The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-30
TELLS A STRAIGHT STORY.
RICHARD HALVES ON THE STAND IN
HIS OWN BEHALF.
He Narrates His Movements Prior to and
After the Murder OF His Wife and
Children-History OF His Alleged Di-
vorce and Second Marriage.
snccInl plspntch 70 The Appeal.

Special Dispatch to The Appeal.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April 29.-The pris-
oner Dick Halves has been on the stand a
large part Of the day, and the courtroom
has been crowded to its fullest extent. He
has answered all questions put to him
without the least hesitancy, and talked as
though he was telling the truth. 1t was
substantially as follows;
My name is Richard Halves and am
thrty-two years old; was born in Russell
County, Alabama. left there when very
young and moved to Atlanta, Ga, where
lived about nineteen years. l left there
little over two years ago; broke up house
keeping there and moved TO Montgomery,
where boarded. From there l came to
Birmingham, last July was a year ago. l
was in the railroad business in Atlanta.
| first commenced firing on the Atlanta Il
West Point road; fired about seven
years before l got an engine. / have
been an engineer about ten years. was
married to Emma Halves about ten years
ago in Atlanta, Ga. We had four child
rem; three OF them were living on the LIST
OF December last had Emma and the
children living in cottage out at the base
ball park. filed bill for divorce from
my first wife two years ago last October, in
| Atlanta. / was arrested ON the night OF
| December last. l had come from Co
lumbus, Miss, and was going to Augusta,
Ga. At that time my little boy Willie was-
at my brothers, in Atlanta. | went out
| TO the house Saturday evening, the Sd OF
December, and told Emma was going to
send Willie to Atlanta and take the girls
to a convent on Sunday, May and camo
down town, bought some stockings and
went back that evening Brown was the
conductor. / stayed at the house until
8 o'clock, and came away with Willie. l
left Emma and the two girls at home. l
have never seen them since. i sent Willie
off on the train and returned home after
midnight No one was there and the
| house was open. i stayed there all night.
About 10 o'clock the next morning Fannie
Bryant told me that Emma and the chill
dren were at Mr.. Corradine's house in the
neighborhood. spent part OF the day in
the house and the following night. Ispent
the next day in town. At o'clock p. IN.
! was at Wells store; then went TO the
Bank restaurant, ate lunch and smoked;
went TO Cohen's dry goods store, Majors &.
Malrow's drug store and the Boston shoe
store, and met Jim HAYES on the street
about 10 o clock. / stayed with him about
an hour and half, and then retired at tho
Florence Hotel. | arose about @ o'clock
next morningan vent TO Columbus, Mis-,
where married that day Miss Story. was
not on the dummy line with May on Mon
day, December 3. | have never seen her
alive since Saturday, December /. was
not at Easilake ut any time on Monday or
Monday night, December 3. | was at
Easllake at the time Of balloon ascension
last summer; have not been there since.
Emma was going away and had agreed
TO give her 500. paid her the money on
Saturday. The children and Fannie Bry-
ant were present when | gave Emma the
money. Fannie Bryant had been helping
Emma TO pack her trunks. The money /
paid her | had saved from my wages. |
made from Sl25 TO $3.50 per month. Emma
Halves had known OF my contemplated
marriage for several months. believed |
was divorced from her. ! had sued for
divorce in Atlanta and employed ono OF
the bestlawycrs there. | had heard nothing
from the lawyer up 10 September, and
went TO a lawyer and got him TO write to
the Atlanta lawyer, who answered that he
had brought the suit, and that everything
was all right. | went 10 Atlanta after
that and saw my lawyer. He told me no
would get me a divorce rs soon rs court
met, and that need not come back any
more. lie said he would get II in Septem.
Der. told Emma when came back that
would get the divorce next week. We
did not live together rs man and wife
after that. never went 10 the house ex.
cept TO sec the children"
llawes was subjected 10 rigid cross
examination, but not once did he contra
dict himself. lie explains all questions
asked In lucid manner. and the
answers seemed 10 be on the Zip Of his
tongue. Almost all OF the evidence Is
against him, however.