The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-20
LETTER IN HIS OWN SCRIPT
is PRODUCED To PROVE THAT HE
ANTICIPATED HIS WIFE'S
DEATH.
FoRsAKEN BY HIS COUNSEL,
The Guilty Man Pleads Guilty and
Begs the Mercy of the
Court.


the expectant crowd in the criminal
court room. The confession was the
climax Of a series Of surprises prepared
for the defense by Prosecuting Attor-
ney Butler. The accused and his at
torneys were unaware of the nature of
the evidence that was in the possession
of the state until a few moments be-
fore the adjournment at noon yester-
day. Within a very few minutes the
barriers set UP by the defense were
broken down. and the accused had not
a friend. His attorneys advised him
to plead guilty and throw himself on
the mercy Of the court. The wife
had burst into tears at the sense of
relief this unexpected testimony
brought to her. The only person who
was the prisoner himself.
The accused had been on the wit
ness stand all yesterday morning. 1t
had been comparatively easy for him,
as he was in the hands Of his friends.
and Mr.. Butler, for the state seemed
singularly inclined to admit evidence
that on the previous day he had COM
batted with vlgor. From the first, At
torney Pierce had full confidence in
the innocence of his client, and had
made vigorous defense. Many in the
audience and apparently a portion of
the jury were convinced that Hull was
an injured man-at least, that he was
not guilty Of the heinOus crime charged
HulFs apparent confidence In his ac-
Qu1ttal, his demeanor on the witness
stand, everything, pointed to his inno-
cence. His credible story OF the poi
son and how it came into his possess
"a ion 1,0
speaking Of his family; and especially
his children; his bearing when he +ad-
m1tted his improper conduct with his
Wife'S mccall had made a favorable
impression on the audience and Jury
Mr.. Butler began the cross-examina-
ton for the state. He sought to make
the witness incriminate himself but
Mr. Pierce was yigilant, and the
decisions of the court were almost in
Variably In favor of the witness. But,
While seemingly making no headWay,
Mr. Butler was weaving a net about
the witness that later proved his
downfall, and eventually led to the
confession of guilt. By this declara-
ton Hull put himself in such a posi-
ton that when he was confronted by
letter he had written containing
statements that were exactly the re-
verse of his sworn statements in court
ne could do but one thing-confess
himself perjurer ON the stand or that
he had lied to his correspondent. In
any event the credibility Of the witness
was destroyed Mr.. Pierce to whom
this letter came as a lightning flash
from a clear sky, was dumbfounded.
He urged his client to make a clean
breast Of the matter, acknowledge that
he had written the letter, throw him
self on the clemency Of the court and
plead guilty. But Hull was stubborn
10 the last Even TuhoTo - Sc
advised the court that the prisoner
mad concluded to acknowledge his err
ror and confess, Hull, when arraigned
to plead to the indictment, hedged and
shifted and attempted to evade direct
answer. 1t was only after he was
urged by Mr. Pierce and given ample
tllne by the court to make any state
ment he might wish, that he finally
spoke that one word guilty"
1t did not seem possible that any
man, resting under the weight Of such
an accusation, and in his peculiar DO
sition, could have acted so calmly. Mr..
Pierce, for the defense, was almost
overcome by his feelings. Mrs. Hull
gave way to flood of tears. and
Blanche, Hulls Oldest daughter. was
almost heart broken Every one in the
court room was more or less affected
by the situation But Hull stood before
the bar, erect, quiet, without outward
signs OF feeling. He was complete mas
ter OF himself. He received the sentence
or the court quietly, and as he was re-
manded to the custody of the sheriff.
passed by his wife and stopped to whis
per word, to which she made no re-
ply. He passed out of the court room
without speaking, but glanced about
the room and into the galleries with
considerable show of interest. With his
disappearance the quiet of the room
f1o1,cf fv.,f
OF the strange scene. was ended. The
voice OF the court ordering the specta-
tors to depart, was harsh and the re-
peated order Of the deputy sheriff was
unnecessarily loud. There was a bus
tie and whispering and murmur of
voices that told Of the relief from the
unexpected and painful denouement.
The discovery of the discriminating
letter was one of those happy coinci-
dences that are not infrequent in life.
Ii came into the possession of the proze-
cuton by mereSt accident The recir,-
lent of the letter supposed that it
would be Of benefit to Hull and had
sent 1t to friend In st. Paul for use
IN the case. The letter was handed TO
one link In the chain of testimony he
needed to convict the prisoner No one
knew or the letter nor of Mr.. Buffers
intention to use 1t In court Hull must
have known that his end was come
when he saw the letter in Mr.. Buffers
possession. But with pertinacity and
shifting and evasions, he denied that
he had written It, But for the letter it
is possible, indeed, more than likelv.
that the jury would have disagreed.
Four of the jury, it is believed. had
made UP their minds that the prisoner
was not guilty. Their sympathy had
been aroused for the accused because.
of the introduction Of the evidence
showing his intimacy with his wife's
niece, which evidence was not neces-
Sary to prove the poisoning. But with
the admission Of the letter. the defense
of the prisoner was broken, the Jury
needed no further argument or testi-
mony.
Many a good lawyer has strived to
lay the foundation for a case weaker
than the plans laid by Hull to con-
vince his friends and his wife's friends.
that she was dying, that her health was
such that she could live but q, short
time. If Mrs. Hull had died before
her suspicious were communicated to
Dr.. Hawkins, no one would ever have
known the nature Of her fatal illness.
Tho motive, the means and the pIaus-
ible reason for the cause OF his wife's
deatR. had all been provided by Hull.
But In an instant all his plans were
overturned; what had seemed to be
evidences of insanity on the part OF
his wife, stood out clearly as but a
part of well laid programme to end
her life; all Of his frank and open ad-
missions of circumStantial evidence
against him became but an exhibition