Smith - Edward
Source: Crawfordsville Review. Tuesday May 9, 1916
Covington May 8 - Murder and suicide were committed this morning
at 10 o'clock on the Sarah Disseldorf farm, NW of here. Edward Smith
aged 23, a tenant on the farm shot and killed his 19-year-old wife and
then shot himself, inflicting a wound that would not have proved fatal. A
short time later he hung himself in the barn behind the house where he
slew his young wife. Bleeding from his wound near his heart and pursued
by Sheriff Henry Werts, and a number of relatives and friends of the
wife he had just murdered Smith eluded the posse returned to the barn at
the rear of the home and took his own life. His body was found some
time later. Following trouble of several days' standing Mrs. Smith left
home Saturday and went to live with her brother Logan Anderson who lives
between Williamsport and Attica. Smith came there Saturday night and
Mrs. Smith taking her year old son, ran to the home of another brother,
Walter nearby where she remained until this morning. Accompanied by her
brothers, Logan, Walter and William, Mrs. Walter Anderson, Emmett Cross
and two farmhands, Gus and John Kirts, Mrs. Smith went to her home to
procure her belongings. Smith made his appearance and asked his wife to
enter the house with him. They went to a room on the 2nd floor and in a
few minutes three shots were heard, Mrs. Walter Anderson was the first
one to reach the room and caught Mrs. Smith as she fell. Smith turned
the gun on himself and fired one shot before the gun was taken from him.
Mrs. Smith died almost instantly. One of the bullets entered her left
breast and passed near the heart and the second shot struck her in the
chin. Smith broke from the men who were holding him and ran from the
house. Sheriff Wertz was notified and the search for him commenced. John
Krits, who had remained at the home, passed by the barn a half hour
later and saw Smiths body hanging from a rafter. He had been dead about
20 minutes. No one saw him return to the yard after he disappeared in a
field. The body was taken down and removed to the home of the parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith who lived between Williamsport and West Lebanon.
The remains of Mrs. Smith were taken to the home of Walter Anderson.
The infant son is also at the Walter Anderson home and will be raised by
that family. It had been left at the home of a neighbor by the mother,
who feared that trouble would follow the meeting with her husband today.
Mrs. Smith was a daughter of the late John Anderson, who lived across
the river from Attica. Last week the estate of her father was settled
and she received $1,000. It is said that Smith wanted his wife to give
him the money and that she refused. Her relatives say that she gave him
$100 the latter part of last week. Mrs. Smith was a charming young
woman, highly respected by all who knew her and she was of good family.
Smith also came of a highly respected family. He attended the West
Lebanon HS and was well known in this community. Mrs. Smith decided to
leave her husband on Saturday and it is said that this greatly angered
him. Smith is survived by his parents and Mrs. Smith is survived by 5
brothers and 2 sisters. Mrs. Emmett Crose of Lafayette who is now on a
tour of the west is a sister. The coroners inquest will be held tomorrow
morning at 9 o'clock. The revolver Smith used to kill himself was a .22
calibre weapon. - transcribed and submitted by Karen Bazzani Zach