Smith never admitted the murder and when the guards brought him his
last meal, he firmly remarked: "I didn't kill the-man, That's all
I got to say = I didn't kill him,"' His last words, spoken .as he
sat. down in the chair, were: "Lord, have mercy."
_ 83 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 565
LEXINGTON HERALD, Lexington, Kentucky, Jan, 13, 19323; May 2h, 1935
"Eddyville, Ky., 5-2h-1935=Permission to take a nap was the last re-
quest of James Smith, 30-years<old, negro, before he was ‘executed
early today. Smith calmly stretched out on his cell bunk, and slept
for about an hour shortly before he was executed." TIMES-PICAYUNE,
New Orleans, La,, 5-25-1935 (16=1.)
Smith never admitted the murder and when the guards brought him his
last meal, he firmly remarked: "I didn't kill the-man. That's all
I got to say = I didn't kill him," His last words, spoken.as he
sat down in the chair, were: "Lord, have mercy."
. 83 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 565
LEXINGTON HERALD, Lexington, Kentucky, Jan. 13, 19323 May 2h, 1935
Eddyville, Kye, 5=2h-1935-Permission to take a nap was the last re-
quest of James Smith, 30-years-old, negro, before he was ‘executed
early today. Smith calmly stretched out on his cell bunk, and slept
for about an hour shortly before he was executed." TIMES-PICAYUNE,
New Orleans, La,, 5-25-1935 (16=1.)
Smith never admitted the murder and when the guards brought him his
last meal, he firmly remarked: "I didn't kill the-man, That's all
I got to say = I didn't kill him," His last words, spoken.as he
sat down in the chair, were: "Lord, have mercy."
83 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 565
LEXINGTON HERALD, Lexington, Kentucky, Jan, 13, 19325 May 2h 1935
Eddyville, Ky., 5-2l-1935-Permission to take a nap was the last re~
quest of James Smith, 30-years-old, negro, before he was ‘executed
early today. Smith calmly stretched out on his cell bunk, and slept
for about. an hour shortly before he was executed," TIMES-PICAYUNE,
New Orleans, La, 5-25-1935 (16-1.)
83 somacrem (2a) 565
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SMITH, James
Smith, a 27-year-old black farm laborer, lived at New Zion, Fayette
Co.y Kye In September, 1931, at the invitation of Margaret Poyntz,
the 30-year-old wife of Leslie Poyntz, he moved into the Poyntz home
as a boarder, He and Mrs, Poyntz began having an affair of which
the )5-year-old Poyntz was never aware, It soon developed that Mrs,
Poyntz was also sexually involved with a third man of whom Smith be-
came jealous, On the evening of January 12, 1932, after the house-
hold had dinner, Smith and the Poyntzss sat in the kitchen talking
for a time. Bmith then went to his bedroom and returned armed with
a shotgun and a pistol, He fired one load from the gun into the arm
of Mrs, Poyntz and when Poyntz attempted to gnterfere, he fired the
other load into Poyntz's body and then shot him with the pistol, in-
flicting wounds from which Poyntz subsequently died, Smith was
arrested shortly afterwards as he slept in a nearby barn, After her
husband's death, Mrs, Poyntz married the third man with whom she had
been involved and Smith was charged with the murder, His first trial
resulted in a hung jury. He was then tried and convicted twice but
each time the verdict was set aside by the trial judge on technicali-
ties and a new trial ordered, His third conviction and death sen-
tence was appealed to and affirmed by the Kentucky Court of Appeals
and he was electrocuted at the Kentucky State Prison on May 2h, 1935.
SMITH, James
Smith, a 27-year-old black farm laborer, lived at New Zion, Fayette
Co., Ky. In September, 1931, at the invitation of Margaret Poyntz,
the 30-year-old wife of Leslie Poyntz, he moved into the Poyntz home
as a boarder, He and Mrs, Poyntz began having an affair of which
the 5-year-old Poyntz was never aware. It soon developed that Mrs,
Poyntz was also sexually involved with a third man of whom Smith be-
came jealous, On the evening of January 12, 1932, after the house-
hold had dinner, Smith and the Poyntzes sat in the kitchen talking
for a time, Bmith then went to his bedroom and returned armed with
a shotgun and a pistol, He fired one load from the gun into the arm
of Mrs, Poyntz and when Poyntz attempted to gnterfere, he fired the
other load into Poyntz's body and then shot him with the pistol, in-
flicting wounds from which Poyntz ‘subsequently died, Smith was
arrested shortly afterwards as he slept in a nearby barn, After her
husband's death, Mrs, Poyntz married the third man with whom she had
been involved and Smith was charged with the murder, His first trial
resulted in a hung jury. He was then tried and convicted twice but
each time the verdict was set aside by the trial judge on technicali-
ties and a new trial ordered, His tlc conviction and death sen-
tence was appealed to and affirmed by the Kentucky Court of Appeals
and he was electrocuted at the Kentucky State Prison on May 2h, 1935.
SMITH, James
Smith, a 27-year-old black farm laborer, lived at New Zion, Fayette
Co., Ky. In September, 1931, at the invitation of Margaret Poyntz,
the 30-year-old wife of Leslie Poyntz, he moved into the Poyntz home
as a boarder, He and Mrs, Poyntz began having an affair of which
the S-year-old Poyntz was never aware, It soon developed that Mrs,
Poyntz was also sexually involved with a third man of whom Smith be-
came jealous, On the evening of Jamary 12, 1932, after the house-
hold had dinner, Smith and the Poyntzes sat in the kitchen talking
for atime, Smith then went to his bedroom and returned armed with
a shotgun and a pistol, He fired one load fromthe gun into the arm
of Mrs, Poyntz and when Poyntz attempted to énterfere, he fired the
other load into Poyntz's body and then shot him with the pistol, in-
flicting wounds from which Poyntz subsequently died, Smith was
arrested shortly afterwards as he slept in a nearby barn, After
husband's death, Mrs, Poyntz married the third man with whom she tad
been involved and Smith was charged with the murder, His first trial
resulted in a hung jury, He was then tried and convicted twice but
gine the werslot was age aside by the trial Jndge on techirtealt-
fics and a‘new trial ordered, iis third conviction an sen-
tence was appealed to and affirmed by the Kentucky Court of | Appeals
and he was electrocuted at the Kentucky State Prison on May 2h, 1935.
SHIT, Janes
a ee eben, x
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