The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-17
A HORRIBLE CRIME.
A Council Bluffs Husband Muir.
derS his Wife.
He TRIES TO COMMIT SUICIDE
But FaiIs-His Motive for his Dark Deed was
Pure, WantOn WickedneSs and
Malice.

OMAHA, Neb., July 16. = Especial tele-
gram to The HERALD. Within fifty feet
OF the Second Presbyterian church, Coun-
Gil Bluffs, was enacted a most fearful
crime. This morning about 5 o'clock
Henry Hall, or Hank" as he is Familiarity
called, shot and killed his wife, attempted
to murder George Bennett and then gashed
his own throat with jack-knife, after
having drunk two bottles of poison. Hall,
who is familiar character in Council
Bluffs in the employ Of beer bottling estab-
llshment. came home last night and at
one proceeded to quarrel with his
wife because she had not his sup
per ready. AS an excuse for her tar
diness Mrs. Hall stated she had not
left the court house, iwhere shei employed
as janitress, until after Z oo'clock, and
had gotten a basket of groceries and
walked sixteen blocks as rapidly as posi-
ble Her words stirred up Halls anger
and the quarrel eliminated at o'clock in
the woman sending for an officer. A po-
liceman responded, and after hearing the
woman's story and the charge of Hall be-
ing drunk, concluded it was only a family
row, but seeing no evidence of the mans
drunken state as charged, the officer talked
to them both and then told them
to settle by themselves, leaving them
with an admonition that he
would arrest them 10th if there was any
more trouble. The presence of the officer
had Infatuated Hall to terrible degree
and the woman after having been knocked
down aud her two children shamefully
treated went to the residence of George
Bennett living in an adjoining house.
There was silence during the night, but
this morning about 5 o'clock Mrs. Hall
went to the window of the place where she
was stopping and looking out saw her
husband lying on the bed apparently
asleep. She went over to make breakfast
for him as she told her neighbors.
A second after she entered the house
shot was fired. Bennett ran over, but was
met at the door by Hall with smoking re-
volver in his hand. Words followed, and
then Hall fired on his neghbor, the ball
passing through his right hand, severing
the middle finger. CONSERVATION reigned.
Hall followed the fleeing man and endea-
vored to shoot again, but the weapon
seemed to be out of order. Bennett took
circuitous route = and notified the
police. A terrible sight met their gaze.
On pile of quilts in the front room lay
the old man, clutching his throat, his long,
white beard and thin, white locks matted
with blood. His revolver was clutched in
his hand, while on the top of the little
heating stove lay the knife with which he
had done the work In another room lay
the body of his wife, with her
feet projecting through the doorway
and her head resting almost under
the table. Kind friends raised the
body, but the senseless brain could not tell
the story of crime, and at o'clock today
death brought relief. Hall was removed to
the hospital where his wound was treated,
the doctors pronouncing it not necessa-
rily latal. During the time he was under
the influence of stimulants administered by
his son he said: II took two bottles of the
old woman's poison, but the stuff is like the
old woman herself no good''
Hall is the father of five children