Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1896-11-20
|LBADBD GUILTY
Ines G. Hull, the Minister Of St.
Paul, Wrote an discriminating
Letter,
ID IS IN the PENITENTIARY
national Close of q Sensational
Minister'S Extremely Shady
Career.

6T. PAUL, Nov. 19.-The case against
". Jas. g. Hull, accused Of attempted
fe poisoning, came to sudden and
nsational end in the district court this
kernoon. Hull had been on the wit
rs stand since yesterday afternoon,
d entered categorical denial to all
states evidence in regard to the 3D.
nistering of arsenic mixed with the
edicine his wife was taking
Then the state sprung surprise in
Q shape of a letter which Hull had
kitten while in Portland Ore, last
)bruary to Rev. I. L. Spencer, an init
BITE friend, who was then in Fernando,
ii. In this letter Hull stated that his
fe was very sick; that she was suffer
from cancer and that he expected to
called home any time, and that he
ought she could not live through the
ar. He also stated that an operation
ID been performed for the removal
the cancer, but that it had
Dken out in another direction.
encer and Hull had been old
ends and chums, and when the former
ard of the charge against Hull he
nembered the letter received last Fri
b and, thinking it's contents would ex-
pate his friend, inclosed it to some-
b in Minnesota. The state in some
y got track OF this letter and today
! it in evidence.
/ Hull was at first inclined to deny that
had written letter, but upon being
Eed by his own attorney, finally ad-
tied its authorship. The evidence Of
states witnesses and Hull's own ad-
ssions in his previous testimony
pwed that there had been no talk of
peer for year prior to the date Of the
TER, and that the surgical operation
d simply been the dressing Of slight
eeration of his wifes womb. The
hts claimed that the letter placed in
Gdence was written with the intention
preparing hia friends for the death of
b wife and to provide plausible cause
aerefor.
At the opening of the afternoon sos
on Hull's attorney arose, and address
lg the court, stated that the last evil
snce produced was of such a character
J to remove all further doubt as to his
ient's guilt, and that upon his advice
'ull had agreed to withdraw his plea of
ot guilty and throw himself on the
ORGY Of the court. He further stated
lat he now believed Hulls mind was
balanced and asked the courts noer-
&ul consideration Of the plea. Hull |
Yen formally withdrew his plea Of not
nilty, dJudge Egan sentenced him to
\ years in the Saltwater penitentiary.
The case has been sensational one
pm the start. Hull had been pastor of
e Clinton Avenue Methodist Episco-
\ church until about year ago, and
put that time achieved considerable
ltoriety by charging that the trus tees
his church were members of the
P. A. and we're seeking his removal
order to get minister in sympathy
lth that organization. This resulted
echargee and, ultimately, in his suspen-
Dn from preaching for year.
Last August he was arrested on com
Pint Of his wife, who charged that for
Year or moro he had been slowly pois-
ing her, by the administration Of ar
pic mixed with her medicines and
th articles Of food. The motive, as
pwn by the evidence OF the state in
E trial just ended, was life insurance
1icy for $1,000, which Hull had pre-
He'd upon his wife to take out in his
Por. 1t was also shown, and Hull ad-
tted it on the witness stand, that he
+ been criminally intimate with his
Fe's niece, a girl Of 16 who was living
th them.
Ehe couples 14-year old daughter was
important witness for the state, testi-
Ilng that on the day on which Hull was
eested she had seen him attempt to
eow away bottle containing poisoned
so'c'ne, as we'll as a package which
3 afterward shown to contain a guam
h Of arsenic.