THE PERTH TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15033, 5 January 1911, Page 7

THE PERTH TRAGEDY

RESUMPTION OF THE INQUEST.

Ptezs Association—By Telegraph—Copyright,

PERTH, January 4.

The inquest on Ethel Harris has been resumed. Several witnesses identified the clothes and jewellery found on the body, as belonging to the dead girl.

There was a scene when the accused startled cross-examining Harris, the girl's father. The latter called Smart a black wretch and a, villain, and tho constables prevented him from leaving the witness 'box in order to carry into execution hia threat to smash Smart,

The search for tho missing .woman, Ethel Hams, which had been itulefatigably prosecuted by tho polico for two months, -was concluded on December 16. Detcotive Ibbotsen and a black tracker had dono some searching on the floor of a shed in a paddock adjoining the foundry' whero Smart worked. Noting that tho soil seemed ioosc in a certain place, tho offioer thrust) in a barbed spoar, which penetratedl deep, and brought up a rag. Another probe brought to light another fragment of clothing. Digging was at once oommenced, and at a. depth of sft the kneo of a human leg was uncovered. Tha earth was rapidly shovelled away, and tho body of a woman lying on iia back, with the knees drawn up. Tho ; body was fully clothed, even to tho boots, and the hair was fully done up in the usual feminine fashion. The corpse had 6hninlc to a mummy. On top of it a packet oE fomalo clothing had been placed.

At tho ■ inquest tho mosfc important evidence was given by Mrs Reynolds, of Ivoi'fch Perth, storekeeper, who had known Ethel Harris in Ballarat, and supplied' hor with groceries as Mrs Watson, when living with Smart, and. who identified her chain, opal brooch, and sundry garments. Mrs Reynolds's evidenoe mis corroborated by another female witness. . She doposed that during tho first week in March she asked Ethel Harris how sho came by an ugly wound at the back of tho head, from which blocd, welling out, had dried and matted' her hair. Deceased replied that sho had gono out the previous night with Wilson (otherwise Smart), but he had forgotten to leck up Hoskins's foundry, where ho was emploved, and they went_ thither together. While sho (Ethel Harris) was waiting .in front for Smart, who was carrying an iron bar of the foundry gate, something struck her, and she became unconscious. Smart took her homo, and told her an iron bar had fallen on her head. From deceased's statement the impression was that the circumstance wns accidental.

.Mary Jane Pemberthy deposed that eho had known him about/ five years, and had kept company with him for 18 months. For the last six months she had been engaged to marry him on her twenty-second birthday, March 15. On March 5 she bought blinds for a house Smart rented at A T orth Perth. She proposed to put them up. Smart objected, and , said ho would put them up himself. On March 9 he, however, took her to the house when tho blinds were up. (There was no sign of feminine work except that tho beds seemed to have been made by a woman, but Smart declared that ho had himself: made thorn. After the wedding . Smart presented her with a ring and keeper, which ho said! had belonged .to his mother. (Uiis keeper was identified by another witness ne having been worn by Ethel Harris up to the timo of her disappearance) Witness and Smart lived happily together, but before arrested! he eeemed often phirrged in deep thought, and did; not s!cers or eat well.

It is recalled that several weeks ago iieig.p.bouvs of Ethel Han-is informed the poheo that not long before her disappearance die had an ugly wound' on the 'back of tho head, and when questioned she said she did not know exactly how it occurred but it happened at the foundry where Smart worked, and that he told her sho hud fallen in a faint, her head striking an irou bar,

Medical examination showed that the right side of the forehead had' been completely smashed in by several blows with a blunt heavy instrument. There wero no other injuries.

Smart, who gave his age as 41, is elated by the police to be nearly 50 years old. He was born in England, but lived for some years in Victoria. Jano Pemberthy, the girl he bigamouely married as Mr Smyth, on March 15, is about 21. Ethel Harris was 26. Smart on March U told his employers that ho had hurt his back and required a day's holiday for rest. That day ho spent in marrying Jane Pemberthy After tp.o marriage no' gave her a gold ring peculiarly chased, which he said had been ins mother's, expressing., ihe hope in wearing it that she would have the same good luck as his. mother. This ring • haa bcra identified by several witnesses as one whicii Ethel Harris wore constantly, and which was on her finger when she was last seen alive.

Since the exhumation two Malays livinnnear Hoskinsss foundry have informed ihe police- that lato one night about March they wore startled bv a piercing female shriek, followed by a fainter cry, and eame moaning sounds suoceeded. Thoy went out to investigate, but could see no light, and failed to discover the origin ot the shrieks. It was-on April M, according to" the polieo witnesses, that Ethel Harris was last seen alive. That was the day before Smart's bigamous marriage with Mary Jane Pcmborthy, but Smart himself, at that time 'in Ireminitlo Gaol serving two years' sentence for bigamy, told the police that Harris disappeared from ihie house a week previous to April 14. T.ho .history of the case, briefly summarised is: Ethel Harris, daughter of a BaJlarat resident, went to West Australia Eoven years ugo, and met, Alfred Wilson Smart, who figured as a single man. Some months after Ethel left her parents on the golclfields to be married to Smart. Her ..rol.it-ves-believed the marriago had taken place in tho name of Wilson. The pair lived together until April 14, when Etl-.0l was last seen alive. The following day Smart married Miss Pembej-ffoy. a waitress, to whom, he had teen engaged for months. Tho father of Ethel Harris, when on a visit to Perth, saw Smart a» his working place, Hoekins'e foundry, and asked for his daughter, and was told she ■had gone on a holiday to the eastern States. Smart said she wee having a good' time, first in Adelaide, then in Melbourne. Tima passed, and in October tho police were communicated with. Smart told them the samestory about the girl having gone east. Hβ s:nd he had- not married her, but admitted the existence of a wife in Victoria. Ha was charged with 'bigamy, and pleaded guilty, being sentenced to two years : Since October 12. the Pcrbh police have been ceaselessly searching for Ethel Harris Ihey found buried in tho yard of Smart's house in Cowlo street some female garmenfe, a shirt, a bar of iron bearing blood marks, and other articles. Then on account of the stories that tho foundry cart Smart was accustomed to drive had been 6eea at night in Wannwoo scrub and- near the samtarv trenches at North Perth, exhaustive explorations wero made of botli localities. When all other clues failed, it was learned that Smart had some month? sjgo deposited a lot of ashes and furnac slag in an abandoned smithy. '