Henry More Smith
Encyclopedia
Henry More Smith (also known as Henry Frederick Moon, Henry Frederick More Smith and William Newman) was a confidence man, master puppeteer, hypnotist, seer, liar, and above all else a superlative escape artist who lived for a while in New Brunswick
, Canada
. Chains, handcuffs, shackles, even made-to-fit iron collars could not hold him.
Although he is believed to have been an Englishman born in Brighton
, England
, his origins are clouded by what he told people at the time. On one occasion he was asked where he had come from, he laughed and pointed outside to the full Moon
.
In 1814 Smith was caught and imprisoned in a Kingston
, New Brunswick
jail as a horse thief. He faked an illness so well that housewives sent special foods to his bedside, one even sent him a feather bed
to die on. While the jailer and a clergymen were heating a brick for his chilled back, Smith vanished into the night.
On more than one occasion when a posse
was combing the countryside for him, searchers discovered only too late that he had been a member of the posse the day before. Recaptured again and awaiting trial for horse stealing Smith pretended to be insane. In his cell they found Smith had fashioned an elaborate marionette
show out of his bed straw and shreds of his clothing. There were ten characters in all and Smith would whistle a tune while a puppet clanged a tambourine and all the characters danced to the tune.
Henry More Smith's genius so deeply impressed the authorities that he received a pardon on condition he would leave New Brunswick and never return.
According to Bates' book, the last sighting of him was in Newgate, Simsbury in 1816.
The Lunar Rogue Pub, located in the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick
has a supposed portrait of him on their signage.http://www.lunarrogue.com
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Chains, handcuffs, shackles, even made-to-fit iron collars could not hold him.
Although he is believed to have been an Englishman born in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, his origins are clouded by what he told people at the time. On one occasion he was asked where he had come from, he laughed and pointed outside to the full Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
In 1814 Smith was caught and imprisoned in a Kingston
Kingston, New Brunswick
Kingston is a rural Canadian community in Kings County, New Brunswick.Located on the Kingston Peninsula, the village was settled in 1783 by Loyalists at the conclusion of the American Revolution....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
jail as a horse thief. He faked an illness so well that housewives sent special foods to his bedside, one even sent him a feather bed
Bedding
Bedding refers to the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, to protect the mattress, and for decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment. It is more easily and economically replaced than the bed itself...
to die on. While the jailer and a clergymen were heating a brick for his chilled back, Smith vanished into the night.
On more than one occasion when a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
was combing the countryside for him, searchers discovered only too late that he had been a member of the posse the day before. Recaptured again and awaiting trial for horse stealing Smith pretended to be insane. In his cell they found Smith had fashioned an elaborate marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
show out of his bed straw and shreds of his clothing. There were ten characters in all and Smith would whistle a tune while a puppet clanged a tambourine and all the characters danced to the tune.
Henry More Smith's genius so deeply impressed the authorities that he received a pardon on condition he would leave New Brunswick and never return.
According to Bates' book, the last sighting of him was in Newgate, Simsbury in 1816.
The Lunar Rogue Pub, located in the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
has a supposed portrait of him on their signage.http://www.lunarrogue.com
External links
- The Magician - Henry More Smith
- Henry More Smith: The mysterious stranger at Google Books (downloadable 1817 version)