Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-20
REV. HULL;S CRIME
OF a Soft That lmpsls One to a
Belief in Aados. -
ATTEMPTED TO po1soH HIS WIFE

Debaueher Of . Young Girl. Lar. a.d .
Good illustration of Total Depravity, His
Lawyer Prays Clemency on the Ples Of
Insanity and Gets It Instead Of the Limit
Of the LAVA Sensatisnal Case Closed
with Six Years In the Pen.
st. Paul. Nov.20.-The case against Rev.
James c. Hull. accused of attempted
wife poisoning. came to q sudden and
sensational end in the district court
yesterday afternoon. Hull had been on
the witness stand since Wednesday
afternoon, and had entered q categori-
cal denial to all the states evidence
in regard to the administering by him
Of arsenic mixed with the medicine his
wife was taking. Then the state sprung
q surprise in the shape Of letter which
Hull had written in Portland. Ore.
intimate friend, who was then in
Fernando. Cal. In this letter Hull
stated that his wife was very sick: that
she was suffering from a cancer: that
he expected to be called home at any
time. and that he thought she would
not live through the year. He also
stated that an operation had been per-
formed for the removal of the cancer.
but that it had broken out in another
direction. Spence and Hull had been
old friends and chums, and when the
former heard of the charge against
Hull he remembered the letter received
last February. and thinking its con-
tents would exculpate his friend he
enclosed 1t to some one in Minnesota
Letter to His Friend Was Fatal.
The state in some way got track OF
this letter, and yesterday put 1t in as
evidence. Hull was at first inclined to
deny that he had written such a letter.
but upon being urged by his own at
torney finally admitted its authorship.
The evidence of the states witnesses
and Hull's own admissions in his previ-
Gus testimony showed that there had
been no talk of cancer for a year prior
to the date of the letter. and that the
surgical operation had simply been the
dressing Of a slight laceration. The
| state claimed that the letter placed in
evidence was written with the intention
| of preparing his friend for the death
Of his wife. and to provide q plausible
| cause therefor. At the opening Of the
afternoon session Hulrs attorney arose.
| and addressing the court stated that
the last evidence produced (the letter.
was of such a character as to remove
| all further doubt as to his clients
guilt, and that upon his advice Hull
had agreed to withdraw his plea of not
guilty and to throw himself upon the
mercy Of the court.
Puts i'm . Plea Of Unbalanced Mind.
| He further stated that he now be-
| lieved that Hulrs mind was un-
balanced. and asked the courts merci-
full consideration of the plea Hull
then formally withdrew his plea Of not
guilty and Judge Eagan sentenced him
to six years in the saltwater penitenti-
| arg. The case has been a sensational
one from the start. Hull had been pas
tor of the Clinton Avenue NJ. E. church
until about a year ago. and at that
time achieved considerable notoriety by
charging that the trustees Of his church
were members of the A. p. A. and
were seeking his removal in order to
get a minister who was in sympathy
with that organization. This resulted
in charges being brought against him
in the state conference, and ultimately
in his suspension from preaching for a
year. After his suspension he gave
several lectures denouncing the A. p
A. organization. and attempted to Sc,
up an independent church. Not meet.
ing with encouragement enough in this
direction. he Travelled through the
northwest in the employ Of a publish.
ing house. frequently sending enter.
tanning descriptions Of his travels to tn,
local papers.