Russell Everett Smith Missing April 1919
Russell Everett Smith (4) disappeared while playing in the yard of his Dighton home. He was the son of Clarence (1876-1951) and Clara Smith (1882-1965).
After a search of the area provided no answers, at that time, “gypsies” were blamed for the disappearance. "Gypsies" were a common scapegoat and the assumed culprit in most unexplained crimes.
Mistaken Identity #1
In 1922, three years after Russell’s disappearance Mrs. Smith had become convinced, in part as the result of a consultation with a psychic, her Russell was the victim in a case of well-publicized child abuse. Bobby Beede, a French Canadian boy traveling in Maine, was in the custody of one Eugene Choquette, husband of the boy’s mother, Gertrude Beede, when reports surfaced that Choquette had whipped the boy.
Smith came forward to claim the child as her own, accusing Choquette of taking him from their Dighton home three years earlier. Taunton police arrested Choquette and placed Bobby Beede with the Smiths. But Choquette had an alibi which proved he was not in Dighton, nowhere near, in April of 1919 and a blood test proved the boy was the son of Gertrude Beede.
Mistaken Identity #2
In 1923, a wandering child who identified himself as and became known as Arthur Tyne, was discovered in the streets of Chicago, unattended. Young Arthur told a confusing tale about his origins, family and how he came to be in Chicago, and eventually the investigation led eastward to Taunton, perhaps East Taunton, as the boy uttered something along the lines of “ton ton” and “Eatontown” in his tales. Newspapers picked up and reported on the connection, and word soon found way to Clara Smith.
She traveled to Chicago and after some administrative wrangling with local authorities won custody of Arthur Tyne for a period of three months to determine, for sure, he was one Russell E. Smith and indeed home again in Dighton where he belonged.
Sadly, Clara Smith realized the boy was not her son, and Arthur Tyne was shipped back to Chicago in September 1924, his fate from there unknown.
Mistaken Identity #3
In 1934, Clara once again thought she had found her son, this time a 15-year-old orphan living in Barre, Vermont. But it was another dead end.
Life Goes On
In 1919 Clarence and Clara Smith had a daughter, Helen E. (Smith) Brown (1919-2009). In 1929 The family moved from Dighton to 125 Burt Street Taunton. Clarence and Clara are buried in Stevens Corner Cemetery in Rehoboth. Helen buried West Street Cemetery in Milford NH. Russell was never located.
Russell Everett Smith (4) disappeared while playing in the yard of his Dighton home. He was the son of Clarence (1876-1951) and Clara Smith (1882-1965).
After a search of the area provided no answers, at that time, “gypsies” were blamed for the disappearance. "Gypsies" were a common scapegoat and the assumed culprit in most unexplained crimes.
Mistaken Identity #1
In 1922, three years after Russell’s disappearance Mrs. Smith had become convinced, in part as the result of a consultation with a psychic, her Russell was the victim in a case of well-publicized child abuse. Bobby Beede, a French Canadian boy traveling in Maine, was in the custody of one Eugene Choquette, husband of the boy’s mother, Gertrude Beede, when reports surfaced that Choquette had whipped the boy.
Smith came forward to claim the child as her own, accusing Choquette of taking him from their Dighton home three years earlier. Taunton police arrested Choquette and placed Bobby Beede with the Smiths. But Choquette had an alibi which proved he was not in Dighton, nowhere near, in April of 1919 and a blood test proved the boy was the son of Gertrude Beede.
Mistaken Identity #2
In 1923, a wandering child who identified himself as and became known as Arthur Tyne, was discovered in the streets of Chicago, unattended. Young Arthur told a confusing tale about his origins, family and how he came to be in Chicago, and eventually the investigation led eastward to Taunton, perhaps East Taunton, as the boy uttered something along the lines of “ton ton” and “Eatontown” in his tales. Newspapers picked up and reported on the connection, and word soon found way to Clara Smith.
She traveled to Chicago and after some administrative wrangling with local authorities won custody of Arthur Tyne for a period of three months to determine, for sure, he was one Russell E. Smith and indeed home again in Dighton where he belonged.
Sadly, Clara Smith realized the boy was not her son, and Arthur Tyne was shipped back to Chicago in September 1924, his fate from there unknown.
Mistaken Identity #3
In 1934, Clara once again thought she had found her son, this time a 15-year-old orphan living in Barre, Vermont. But it was another dead end.
Life Goes On
In 1919 Clarence and Clara Smith had a daughter, Helen E. (Smith) Brown (1919-2009). In 1929 The family moved from Dighton to 125 Burt Street Taunton. Clarence and Clara are buried in Stevens Corner Cemetery in Rehoboth. Helen buried West Street Cemetery in Milford NH. Russell was never located.