The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-17
REV. HUhL ON TRIAL.
FORMER METHODIST MINISTER
CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING
TO POISON HIS WIFE.
THE JURY EASILY PROCURED.
MRS. HULL TELLS THE STORY OF
THE PRISONERS ALLEGED
EFFORTS
TO PUT HER OUT OF EXISTENCE,
Giving All the Minor Details of Her
SufRering-Her Husbands Atten-
tiOns TO Bertha IattheNs.

Rev. James C. Hull, formerly pastor
of the Clinton Avenue Methodist
church, was placed on trial in the dis
trict court yesterday on the charge of
attempting to poison his wife. The
technical complaint charges assault in
the first degree. So great interest has
attached to the case since the arrest
and sensational charge preferred
against the ex-niniSter last August,
that when the defendant was arraigned
before Judge Egan, the court room was
completely filled with a curious crowd,
anxious to catch a glimpse of minis
ter Of the Gospel before the bar of JUS
tice on so serious a charge, and intent
upon hearing the accusations of the
wife against her husband. When Hull
was taken into the court room he was
the center of attraction. After being
in jail for fifteen weeks he presented
an unusually bright and we'll kept ap-
pearance, though to the close observer
it was evident the confinement had
told on him. Speculation upon the
probable outcome of the trial and the
VI Ills late LII OcNoO VI
conviction had left their mark. A man
over six feet tall, the accused has
grown thinner of physique, exaggerat-
ing a naturally ungainlX appearance,
while his face in repose at times as
sunes a careWOrn expression sugges-
tive of mental strain amounting al
most to detection, Notwithstanding the
fact that he has strenuouSly main
tanned that a trial would clear him Of
the crime with which he is charged.
AS a rule however, the indications of
apprehension were banished by the in
terest which Hull took in the proceed
ings, which he followed in the selection
of jury with the attentiveness Of an
attorney.
Unusual success in a case about
which SO much had been published at
tended the efforts of the attorneys in
securing a jury. For the state, County
Attorney Butler found comparatively
few disqualificatiOns among the venire
men, while Attorney S. L. Pierce, as
sisted by B. f. Latta, also found in
frequent use for peremptory chal-
lenges, so that by noon seven jury
men were impanelled. An hour in the
afternoon sufficed to complete the
panel, and when, shortly before 3
o'clock, Mrs. Alice Hull, wife Of the ac-
cused, was called as the first witness,
the following good men and true had
been sworn to impartially try the case:
Samuel G. Andrist, grocer, West St Paul
Leslie Parlin, feed merchant, 923 East Sew
enth street.
George W. Barton. flour mills, Minneapolis
Judson n. Babcock, machinist, asa Thomas
street
Frederick R. Mann paint dealer. 5S3 Car
roll street.
E. L..AIlen, real estate. Endiao4t arcade
Theodore Reinhardt, Slerk 4O3 Martin
street.
Thomas A. NagIe, plumbsr, 1856 Livingston
William R. Thorne, passenger agent, a44
Dale street
John E. Haycock, fuel merchant. ri Far
Tington Eyenue
!. P. Adamson plumber, 2O7O Marshall ave-
nue..
Walter Beekman, bookseller. 775 st. Peter
street.
Wheli Mrs. Hull~took the witness
stand every eye in the court room was
focused upon her. At the time of the
arrest Of her husband and ever since
she mas refused to make public her
side of the case and the crowd ex-
pected sensation when she came to
tell it in court. Dark complexioned
with dark hair and eyes. above the
she is possessed of a face whose placid
expression rather improves a pleasing
face.
MRS. HULL'S STORY.
Mrs. Hull made a splendid witness
with the exception that her tones We're
occasionally low and indistinct She
told the story of the alleged attempt
upon her life with precision and com
posure. Directly in front Of her and
behind his attorney. sat the accused
husband, whose eyes seldom left the
face Of the witness while she told the
story Of her married life and it's in
felicitfes, eliminating in the alleged at
tempt Of poison Aug. 5 last Occa-
sionally Mr.. Hull would whisper some
thing to his attorney, only to again
lean forward and gaze intently at his
wife.
The story told by Mrs. Hull was in
detail as follows: My name is Alice
Huh. L am the wife of James c..
Hull, to whom 1 was married in EN-
poria, Kas., in December 1881. Am
now 81 years Of age. Most of our mar
ried life was spent in Kansas, though
portions of it were passed in Wheel
ing, West Virginia; Evanston, ILL.,, and
Massachusetts. We came to Minnesota
In 1889 and lived in Minneapolis until
1893, when we moved to St Paul"
Mr.. Hull, witness said, had always
been a minister, but at times was not
actively engaged in ministerial work.
He had some literary work in Mime
apolis, but came to St Paul as the
pastor of the Clinton Avenue Methodist
church in October, 1893, and witness
had lived with him and their children
in this city ever since, Mrs. Hull told
of living in different parts of the city
among which were the parsonage Of the
Clinton Avenue church and the house
at No. 115 West Winnifred street.
where the alleged poisoning took place
giving a description Of the latter place
regarding the arrangement of the