William Smith came from Scotland to South Carolina before 1799, where he married and had at least 10 children. He moved his family to Alabama by 1834, then to Mississippi before 1844. He was killed in his store near Lamon Cemetery in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, July 27, 1844. He was said to be age 70 at death; if accurate this places his birthdate between July 1773 and July 1774.
The following article appeared in Coffeeville's DOLLAR DEMOCRAT, dated 7 Aug 1844:
"William Smith was killed on 27 July 1844. William Smith, a native of Scotland, made his living as a wagon maker. He had a shop on Red Glass Creek, which he called Somerset House. In addition to his work as a wagon maker, he also sold liquor. At the time of his murder, he was a 70 year old widower with several children.
"He boarded with his son-in-law Robert Evans. One morning Evans sent his little boy to call Smith to breakfast. The boy looked in his grandfather's bedroom only to find it empty. Evans then went himself to look for the old man and discovered his lifeless body lying in the chimney corner.
"It seems a slave man named Mark, a couple of hours after dark the night before, had gone by the shop to get a drink from Smith. Smith was already in bed, but he got up, lit a candle and, learning what Mark wanted, drew a glass of liquor which he handed to the slave. Mark gave Smith a dime, and (Smith) then laid his purse on the counter. The old man then turned and walked towards the back of the shop. Mark eyed the purse closely and, seeing that it was well-filled, suddenly decided to kill the old man for it.
"He struck Smith on the top of his head with a large white oak club, one end of which was loaded with lead, which he was carrying. The old man tumbled to the floor, exclaiming as he fell, "G_d d__n you, boy! Do you intend to murder me here?" Mark then struck him several more times on the back of his head, crushing his skull. As he fell, the candle turned on his right arm, setting his sleeve on fire. Mark put out the flames, placed the candlestick on the counter, took the purse and fled.
"Mark then stopped at a nearby spring to wash the blood off his stick, and then proceeded another mile to the home of a woman he considered his wife, where he spent the rest of the night. In the morning, Mark returned home, got a pass to go to Graysport, three miles away, where he went to the store of Bryarly & Connelly and spent six dollars of his loot. This aroused suspicion, and as soon as word of the murder got around, Mark was apprehended by James Newton and William H. Chapman. The rest of the money from Smith's purse was found on him, including a five dollar gold piece.
"At first Mark claimed he didn't do the deed itself, that he only stood by while three slaves belonging to Capt. G. W. Mayhew had done it. But it was soon learned that one of those he accused was at home lame and another was on his way to Grenada the night of the murder. He then confessed in full to J. J. E. Lamon, with Robert Evans, James S. Patterson and Edward Evans as witnesses to the confession.
"Mark, who was described as "a bad looking chance," dreaded the prospect of prison, and begged to be hung immediately. However, he was transported to the jail in Oxford, the jail in Coffeeville being too dilapidated to hold prisoners."
There the news article ends, and any subsequent articles that may have appeared with details as to whether Mark was sent to the penitentiary or got his wish and was hanged, have apparently been lost.
The known children of William Smith include a daughter who married a ROSS, Ann Smith who married Robert EVANS, Eliza Smith who married John Wallace BEARD or BAIRD, Eli Richardson Smith, J. (John?) M. Smith, Lavina Lucinda Smith who married Greenville BRAY, William Wallace Smith, Jane Stanley Smith who married Henry H. TRUSSELL, Charles Smith, and Robert Burns Smith. There may have been two more children, E.L. Smith and E.E. Smith.
The following article appeared in Coffeeville's DOLLAR DEMOCRAT, dated 7 Aug 1844:
"William Smith was killed on 27 July 1844. William Smith, a native of Scotland, made his living as a wagon maker. He had a shop on Red Glass Creek, which he called Somerset House. In addition to his work as a wagon maker, he also sold liquor. At the time of his murder, he was a 70 year old widower with several children.
"He boarded with his son-in-law Robert Evans. One morning Evans sent his little boy to call Smith to breakfast. The boy looked in his grandfather's bedroom only to find it empty. Evans then went himself to look for the old man and discovered his lifeless body lying in the chimney corner.
"It seems a slave man named Mark, a couple of hours after dark the night before, had gone by the shop to get a drink from Smith. Smith was already in bed, but he got up, lit a candle and, learning what Mark wanted, drew a glass of liquor which he handed to the slave. Mark gave Smith a dime, and (Smith) then laid his purse on the counter. The old man then turned and walked towards the back of the shop. Mark eyed the purse closely and, seeing that it was well-filled, suddenly decided to kill the old man for it.
"He struck Smith on the top of his head with a large white oak club, one end of which was loaded with lead, which he was carrying. The old man tumbled to the floor, exclaiming as he fell, "G_d d__n you, boy! Do you intend to murder me here?" Mark then struck him several more times on the back of his head, crushing his skull. As he fell, the candle turned on his right arm, setting his sleeve on fire. Mark put out the flames, placed the candlestick on the counter, took the purse and fled.
"Mark then stopped at a nearby spring to wash the blood off his stick, and then proceeded another mile to the home of a woman he considered his wife, where he spent the rest of the night. In the morning, Mark returned home, got a pass to go to Graysport, three miles away, where he went to the store of Bryarly & Connelly and spent six dollars of his loot. This aroused suspicion, and as soon as word of the murder got around, Mark was apprehended by James Newton and William H. Chapman. The rest of the money from Smith's purse was found on him, including a five dollar gold piece.
"At first Mark claimed he didn't do the deed itself, that he only stood by while three slaves belonging to Capt. G. W. Mayhew had done it. But it was soon learned that one of those he accused was at home lame and another was on his way to Grenada the night of the murder. He then confessed in full to J. J. E. Lamon, with Robert Evans, James S. Patterson and Edward Evans as witnesses to the confession.
"Mark, who was described as "a bad looking chance," dreaded the prospect of prison, and begged to be hung immediately. However, he was transported to the jail in Oxford, the jail in Coffeeville being too dilapidated to hold prisoners."
There the news article ends, and any subsequent articles that may have appeared with details as to whether Mark was sent to the penitentiary or got his wish and was hanged, have apparently been lost.
The known children of William Smith include a daughter who married a ROSS, Ann Smith who married Robert EVANS, Eliza Smith who married John Wallace BEARD or BAIRD, Eli Richardson Smith, J. (John?) M. Smith, Lavina Lucinda Smith who married Greenville BRAY, William Wallace Smith, Jane Stanley Smith who married Henry H. TRUSSELL, Charles Smith, and Robert Burns Smith. There may have been two more children, E.L. Smith and E.E. Smith.
William Smith came from Scotland to South Carolina before 1799, where he married and had at least 10 children. He moved his family to Alabama by 1834, then to Mississippi before 1844. He was killed in his store near Lamon Cemetery in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, July 27, 1844. He was said to be age 70 at death; if accurate this places his birthdate between July 1773 and July 1774.
The following article appeared in Coffeeville's DOLLAR DEMOCRAT, dated 7 Aug 1844:
"William Smith was killed on 27 July 1844. William Smith, a native of Scotland, made his living as a wagon maker. He had a shop on Red Glass Creek, which he called Somerset House. In addition to his work as a wagon maker, he also sold liquor. At the time of his murder, he was a 70 year old widower with several children.
"He boarded with his son-in-law Robert Evans. One morning Evans sent his little boy to call Smith to breakfast. The boy looked in his grandfather's bedroom only to find it empty. Evans then went himself to look for the old man and discovered his lifeless body lying in the chimney corner.
"It seems a slave man named Mark, a couple of hours after dark the night before, had gone by the shop to get a drink from Smith. Smith was already in bed, but he got up, lit a candle and, learning what Mark wanted, drew a glass of liquor which he handed to the slave. Mark gave Smith a dime, and (Smith) then laid his purse on the counter. The old man then turned and walked towards the back of the shop. Mark eyed the purse closely and, seeing that it was well-filled, suddenly decided to kill the old man for it.
"He struck Smith on the top of his head with a large white oak club, one end of which was loaded with lead, which he was carrying. The old man tumbled to the floor, exclaiming as he fell, "G_d d__n you, boy! Do you intend to murder me here?" Mark then struck him several more times on the back of his head, crushing his skull. As he fell, the candle turned on his right arm, setting his sleeve on fire. Mark put out the flames, placed the candlestick on the counter, took the purse and fled.
"Mark then stopped at a nearby spring to wash the blood off his stick, and then proceeded another mile to the home of a woman he considered his wife, where he spent the rest of the night. In the morning, Mark returned home, got a pass to go to Graysport, three miles away, where he went to the store of Bryarly & Connelly and spent six dollars of his loot. This aroused suspicion, and as soon as word of the murder got around, Mark was apprehended by James Newton and William H. Chapman. The rest of the money from Smith's purse was found on him, including a five dollar gold piece.
"At first Mark claimed he didn't do the deed itself, that he only stood by while three slaves belonging to Capt. G. W. Mayhew had done it. But it was soon learned that one of those he accused was at home lame and another was on his way to Grenada the night of the murder. He then confessed in full to J. J. E. Lamon, with Robert Evans, James S. Patterson and Edward Evans as witnesses to the confession.
"Mark, who was described as "a bad looking chance," dreaded the prospect of prison, and begged to be hung immediately. However, he was transported to the jail in Oxford, the jail in Coffeeville being too dilapidated to hold prisoners."
There the news article ends, and any subsequent articles that may have appeared with details as to whether Mark was sent to the penitentiary or got his wish and was hanged, have apparently been lost.
The known children of William Smith include a daughter who married a ROSS, Ann Smith who married Robert EVANS, Eliza Smith who married John Wallace BEARD or BAIRD, Eli Richardson Smith, J. (John?) M. Smith, Lavina Lucinda Smith who married Greenville BRAY, William Wallace Smith, Jane Stanley Smith who married Henry H. TRUSSELL, Charles Smith, and Robert Burns Smith. There may have been two more children, E.L. Smith and E.E. Smith.
The following article appeared in Coffeeville's DOLLAR DEMOCRAT, dated 7 Aug 1844:
"William Smith was killed on 27 July 1844. William Smith, a native of Scotland, made his living as a wagon maker. He had a shop on Red Glass Creek, which he called Somerset House. In addition to his work as a wagon maker, he also sold liquor. At the time of his murder, he was a 70 year old widower with several children.
"He boarded with his son-in-law Robert Evans. One morning Evans sent his little boy to call Smith to breakfast. The boy looked in his grandfather's bedroom only to find it empty. Evans then went himself to look for the old man and discovered his lifeless body lying in the chimney corner.
"It seems a slave man named Mark, a couple of hours after dark the night before, had gone by the shop to get a drink from Smith. Smith was already in bed, but he got up, lit a candle and, learning what Mark wanted, drew a glass of liquor which he handed to the slave. Mark gave Smith a dime, and (Smith) then laid his purse on the counter. The old man then turned and walked towards the back of the shop. Mark eyed the purse closely and, seeing that it was well-filled, suddenly decided to kill the old man for it.
"He struck Smith on the top of his head with a large white oak club, one end of which was loaded with lead, which he was carrying. The old man tumbled to the floor, exclaiming as he fell, "G_d d__n you, boy! Do you intend to murder me here?" Mark then struck him several more times on the back of his head, crushing his skull. As he fell, the candle turned on his right arm, setting his sleeve on fire. Mark put out the flames, placed the candlestick on the counter, took the purse and fled.
"Mark then stopped at a nearby spring to wash the blood off his stick, and then proceeded another mile to the home of a woman he considered his wife, where he spent the rest of the night. In the morning, Mark returned home, got a pass to go to Graysport, three miles away, where he went to the store of Bryarly & Connelly and spent six dollars of his loot. This aroused suspicion, and as soon as word of the murder got around, Mark was apprehended by James Newton and William H. Chapman. The rest of the money from Smith's purse was found on him, including a five dollar gold piece.
"At first Mark claimed he didn't do the deed itself, that he only stood by while three slaves belonging to Capt. G. W. Mayhew had done it. But it was soon learned that one of those he accused was at home lame and another was on his way to Grenada the night of the murder. He then confessed in full to J. J. E. Lamon, with Robert Evans, James S. Patterson and Edward Evans as witnesses to the confession.
"Mark, who was described as "a bad looking chance," dreaded the prospect of prison, and begged to be hung immediately. However, he was transported to the jail in Oxford, the jail in Coffeeville being too dilapidated to hold prisoners."
There the news article ends, and any subsequent articles that may have appeared with details as to whether Mark was sent to the penitentiary or got his wish and was hanged, have apparently been lost.
The known children of William Smith include a daughter who married a ROSS, Ann Smith who married Robert EVANS, Eliza Smith who married John Wallace BEARD or BAIRD, Eli Richardson Smith, J. (John?) M. Smith, Lavina Lucinda Smith who married Greenville BRAY, William Wallace Smith, Jane Stanley Smith who married Henry H. TRUSSELL, Charles Smith, and Robert Burns Smith. There may have been two more children, E.L. Smith and E.E. Smith.
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