The tragic murder of Katy Smith

A LOOK BACK

I have been asked repeatedly by a longtime resident and former

Huntington Beach business owner why don’t I write more about the

murders that have occurred in Huntington Beach in the past. So this

week, Karen, we will look at one for you.

As readers of this column know I like to keep it upbeat, but we

must realize that such things as murder do happen in our town.

Our story begins as our couple arrives in Huntington Beach in 1921

from Vernon, Texas. The couple open a combined barber shop and beauty

salon at 326 11th St. in 1924 and for the next 18 years they appeared

to be happy.

Ernest and Kathryn (Katy) Smith would actively engage in many of

our city’s social and civic events in these 18 years and were highly

respected. The Eleventh Street Barber and Beauty Shoppe prospered

through the Depression years of the 1930s so much that in 1939 the

couple moved their business to 205 Main St.

They were respected by their business neighbors and appeared to be

a happy couple, but in the background problems in their marriage came

and Ernest began to drink heavily and he had to be treated for

alcoholism several times at a sanitarium.

To his men who came for a haircut, Ernest appeared a quiet,

mild-mannered town barber and to the ladies who came to Kathryn’s

salon thought that this beautiful brunette ran a very neat and modern

salon.

The town was preparing for war in 1942 when Katy left Huntington

Beach on May 30th to visit her mother, Ada Fraley in Texas. Right

after Katy’s departure, Ernest began drinking and for 10 or more days

remained drunk.

Katy returned home by train on June 17 and was met at the station

by their son Cleo and brought to their house at 712 10th St. Mother

and son talked at length of having Ernest committed for treatment,

but not decision was reached that night. Cleo left the house at 7:30

p.m. and when he returned at 10:47 p.m. he found the doors locked and

the lights out.

Cleo forced his way into the house through a kitchen window only

to find his mother lying dead in the bedroom.

He called the Huntington Beach Police and Officers A.J. Parker and

Gail Bergey along with Assistant Police Chief Gene Belshe arrived at

the crime scene. They were later joined by Chief Don Blossom, Dist.

Atty. George Holden and investigator Ted Masterson.

Blossom quickly put out a all points bulletin to pick up Ernest.

The next day three boys were playing in a weeded area at the foot

of California Street when a man called to them that he would give the

boys a dollar if they brought him a glass of water.

It appeared to the boys that the man had slept there all night and

they recognized the man as Ernest Smith. The boys, John Peebles, Dick

Pistole and Jim Prinslow called the police and Officer Howard

Robidoux came out and arrested Ernest and took him to jail.

Police interrogated Ernest and finally he admitted to striking

Katy hard and taking $100 from her purse. But that was all he

remembered.

Sometime later he remembered walking Downtown on his way to the

barber shop and buying a pint of liquor. He recalled finishing the

pint and walking over to a liquor store on Pacific Coast Highway to

get a quart of whiskey and go over to California Street to get drunk.

While over there he fell and broke his ankle. He later remembered

that he and Katy were arguing and that she pulled his hair real hard

and that it hurt.

During the coroner’s inquest Ernest still could not believe Katy

was gone and said that she was framing him to scare him. The

coroner’s jury consisted of six of his fellow businessmen: Victor

Terry, Collins Terry, George Green, Bud Kerr, J. Sherman Denny and

Harry Bartlett. These men returned a verdict of “homicide as a result

of a blow struck by the husband.”

This verdict was quickly taken to Judge Charles Patton who read

the charge to Ernest, a charge of first-degree murder. The town was

in shock at the charge and that this could of happened to Katy and

Ernest.

Tears began streaming down Ernest’s face and his hands began to

shake. Police led him to a waiting police car to be taken to Orange

County jail. His hands continued to shake while he tried to light a

cigar in the police car.

He told the officers that “I’ll plead my own case.”

Next week we’ll see how the trial unfolds and this story’s sad

ending.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.