Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-23
FHH ACT OF / FIRND.
Without Cause Or Provocation
James H. Hall Attempts to
s Murder His Wife.
Only Timely Interference Pre-
vents Him From Carrying
Out His Design.
From Tuesdays DaiIy.

oFor hu unprOVOkeO, cOWarOiy AnC
brutal attempt at murder was made itwal
that Of James b. Hall when be ASSAULTED
his wife Sunday night, and without q wore
tried to end her life by stabbins her. Tit
weapon he used vas q pair Of ordinary
scissors, and that his hands are not nov
stained with the blood Of his Intended vic
tim ID through no fault Of his, for hil
every act in connection with the terribl.
deed is indicative Of fendish premedita
ti0u and . blood thirsty desire to murder
without caHss OF prpvocation an inoffen
sive woman, and that woman the
wife OF his bosom. Hall and his
wife have resided for q number
OF years at Walkerville and during the
greater portion OF that time he has beeu
employed as q miner in the Alice, Of which
mine his brother, W. e. Hall, 10 superin.
tendent. Although working almost steadily,
Hall has contributed 20 little to the sup.
port Of his family that Mrs. Hall has been
compelled to perform services as q nurse
and do other work for outsiders in order
Il oh"e CaC HuA u0A EuiuRN0A uli6uu u6Vc
clothes to wear and food to eat, The
money her husband earned and which
should have been devoted to the support
OF those whose head he is. was squandered
in selfish pleasure and debsuchery and
went to satisfy an app elite debased by
liquor. His continued i'll treatment and
abuse of his wife has been neighborhood
t TX for years and not q right-minded per-
son could be found in all Walksryille
yesterday who had q kindly word to speak
in his behalf or who could recount
one commendable act which be
had ever performed and Of which
any member Of his family was the one bene-
fitted. Every person to whom the reporter
applied had the same answer, Hall is a
brute and he ought to be hanged" OF the
victim of his brutality only words ofpraise
and the highest regard could be heard.
Everybody united in giving her a character
for industry, patience and wifely consistency
an, motherly devotion which left only one
thought ia The mind Of the inquirer and
the greatest respect and consideration.
From two eye witnesses to the cowardly
deed a MINER reporter cleaned b slolloWing
facts. As already stated Hall has continually
neglected to provide for his family. and it
was this neglect which compelled Mrs. Hall
to seek employment outside OF her own
home. For about ten days she has been
nursing Mrs. Rich, u lady who has been
seriously sick at Centerville. Sunday
morning Miss Libbie Boyd, sister Of Mrs.
Hall, arrived from Salt Lake, and Hall
was at the depot to meet her and took her
to his house. After arriving at the house
whisky he had there and finally retired.
He arose some time during the forenoon
and again began to drink from the
jug, notwithstanding that Miss Boyd
begged OF him not to do 80, and
soon became maudlin drunk continued in
that condition during the greater part OF
tie day. In the afternoon he ven to
Centerville and notified his wife OF her sis.
ter's arrival. When Mrs. Hall could do
30, between z and 8 o'clock in the evening.
she vent home to greet her sister. When
she entered the house Miss Boyd and q
gentleman named A. @. Greer, were in the
front room talking while Hall was lying on
q lounge in the same room. A. little
daughter OF Mrs. Hal was ais , in the
room. The moment his wife opened the
door He'll looked up, and seeing her, ad-
dressed q most vile and offensive epithet
to her. To this Mrs. Hall made no reply,
and walked towards her sister. The
two ladies and Mir. Greer engaged
in u CONVEX sation which was at frequent
intervals interrupted by Hall'sabuse Of his
wife. Mrs. Hall entered an adjoining room
and stayed there only a few moments when
she returned to the front room. Hall arose
from the lounge and entered the bedroom
-Is-l -ls-s-. kh4 -1.ID~ IN khA SonH He
undressed and vent to bed. After he had
been in bed a short time, Miss Boyd, who
was sitting near the open door between the
two rooms in such q position AS to enable
her to see into the bedroom, saw him get
no and picking up his trousers began to
search through the pockets as though look.
ing for something. He then advanced to-
wards the parlor and when he reached the
door the littl, girl asked him not to enter
aud took up q position in front OF him.
He pushed the child out OF his way and
with q bound reached the side Of Mrs. He'll.
who with Mr.. Greer was looking at a pho
tograph, and raised his right hand as
though to strike her. Mrs. Hall saw some.
thing glitter in his hand and threw up her
left arm to shield her breast. In an instant
his arm descended, and Mrs. Hall uttered
a scream and said that she was being
killed. Twice more did the brute repeat
the blow before either Mr.. Greer or Miss
Boyd could do anything to save
the imperiled woman, 10 sudden
was the attack. After Hall had
struck the third blow Mr.. Greer rushed
upon him and threw him to the floor. Mrs.
Hall screaming with agony and fright ran
through the bed room and into the kitchen
where she: fell insensible to the floor.
When the others reached her she wal
bathed in blood which was rushing in tor
rents from q wound in her left arm, about
midway between the shoulder and elbow,
while by her side lay q pair OF bloody
shears with which the wound had been
made and which the lady had pulled from
the wound where her brutal husband had
allowed them to remain after dealing her the
last blow. Mr.. Greer at once q
for assistance and to summon o doctor.
He tslephened down town, and after con.
siderable delay Drs. Gillespie and Tremblsy
arrived on the scene and began to examine
the lady to ascertain the extent OF her in.
iuries. Thedoctors found q frightful wound
in the left hand, another on the elbow
and q third in the feshy part OF the arm.
The latter wound extended clear through
the arm and presented a sickening sight,
for after forcing b blade OF the shears
into his victims flesh, Hall gave the
weapon q twist as though to
drive it still deeper. For q time
r. seemed almost impossible to stop the
flow of blood which ,ntinu1d to cash
from the upper wound in the arm. While
the doctors were operating on her Mrs.
Hall continued to pass from one iainting
snell into another and it was feared that
the shock she had received would end
fatally.