New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-22
PREVALENT THEORIES IMPROBABLE.

PREVALENT THEORIES IMPROBABLE.
MR. HALL NEVER IN A BETTER MOOD THAN ON
LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOoN-No SIGN OF DisoR-
DFRED INIELLECT-THE STORIES OF FAMILY
TROUBLES AND FINANCIAL EMBARRAssMENTs
DENIED-HE GIVES LAWYER NOTICE THAT HE
Is TO BE ABSENT WEEK IN BOSTON.
Early i'm the afternoon of last Tuesday ru-
NOR was set afioat that ex-MayOr A. Oakley Hall had
mysteriously disappeared Later IL was asserted that
financial embarrassnents had driven him to seek saiey
I'm flight TO Europe by OF the steamers saing Oh
Saturday Later still domestic difficulties and compca
tons with prominent actress quoted as the causes
of his absence Then again old Ring troubles, renewed
by the temperance b. Sweeny aud the resol
ton of William NJ Tweed and T. A. Woodward 10 sette
with the city, and give necessary evidence against
Sweeny, Hail. and Others OF the Old poiltlcai oeaiHa
ton were said TO have been revived TO Hairs dSmay,
and he had thereupOn left the country by steamer
CATION of these rImOr showed cOuclusiyely that
they had all originated Of Mr.. Halls failure TO
appear court Tuesday to hear the sentence ol
James Rice whom he lately defended in homicide case
As neither professional courtesy nor legal obligation re-
CURED appearance counsel while the attorney Ill
the case could be court little was thought OF the mat
Ter Inquiry bis Office elected the fact that ne h'd
left Friday evening but as was found thar nc hau
Given written notice to A. H. II. Dawson, who was op-
posed him IN TO come up he shoud
be absent in Boston for a week. and as he had gwen
verbal notice 10 Judge W. r. Beebe OF No. 6S Wal-st,
before whom he had reference, of the same INTENTION
nothing was thought Of the circumstance Of his absence
III short all the evidence ola positive character except
the fact that the messenger boys in his Office dd not
know where lac and had not seen him since FIlday
conradicted the OF flight, financial emoarlass
Inent new Ring complications and mental arrangement
A reporter of THE TRIBUNE had Friday afternoon
long talk with MI Hail. with whom for five years past he
very intimate aud does not remember ever 10
have seen him in and the same time more sober
mood. The conversation was wholly upon the SUBJECT OF
the Ring matters, and based upon rumor which the
reporter had heard that Charles OConor was holding
at No 1l6 Broadway conference with Tweed
sweenv. Ingerso, woodward, and others for
final settlement of all the Ring suits. The Tu-
NOR was enormously based on the fact that MI
OConor was settling the referred of Heath and
Ingcrson. Mr.. Hall perfectly at ease; indicated no
nervousness whatever and no depression OF spirits
spoke IN his usual clear and cpiSnmmauc manner but
with little emphasis than was common WIFE llm
because the delicate subject touched upon was specially
vexatious to him. He stated that he knew nothing OF
such conference. and did not believe that any such
meeting was being held. 81 know positively, he said
that Mr. Swecny is not to meet Mr.. O'COnOr on any
basis of restitution-nO than would. Mr. S%eeny
viii not pay the city single cent-no more than
woud-because that would be ackuo" Judgement lat
he had robbed it, which Swecny has not done. DO not
believe any such stories They all false" 1t was
suggested to Mr. Hall that without any question Mr.
swceuy had already been Informed that William NJ
Tweed had effected settlement with the city through
his lawyers. and that like f. woodward, he would be
witness against Swccny and others against whom pro
cccdngs he taken more OF the stolen
This did not appear to be surprising to Mr. Haii
FOR ne replied that there evidence which could be
manufactured against Mr.. Swoeny which would be OF
avail in any court Mr.. Hall later on spoke OF several
personal matters, and appeared throughout the interview
10 Do ia the spirits and TO he OF clear c0mprehen
sion In fact nothing in his manner has Indicated to any
Os CLOSE friends any mental arrangement or depres-
sion all that be cited in support OF that idea are
two incidents: First, ms late appearance at the Park
Theater ia a OF his construction, ayowcdy H.
tended as a defense Of himself in Ring affairs and
second his Remuneration OF all practice IN hOmCldal cases
when his client Rice was convicted But to those who
know the career of the these only new lustra
tons OF his crraic temperament, far less singular than
ms dramatic appearance horseback at the Harlem
Police Court when first arrested criminal charges in
ls7l and his st dramatic conduct in court when
,ary.y WAS uneXpectedy produced a witness against
him on his first trial The recollection Of these incidents
caused those Of friends knew the absorbing pas
SION the for notorety 20 suspect that he had pur
pOsyY ahseuted himself IN order TO create uDhc excite
Iucnt at his disappearance.
As to his financial ebarrassments it is known that all
or nearly all OF Mr. Halls property in the name OF his
WIFE, aud that he lived and supported his family largely
ont Of his professional receipts He was liberal in the
use Of money, taking 10 note OF bills and Claims hut
paying ali that presented without much inquiry
There were no suits criminal or civil pending against
Mr. Hall On the criminal charges he had already been
acquitted. As to any civil suit, none was ever conem
plated for the that Mr.. Tiden and Mr. OCOnor
after thorough investigation OF the Ring nauds, freely
said there was proof that Mr. Han had ever received
accent the funds stolen from the city
The reports 0f domestic difficulties have foundation
In fact Some annoyance caused in Mr. Halls family
by malicious publication in effect that on Wednesday he
had gone Boston to witness the performance OF bliss
Ada Dyas. whose attorney he is; but his wife and
mother on having their attention called to It, remarked
rrsr,N firm
lis ghost who broakfasted with them that morning."
Mr. Halls mother is nearly so years of age; she
mud his wife and several daugbtcTsone OF whom Mrs
Randolph has Just returned from Europe and has re-
Gently been cOnfned-aIe naturally distressed at his
explained absence, and unable to account Tor H.
but deny through watson W. Moore, ms Office associate
that any but the fondest relations existed between him
and all his family. Miss Dyas Of WallacRs Theater,
with whom his name was coupled yesterday IN a most
upwArrautabie manner in the city yesterday and
WAS entirely ignorant OF his whereabouts Miss Dyas
has lately lost her father has declined to renew her EN-
lagement at Wallacks and is said to be deSrOus OF
returning to England. OF this fact-wel known
IN Seatrical cncles-was instantly coupled with the
rumors that Mi. Hall had TO England, ana 1t was
added that Miss Dyas would join him. All such state
ments have no other than the forced connection OF
mch incidents would give them.
PROBABLY AN ASCENDING WITNESS.
tIcr>TLY sUBPENAED IN THE SwEENY CAsE-BE-
LEE THAT HE DREADED A RIGID CRoss-EXAMI-
NATION, AND THE EFFECT OF THE REVELATIONS
or WOODWARD AND TWEED.
The only theory worthy of consideration
,elatiye 10 Mr. Halls disappearance is based upon the
fact that he has lately subpenaed as witness in
-, c,,, oaso which il SET down for trial April 4,