A YOUTHFUL MURDERESS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8735, 8 February 1907, Page 4

A YOUTHFUL MURDERESS.

New Yokk, November 20. Although in the custody oi tbe law on a charge of murder, a 15 ycar-okl, llaxen-haired girl. Ethel Smith is the popular idol of the llhode Island town of Thornton. . . Yesterday was Thanksgiving Festival, when something of the spirit ot , Christmas pervades family gatherings. Turkeys and plum puddings are eaten and kindly impulses appeal, especially to children. Ethel Smith had in the morning discovered a poor woman and thiee little children m a state of misery, which touched her heart tier husband, Briggs, a drunken, ne er-do-well, had deserted her that day, and they had been days without food or fuel, The babies were crying tor food which the despairing mother was unable to give them. 1 ’ The little girl ran home and as.tcd j her parents’ permission to bring her I proteges to share m their Thanksgiving dinner. The parents readuy consented, and the girl’s discarded wardrobe replaced the children s rags. The poor woman was provided with a decent dress by Mrs Smith, and when the party sat down dinner tne glow ot the kindly action added to the plea-

sure of the feast. ~ . 0. In the afternoon Mr Smith and las wife went to call on some friends, | leaving their daughter with a servant | to entertain her proteges. Briggs, ji drunk and furious at finding Ins wite [ i Tone, arrived at the Smith house and, ■,, demanding that she should return, ho j threatened to kill her and the child- j reu In terror of his brutality, and for the children’s sake, the wife locked I the door, and Ethel ordered him to 1C Drawing a knife, and shouting mad | threats, Briggs burst open the door. I The wife, clutching her children, was | . cowering in a corner; the servant ran | ' screaming from the room. But calmly j confronting him stood Ethel, grasping | with uushakiug hand her father s heavy | i revolver. . \ Unheeding her renewed quiet com- A mancl to leave, Briggs rushed across the U threshold. Ethel lived. The madman still came on. She fired again and „ : again, five shots in all. The last bullet i went through Briggs’ heart, and he I drooped in a pool of his own blood. Ethel, strangely cillm. and still standing over the man, shot the stilt remaining bullet. The man rose again, I but he was dead when the neighbors rushed in. . • i 9 When the father, who is a special constable, returned after kissing his ! daughter, whom ho greeted as xiy little heroine,” his duty was to anest lier and notify the authorities ot what . bad occurred. Ethal was not taken to x 9 mason. The Chief of Police nominally 2 | arrested her, but declared that the i formalities of the law were suluciently met if lie took her to his house and - d committed her to the custody of his own y children, who were her playmates. A ( o procession of cheering townspeople ' escorted her thither, .leading cuuens i J competing for the honor of furnishing _ bail whiehithe Chief of Police declined, :6 saying he was net willing to bo do- . Q i prived* of the honor of entertaining her. I Blowers and presents of all kinds were : ' sent to her nominal prison. luismorn- < n I ing the girl was released on her lather s . | bail. i