Jones, she said.
He asked where Smack was, saying
he had come to kill him. Mrs. Smack
said Jones went away only when he
was told that Smack was not at
home. Mrs Smack said that she
pleaded with her uncle to remember
her and her little son. and that he
had replied: If | skip the gallows,
you will never want for anything.
Men Had Met Since
"Since then it is said that Jones
and Smack have met, the last time
previous to today being Sunday, when
both attended a colored compmeet-
ing nearby and spent considerable
time within a short distance of each
other.
"Smack lived for about Is minutes
after the last shot was fired, but
died before medical assistance could
be summoned. William A. McAllen,
at Snow Hill, empanelled
a coroner's jury which rendered the
verdict that Jones feloniously. volun-
tarly, and with malice aforethougEt
shot Smack in cold blood.
"Niss Jones has made various afli-
iavits to the effect that she has had
no Illicit relations with Smack and
that he did not give her the poison
which she took.
"Jones is being held in the Snow
Hill Jail without bail awaiting the
of the October court.
smack's body was taken to the home
IF his brother, Hamilton Smack,
after the inquest