The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-09-17
HORRIBLE HALVES
His Mistress Makes a Full Con-
fessiOn of His Crime
at Last.

Birmingham, Ala, September Sat 10
o'clock this morning the jury in the Fan
ME BRYANT case returned verdict OF gull
tv of murder in the first degree, and fixed
the punishment al at liie-imprisonment
During the residing nf the verdict the pris-
oner's face showed no trace Of emotion, but
after the jury had been polled she broke
down and sobbed like child. Her attor-
neys will move for a new tiiaI, and, failing
to get that, will appeal to the supreme
court. Fanny Bryant once almost made
her mind TO turn States evidence against
Dick Halves, and if she had done so, and
told in court the story she told an
attorney. she would have been
released. She has never admitted that she
assisted Dick Halves in the murder of his
wife and child, or in disposing of the bod
les, but she confessed that little May told
her the story of the crime the day after it
was committed. Why the woman risked
her own neck rather than testify against
Halves is not clear, but there is good reas-
on to believe tina; for a long time she was
his mistress. AS Halves moved from one
place to another during the past five years
this woman had always followed him, and
was frequently employed at his house.
Mrs. Halves and her youngest daughter,
Irene, were murdered on Saturday night,
December l, 1888. May HAYES, the Oldest
child, was taken to Fannie Bryant's house
the next day, where she remained until
Monday evening, when her father carried
her to East Lake, and, after choking her
to death, threw her body in the lake.
A few days ago Fannie bryant con-
fessed that on Sunday morning, Deem
Der 2. little May told her the story of the
double murder of Saturday night. "May
commenced to cry" she said, "almost as
soon as she reached my house. asked
her what was the matter. but at first she
would only cry the harder, and Sob man.
mas gone AT last she said Pm afraid to
tell you, Fannie Papa will kill me if /
tell you. kept begging her TO tell me
what was the matter, and after she had
cried herself sick she told me, after beg
ging me not to let her papa know. She
said Mamma and Irene are dead.
Papa killed them last night. Papa had
tgken Willie to Atlanta, and mamma said
she was going to bring him back. Papa
cursed her awfuliy, and told her to go and
bring him back if she wanted to. Mamma
put on her cloak and took Irene in her
arms and ran out in the yard. Papa ran
after them, cursing mamma. She begged
him SO hard not TO kill her. He had a
big stick. was afraid to 60 out in the
yard. 1t was dark out there, but l heard
mamma scream and heard papa striking
her. He killed mamma and Irene out
there in the dark with a big stick. Then
he brought them back in the house and
covered them up with a mattress"
The woman says that all day Sunday
and Monday little May would come to her
side every few minutes, and between her
sobs beg, "Don't let papa know / told you;
1 am afraid he viii kill me-" The child,
young as she was, seemed to realize that
her knowledge of her fathers crime placed
her own life in danger. The story of the
murder as told Fannie Bryant is no doubt
the correct one. When the body of Mrs.
Halves was taken from the lake it was
found that she wore travelling dsess and
cloak, showing that she was dressed 10 go
on journey, as May described. The
bodies of Mrs. Halves and Irene lay in the
cottage coyered with a mattress from
the time of the murder some
time Saturday night until Sun.
day night, when they were placed in the
lake few hundred yards away. Fannie
Bryant says she did not assist in disposing
of the bodies, but 1t is believed she did.
Halves had taken his youngest child,
Willie, to Atlanta a few days before the
murder. much against the wish of Mrs.
Halves, and her threat to bring him back
seems to have precipitated her death. This
confession of Fannie Bryant clears up the
mystery as to the time and manner of the
murder, and is corroborated by the cir
cumstantial evidence which convicted
Halves. The only mystery connected with
the crime which remains unsolyed is who
assisted Halves in carrying the bodies of
his wife and child to the lake.