﻿The Audubon Societies 



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in regard to this part of the case except 

 Smith's statement, which was to the effect 

 that Bradley immediately fired at him with 

 his pistol, the bullet striking the main mast 

 of the boat, behind which Smith was stand- 

 ing, and Smith immediately fired his rifle at 

 Bradley, killing him instantly. Smith's 

 sons testified to the facts as herein stated, 

 and they claim that while they did not 

 see the shooting, they heard the two re- 

 ports, both rifle and revolver firing almost 

 simultaneously. Alonzo Sawyer and Eth- 

 ridge, who were down inside the cabin of 

 the boat, claim they heard only the two 

 reports coming almost together, and that 

 immediately afterwards, and as soon as 

 Bradley's boat had drifted away, Smith 

 showed them the mark of a bullet, with the 

 bullet embedded in the mast. After Brad- 

 ley was shot, he fell forward in the bow of 

 his skiff-boat, and the boat drifted off to- 

 ward the shore, his body not being found 

 until the next day, when it was removed 

 and buried. The coroner's jury, having 

 been impaneled, after hearing the testimony, 

 returned the verdict charging Smith with 

 murder, together with Sawyer and Ethridge, 

 as accessories to the murder; and thus the 

 case rested. 



" Therewerenoother witnesses, exceptthose 

 who were friends to Smith, nearer than the 

 shore, situated two miles or more away, and 

 from the time of the return of the coroner's 

 jury, and the committing trial, no steps had 

 been taken to secure the attendance of wit- 

 nesses at the Circuit Court in Key West, 

 until I arrived there and looked into the 

 situation of affairs. I was then compelled to 

 send away to Cape Sable and Flamingo, a 

 distance of sixty-five miles, to secure the 

 witnesses that I had ascertained knew some- 

 thing about the case, and, as the weather 

 was very stormy, and sail-boats the only 

 method of traveling, you can realize some of 

 the difficulties I experienced in attempting to 

 get the matter before the grand jury. By 

 writing and telegraphing I secured per- 

 mission of the state's attorney to take one 

 necessary witness from here with me, and I 

 attempted to prove, by all of the evidence 

 obtainable, that Bradley did not fire the shot 

 as claimed by Smith, and, in fact, made no 



overt act toward injuring Smith at all and 

 I am perfectly satisfied that if the real facts 

 of the case are ever known, or shown, it will 

 develop that it was a well-laid plot to 

 murder young Bradley on account of the ill- 

 feeling existing against him, occasioned 

 partly by his vigilance in attempting to 

 execute the laws. The pistol of Bradley's 

 did not show by the powder marks in the 

 barrel that it had been discharged, neither 

 was the cylinder under the hammer of the 

 pistol in a correct position, showing that the 

 pistol had not recently been discharged. But 

 I was unable to obtain sufficient evidence on 

 these points to convince the grand jury, and, 

 taking the whole matter into consideration, 

 they deemed it unwise to find an indictment. 

 " I can say that I am much surprised that 

 the authorities down there had taken it as a 

 matter of consideration already established, 

 that there would be no indictment found, 

 and had made practically no efforts, until my 

 arrival in Key West, to secure the attendance 

 of state's witnesses or, in fact, to get the 

 matter into proper shape to be presented to 

 the grand jury. Only one state's witness 

 had been summoned or bound over to appear 

 and testify in behalf of the state. Who is to 

 blame for this negligence on their part, I am 

 not prepared to say, but am sorry to report 

 to you that such was the fact. I believe the 

 failure of the grand jury to indict in this 

 case was a grave miscarriage of justice, and 

 so I shall ever believe." 



The Mrs Bradley Fund 

 An acknowledgment of the subscriptions 

 to this fund was omitted in December Bird- 

 Lore, owing to lack of space. The fund is 

 glowing slowly, and there is no doubt but 

 that a sum will be eventually realized that 

 will enable the Association to carry out the 

 plan outlined in October Bird-Lore. There 

 never was an appeal presented to the public 

 which demanded more speedy and liberal 

 support. If you have not contributed, stop 

 a moment in your busy life, and think about 

 this case. A husband and father, a trusted 

 employee of this Association, murdered while 

 in the performance of his duty; the wife and 

 children left entirely destitute: Are you not 

 morally bound to do your part in caring for 



