The murder of Katy Smith part 2

A LOOK BACK

Last week we begun the tragic story of one of Huntington Beach’s most

remembered homicides when the Huntington Beach police were called to

the home of Ernest and Kathryn Smith at 712 10th St. on the night of

Wednesday, June 17, 1942.

You may have noticed last week that I didn’t include the exact

date of the homicide as I wanted to jog the memory of those of you

who lived here at the time to see if you could pinpoint the year.

Longtime Huntington Beach resident Lewie Derigo did remember this

murder as he and his family lived right behind the Smith home in

1942.

Ernest had been a popular barber in Huntington Beach and his wife

Kathryn (Katy) ran a popular and modern beauty salon here for nearly

20 years.

When Smith’s son Lawrence (Cleo), 27, came home late on Wednesday,

June 17th he found the doors locked and all the lights in the house

were turned off. Entering through a kitchen window he found his

mother dead in the bedroom and called our police.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Don Blossom put out a call for

Ernest’s arrest and when he was located a charge of first degree

murder was issued by Judge Charles Patton after the coroner’s inquest

Huntington Beach police escorted a shaking Ernest Smith to a cell in

the Orange County jail.

Meanwhile, on June 20, 1942 a funeral service was held at Smith

Chapel for Kathryn. Her church pastor, the Rev. Walter McCleneghan

from the First Methodist church in Huntington Beach conducted the

service. Pall bearers included Marcus M. McCallen, Pete Stricklin,

Sharkey Plumlee, Harry Hopkins, Arndt Henricksen and Ted Severson.

Ernest and his attorney, Z.B. West, appeared before Judge G.K.

Scovel for arraignment in Santa Ana on July 24. Ernest pleaded not

guilty by reason of insanity.

Ernest’s attorney on June 25, 1942 requested and received a 13-day

postponement so he could become more familiar with the case. Dist.

Atty. George Holden did not object to the postponement.

Back at the police station Chief Blossom continued his

investigation. The coroner’s autopsy showed that Katy died from a

blow on the right temple that resulted in a hemorrhage to the brain

and possible strangulation.

While locked in his cell in the Orange County jail, Ernest tried

to commit suicide by slashing his wrists on July 12. When the guards

tried to restrain him from trying to take his life Smith reacted

violently.

He told his guards that without Katy he had no reason to live.

A trial date of Sept. 14 was set and Ernest told Judge Scovel that

he did not want a jury trial.

When West left the court building he was mobbed by the media with

questions. He responded by telling them that he objected to the media

trying the case outside the courtroom with misleading publicity.

Dr. Franklin H. Van Meter from the Norwalk State Hospital was

appointed by the court to examine Ernest for his insanity plea. A

jury had been summoned, but before they could be impaneled, Ernest

surprised the court by withdrawing his insanity plea and threw

himself on the mercy of the court.

Ernest’s attorney asked Judge Scovel for an immediate sentencing.

The judge found Ernest guilty, not of first degree but that of second

degree murder and sentenced Ernest to five years to life at San

Quentin Prison.

The district attorney took one final statement from Ernest for the

record.

Ernest was led from the courtroom back to Orange County jail to

await his transfer to San Quentin.

It was on Friday, Sept. 25 that Chief Blossom and Santa Ana Police

Det. Herman Stahl arrived at Orange County jail to escort Ernest to

San Quentin Prison.

Upon entering Ernest’s cell they found him asleep on his bed and

efforts to wake him were unsuccessful. Ernest was quickly taken to

the jail’s hospital but they were also unable to revive him from his

sleep.

Four days later, on Sept. 29, Ernest Smith died in the jail’s

hospital ward. It was later brought out at the inquest that the jail

physician had been giving Ernest amytal, a sleeping pill,

occasionally to help Ernest sleep and that Ernest had been saving

those pills up for one long sleep.

So ends the tragic deaths of two wonderful people, Ernest and

Kathryn Smith, who for so many years before were part of our city’s

rich social and civic life and now becomes part of our golden history

that is Huntington Beach.

* 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.