The Ouachita Telegraph - Anthony Smith Drowns 

Date: Jul. 2000
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>

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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, January 14, 1876
Page 2, Column 2

Drowned.
        On Thursday night, about 11 o’clock, a young man named Antony Smith,
while laboring under mental aberration, threw himself into the river, near 
the residence of Mr. McLeran.  He was formerly from Buffalo, New York.  The
deceased was a young man of intelligence and of fine appearance.  He was a
teacher by profession, and had taught in Tensas parish, and in Warren and
Hinds counties, Miss.  He had been stopping for several days at the Monroe
House, and was quiet and unassuming in his manners, and made a very
favorable impression upon those with whom he came in contact.
        On Wednesday evening, he gave evident signs of a disordered
intellect.  He went to the room of Mr. Webb and told him he was afraid of 
being killed; that he made certain statements in relation to the Clinton 
riot, which he would not have done had he not been sick, and that parties 
from Clinton were here and would kill him.
        On Thursday at 3 o’clock, P.M., he was at the office of Mr. Grady,
Recorder, and conversed on business, and to all appearances, was perfectly
sane.  He went to Anthony Overton on Thursday evening, later, and stated
that he would be killed, and would drown himself before he would permit
himself to be shot.  Mr. Trousdale, fearing that the deceased might do
himself some injury, requested Mr. Robertson, an acquaintance of the
deceased, to inform the police authorities, and he would do the same, in
order that the unfortunate young man might be provided for.
        It seems that young Smith went to the residence of Mr. McLeran and
while there Jas. S. Ray and T.J. Larkin, policemen, went in quest of him.  He 
ran out of the yard, stating that a policeman from Vicksburg was after him, 
and before he could be checked, threw himself into the river.
        On the same night, about four miles below here, the mate of the
steamer Shannon, fell overboard and was drowned before any assistance could be
rendered.

NOTE:  Smith’s body was recovered at Bry’s Mill (Ouachita Telegraph, Friday,
January 28, 1878, page 2, column 3) and a further article about the cause of
his suicide can be found in the Friday, March 3, 1876 issue of the Ouachita
Telegraph, Page 2, Column 4.

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