Ada Bell Smith

SMITH, CREW

Posted By: Carrie Robertson (email)
Date: 10/18/2016 at 22:15:53

Saturday April 19, 1919
Carl Smith Deliberately Shoots His Wife To Death, Wounds Self; To Recover
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Carl Smith deliberately killed his wife at Marion, shortly before last midnight. He admitted this much in a statement he gave to County Attorney H.K. Lockwood shortly before noon today. He told the attorney that he had gone to the woodshed where he had secreted his revolver for the purpose of getting it and then killing his wife. HE admitted, it is said, that he was jealous and that he had seen a man leave the rear door of his home as he approached the house.
The friends of the dead woman deny this, and those who knew her best are positive it is not true. Mrs. Smith's reputation was of the highest. She was prominent in club work, having ben [sic] president of the Musical-Literare [sic] club and there never was a breath of suspicion against her. It is believed that Smith's reason for making such a statement is to save his own neck in the event he recovers.
The statement he gave to the county attorney was taken in short-hand and is being transcribed this afternoon.
The murder of Mrs. Ada Smith was particularly cold-blooded and brutal. Her husband is said to have been intoxicated at the time of the tragedy. He admits he quarreled with his wife before he shot her. His condition is good this afternoon and physicians say he has a good chance to recover. It was brought to a local hospital this afternoon.
The tragedy has aroused Marion as no other tragedy has aroused it in recent years. Mrs. Smith was well liked and that she should meet so an untimely a death has shocked the entire community.
A charge of first degree murder probably will be lodged against Smith this afternoon and he probably will be placed under guard at the hospital.
Smith fired four shots. The first went through his wife's left hand, ans she probably had raised it to protect herself, and the second entered her right side, penetrated her heart and came out of her body and into the bed. He then fired two into his own body, about five inches below his heart, both balls penetrating his left lung. Smith used a .32 caliber revolver. Smith is 34 years of age; his wife was 33.
CRIME PRE-MEDITATED
The murder was pre-meditated, according to Coroner King. Smith told King that he had kept the revolver in the wood shed so that his sons might not find it. Empty cartridges on the dresser in the bedroom where the murder was committed indicated that Smith had come home, emptied the revolver of the shells, and had filled it with bullets. Smith told Coroner King that three more bullets would be found in a pocket of his vest, which he had hung up in the room and they were found there as Smith said.
Under indictment by the grand jury of the theft of a check of $70, which he is alleged to have stolen from the Milwaukee Railroad company, Smith had been despondent. He told Coroner Dave King, after the shooting, that he had had a quart of whisky early in the evening. He was conscious at times early today, and the attending physician said that, providing complication do not set in, his chances for recovery are good.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived with Mrs. Smith's mother, Mrs. Crew, at Marion. Mrs. Crew, Mrs. Smith, and her two small boys were in the home at the time Smith entered a short time before midnight. According to Mrs. Crew, Smith gave evidence that he was intoxicated when he came in, slamming the doors as he went through the house.. He went upstairs and into the room where his wife had been asleep. A few minutes later Mrs. Crew heard her daughter scream.
Four loud reports then rang out, following each other at intervals of but a few seconds.
WIFE RISES TO MEET HIM.
Smith had gone to the room, according to Coroner King, and had begun to undress himself, he being only partly dressed when Mrs. Crew entered the room. Mrs. Smith had not got out of the bed in which she had been sleeping, she probably only had risen up in a vain effort to ward off the bullets.
Under the influence of opiates, Smith was conscious, about 1 a.m., when Coroner King visited the scene of the murder. He asked where his wife was.
"Your wife is dead," said Coroner King.
The wounded man appeared not to have heard. A few minutes later he asked for a cigaret. One was put between his lips and lighted for him. He smoked tow cigarets while he lay in bed a part of the time conscious and part in a semi-coma.
When Coroner King asked Smith why he had killed his wife, he did not answer. The drugs which had been given to him caused him to make only partly intelligent replies to other questions.
JEALOUS OF WIFE.
Smith is known to have been jealous of his wife, but there is said to have been nothing that she did that could have excited his jealousy. His jealousy was greater when he was drinking. It was probably this, coupled with despondency over his indictment for stealing, that prompted the murder.
Mrs. Smith was the only daughter in a family of five children. Her brother, Dr. Crew, is in France in the services at the present time. She was employed by the Denocke Dry Goods company in Cedar Rapids. Smith's father is dead, but his other, Mrs. George Smith, lives in Marion. His father was a Civil war veteran. Smith was a member of Company C, of the old Third Iowa National Guard, and he left the service shortly after the time the United States entered the war. His wife obtained his release because of their two small children.