The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-21
WHERE IS EX-MAY0R HALL?
GRdTE dPPREHEysTOys TINT 1GIT1TE
ms INIIM1 TE FRIENDS.
Financial Embrrrnssments that Have been
No secrct-IIis Unexplained Absence from
Court-IIis Recent Rather Irregular Life.

No Secrct-1fts tne Npinined Absence from
Court His Recent Rather Irregular Life.
Tho versatile and genial cxMayor A.
Oakley Hall was missed by the public for tho
first time yesterday when his client. James
Rice, was called for sentence in the Oyer and
Termincr for manslaughtcr In the third degree.
II was the caso of killing in West Washington
Market--a case In which Mr.. Hall was so pro-
| foundly persuaded OF his clients innocence
| that he astOnished tho court by formally an
| nouncing. after the jury had convicted Rice.
that he would never again take part In a trial
for homicide. Mr.. Hall should have been in
the court room at the time of the sentence; but
no was not. and his unexplained absence gave
rise to comment and then to inquiry. that cu-
minated. late last evening. in grave apprchen-
| sions.
Mr. Hall has not appeared In hls ofllcc since
| Friday last and. although elected n member OF
the directory Of the Lotos Club on Saturday
last. he has not boon seen there He has led
| very irregular life for years. He rarely lived
at home with his family. but has slept In hotels
or in the elegant bedroom that adjoins his Office
| in the Tribune building. His disappearance
was first intmated TO his friends on Sunday
last. and last evening there were rumors that
| he sailed in one of Saturdays steamships for
Europe in consequence Of the return OF Petcr
| b. Sweeny. But no one knew better than he
for some months, as the lawyers for the defence
arc engaged in another trial that must take
precedence.
There ia no doubt that Mr.. Hall was seriously
! embarrassed financially. He has Of late fro-
quenty had to request his friends to endorse
his notos. but while generally respected he re-
Gently found none ready to take the risk. His
friends are very anxious about him. and the
majority Of them cling to the belief that he
sailed for some foreign country on Saturday.
but others fear that he has committed suicide
One Of Mr.. Halls old business partners said
last evening that since Saturday last he and
other intimate friends of the ex-Mayor had
been. and were yet. alarmed at that gem
tleman's mysterious disappearance and contin-
| und absence. No intimatlon that he was ahOu
| 70 leave the. city was given to his iriends yet
| that in itself need cause no alarm. as Mr.. Hall
| was not only erratic, but self-oontained. Mr.
Hall WIS last seen by his late business associs ate
| on Friday last in his law office. On Saturday
he, with Mr.. Dos Passos and ex-Gov
SalQmon, were To- have. examined candidates
| at the General Term for admission to the
| bar His non-appcarance led to inquiry
| and nothing could be learned Of his where
ahouts. 1t was hoped that IT might turn
ont that he had gone out Of town suddenly
N n business engagements shortly e roturn.
lie is known 10 have business in Utica. but
nothing has been received from him.
While Mr.. Hall was playing IN the Park Tho
atre he was often heard To speak ot trip 10
Europe; and Of establishing himself in business
IA London. and in view Of that fact some OF his
friends suggested last evening that he might
have sailed q lon his warm friend James Cor
don Bennett But all is surmise. OF Mr.. Halls
perfect sanity there IS no doubt.
Mr., Aaron J. Nanderpoel said last evening
tate Of his former law partner; Mr. Ha was in
Ing last. Then he put on hls oyercoat. hat and
oVcrshoes. and went out. He did not 60 home.
ana neither his family nor his friends have the
and Hn had abou, $500 in his pockets lie held
IA. m frl iLf
in lis ofiicc. Mr. vanierpoei added NAT no *,
Han. ana that his family and friends have h.'n
expecting his return home. Mr.. Nnndrrp9el
ihnS7s that there Is not d woman IN the
Oneof Mr. Halls friends says TINT on Friday
last the eNMayor said that he was going to
Boston to attend a performance there in which
one of his theatrical friends was TO take. part.
had gone to that city. His family be-
Ilackctt, his former friend. made, in
Hr'I Hr na as 'tS' tS whctRerS hey S Knew any any
thing Of his movements, The Hecori"r toli
those with whom h" spoke that Mr. Hall had
met with many dis 'ouragcmenis and that his
family and friends. had been. anxious ior him
Tor some time. The Recorder SAID that he
feared that be had either committed suicide or
had suddenly sailed for Europe.
Hins said that he thought that Mr.. Hall had
sailed Tor Europe from Boston. lig believed
sweeny had had something 10 do with his
Thhe lawyer said that Mr.. Hall was to have
been called rs witness for the city to-day
nnur,H sut Rgndt9Ss wlnIto 'nf Dr. bSrupISMe
is 4. sayre is The ,defcndqnt. Tbe
suit is 10 recover certain city lots sold a. him 10y
the Sinking Fund Board and conveyed 10y him
70 the Third Avenue Railroad Company. The
Corporation Attorneys officers searched for Mr..
Hall 10 subpoena him in the case hut failed to
Ind him. and an adjournment was taken IN the
caS'
Another gentleman said that Mr.. Henry L,
Ring suits. had told him that he expected 10 Try
Mr Stephen Fiske. the business manager Of
tho Fifth Avenue Theatre, rcpudiated nm in
snualion that Mr.. Hall had run away. Ie
suGhS such story r was Ieng cruiatd T Sb5at @ himy hGy
hss ,, ,was ,r, Just NE t,,o man ,2r TO k1op qul
2in G nf tn" ng AMI FG oftopwar trG s 9s ipI
make q SENSATION Of lhereport; Mr.. Fiske, when
MKT ,S II S"Ggny Tpn s9a a@ nI hHb,e h. & &sHl
when Garyey came back. or Tweed. or Wood
In Dclmonico's and the Fifth Avenue Hotel a
plumber Of Mr. Halls friends said that thoy had
been aware for some time that he WIS in cnl-
hnrrassed clroumstanc,-. lie renlled his house
when us family lett IT To- 20 to Europe.
Mr. Hall began hi- political .srerr IN lsG0. in
whrh year he wn7 mud" an Assistant District
Attorney. IN l7il he was nonlnntcd for the of.
nre OF bs'rl.t Ai9nry ~ i4t 1nl9n l4liy ana
many randi didn," by 1000 malorits. He was re-
ele tod In 1864. and again in 1851 At the ,hnr-
ter election in December. 1865, lIe was elected 10
llo Mayoralty over Col FREDERICK A. Conkling
He WAS ronominatod In 1870, an elected. boat
ing Thomas A. Ledwlth. tho Young Democ-
racy's candidate.
soon after the exposure Of the Tammnnv
Ring frauds IN 1871, il began i9 be believed that
Mayor Hall WAS equally. guilty with Tweed.
Sweony and Connolly. In November Of that
year tn Committee OF Seventy resolved 10 se-
cure his removal from office and IN Fnhu-
AIRY. 1872 the Grand Jury found i've indictments
against him for neglect Of his ON iul duty. Mr..
Han pleaded not guilty, and was bailod in
, ;2uOi. His trial was begun in the Court Of
General Sessions on February n beiore judge
DAILY Of the Court of Common Plras. Tho triul
vas linlshed ~ the close Of tho third day, 10y the
death # MHthins Clark, one of the Jury
men. Tho second trial was begun in the
Court Of Oyer aud Terminer before jus
tice Brady on the 23l of October. 1872. The
case was given tothe Jury on the 3l7t of October.
Aitor remaining out al night, tho jury reported
ON tho lst OF Noyemhrr that they could not
agree. II WAS understood that they stood seven
! for conviction and hyg for acquiila His third
trial began on Dec, ~ 1873, and was closed at
hall ph7t 10 o'clp X on Christmas Eve, tho Jury
bringing in verdict oi acluittnl.
Mr. Hall continued the practice Of law aftor
month he determined to abandon his business
and become an actor, With Mr.. DAILY and