Life and Confession of Ann Walters

It has probably never fallen to the lot of man to record a list of more cruel, heart-rending, atrocious, cold-blooded and horrible crimes and murders, than have been perpetrated by the subject of this narrative, and that too in the midst of a highly civilized and Christian community; and deeds, too, which for the depravity of every human feeling seems scarcely to have found a parallel in the annals of crime. And we will now endeavor to state the facts as they have actually transpired; and our readers may rely upon the account here given of her parentage, as they have been selected from the most authentic sources, which no pains were spared to obtain.

While things were going on in this style, it so happened that an old acquaintance whose name was Alexander Paine moved from Montreal and settled in the neighborhood in which Smith resided, and as they had formerly been on intimate terms, the acquaintance was soon renewed, though not much to the satisfaction of Smith, as he knew Paine to be a man of very sober, honest habits, and not likely to be easily persuaded to forsake the path of virtue, and it was on this ground, and the fear of detection and exposure, that Smith dreaded again becoming on intimate terms with an old acquaintance; for Paine was as yet entirely ignorant of the business Smith was following, for he, Smith, had always managed, through the influence of his wife, to keep up the appearance of honesty and respectability during his stay in Montreal.