San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-06


Mabel Pegler, of whom Mr.. Bodkn, noted prosecut'
ing counsel, afterward coined phrase that became
famous She was, he said, "the woman to whom
Smith always returned. -.-f"
Five times he left her. Ostensibly on business jour-
neys On each of those five occasions he married
new wife" He robbed all of them and got rid of
at least three by drowning them in their baths. And
after each of these adventures he would always re-
turn to Miss PegIer with plenty of money and pic
,turesuue story of how he had made it in business
deal.
As an instance of this he defrauded Southamp-
ton young woman-frst by marrying her, then by
disappearing with 100000 With this he returned
to Miss Pegler, saying he had made the money by
the sale of genuine Turner picture at big profit,
and went to live at Southend, where he bought
house. Three months later their home shifted
to Bristol, where Smith opened shop.
This merely his temporary eerie, from which
this human vulture could conveniently issue forth to
find suitable victims He not long in finding
one. In the early part of August, 1910, he met
Miss Beatrice Munday at Clifton, who straightway
was overpowered by the charms of her experienced
lover, Henry Williams" as he called himself. So
complete was her subjugaton that she became Mrs.
Williams" on August &c. three weeks after her first
meeting with Smith, and entirely without the knowl-
edge of her family.
Of course it was her money Smith was after, but
he had a setback at first Miss Munday the
daughter of a bank manager, and when he died she
inherited $3.50 AS, however, she was a some
what irresponsible person, with no business capabil
ties she voluntarily gave her uncle and brother the
charge of her money as trustees.
Smith had hardly reckoned on this, and when he
discovered it after the wedding he decided that he
had better retire from the until such time as he
could discover safe way Of getting his claws on her
money. Accordingly he disappeared unobtrusively.
We now reach the final stage in the criminal de-
velopment Of George Joseph Smith, He wanted
Beatrice Mundays $4,000, but he could only get
hold of it if she were dead Those last four words
stuck in his mind. They inspired him to attempt his
highest fight in the world of crminality.
AS calmly as he had left her Smith went back to
Miss Munday. His plans lay we'll concealed at the
back of his mind when about year and half after
he had deserted her, Henry Williams" affected de-
lighted surprise at his "chance" meeting with his
most recent wife in the streets at Weston-Super-
Mare. Knowing the man and his schemes, have
doubt whatever that that meeting chance
affair
Smiths hypnotic attractiveness worked its usual
wicked spell. A few caresses and endearing words
and the breach was healed In an incredibly short
space of time the man whom Miss Pegler thought
in Canada on business was back in the good
graces Of Miss Munday and was living in happy re-
union with her. while he got through the necessary
preliminaries TO finishing her off.
He took her to Hene Bay, and by delicate cam
paigning arranged that they should make mutual
wills-that is, he would make will leaving every