Joseph Smith was born in Blackstone, Massachusetts on January 31, 1869, to William Smith and Margaret Gafferd, both Irish immigrants. Joseph lived with his parents, two brothers, and one sister; he and his siblings later lived with their stepmother, Catherine Smith. Before his incarceration, Mr. Smith worked as a cotton weaver.
He was incarcerated at the Rutland Prison Camp and Hospital when he died of tuberculosis on October 12, 1910, at age 41.
