The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-21

10 let both OF the policies lapse but last No
remDer we received special offer from Mr..
reef Mr. HUH explained to me. that in two
ano nalf years we could get back all we
had paid, SO consented to let that one con-
tnue. thought 1T was understood that the
other one should lapse but in June last Mr.
it." = - 'AAAie -
At this juncture Mr. Butler introduced
premiums paid, which were identified by the
witness as having been found among her
husbands papers, and duly offered and ac-
cepted as exhibits in the case.
Then followed the sensation Of the day.
winch was introduced by Mr.. Butler, in the
apparently unimportant question:
While you lived on Clinton avenue was
family?"
There was" replied the witness ''My
niece, BERTHE Matthews, the sixteen year-old
daughter of my sister, was with US She
came IN March, 1884, and remained more than
The purpose Of the prosecution was an
parent in the next question.
. HAD you any suspicious of improper rela-
tlons e between this young girl and your hus-
Ddnd asked Mr.. Butler.
- wait a moment. exclaimed Attorney
PIerce; but after a short conference with his
client, he said to the court:
The question Is obviously objectionable
but we will nevertheless waive objection"
continuing her story, under the inquiry OF
County Attorney Butler, Mrs. Hull told this
portion OF her story, follows:
BERTHE came to our house at my husbands
suggestion. At Christmas time in 1893 he
proposed that should send for BERTHE. stat
ing as his reason that we were not able to
pay girl to do the housework and she
could help out in that way, beside which she
could take care OF the church and he could
pay her what had previously been snent for
the services of a janitor. | objected but in
three or four weeks wrote my sister on the
subject; She replied that she was glad
BERTHE had the chance to come and some time
In April BERTHE arrived.
One day soon after she came Berthe got
letter which made her cry. | went out that
day to make some parish calls for Mr. Hull
and my daughters were at school, When /
came home found Mr.. Hull there and BERTHE
appeared quite CHEEKY. About this time Mr..
Hull brought home cart for our daughter
Annie to play with in the yard and one day
a friend who called told me a story of an
occurrence on the East side which set me
thinking. l wondered why it was that nv
husband should want Annie to play in the
yard, and If it could be possible that he could
nave any wrong purpose. went to a meeting
tnat afternoon, and when I returned went to
the church. l found the doors all locked
but the key to the study was on the inside
| got some keys from the house and went
into the church, where l found BERTHE in the
hall and Mr.. Hull in the audience room /
told Mr.. Hull 1t was not proper for him to
! be there alone with that girl. He went into
the house, and BERTHE finished her work After
| that my suspicious increased, but still 1 had
no positive proof.
! after we cleaned house slept down stairs
and Mr.. Hull and BERTHE in two rooms above
Two different nights heard sounds up stairs
| and went up but, although l found Mr.. Hull
| and BERTHE awake, both were in their own
| rooms. Soon afterward Mr.. Hull urged me
! to go to the country for my health, and
I went to Smith lake, in Wright county where
remained two weeks.
/ After my return one day I left Annie in
| the church with BERTHE and was going out.
l told BERTHE to keep Annie with her but
! on my return | found Annie playing outside.
| went to the church and found Mr.. Hull and
BERTHE there | upbraided Mr.. Hull and
| talked Of sending BERTHE home, but he in
| sisted that she should stay.
| In December | secured a confession first
! from BERTHE and then from Mr.. Hull. told
| Mr.. Hull BERTHE had confessed. He denied it,
| but called BERTHE and she said you know
| Its true. She said he had told her that he
| was her uncle and would not do her any
| harm. He denied these charges at first.
| but finally admitted them. On the following
day, Saturday, was Frustrated, but on Mon
/ day Mr.. HUH took me to the church and
| begged me on his knees to forgive him. He
| said he was conscious of Gods forgiveness
and should not withhold mine. Later Mr..
| Hull made a full confession in which he ad-
mitted that on five different nights, while
| was away at Smith lake, he had been with
| BERTHE in her room. He also acknowledged
| that he had been in her room those two nights
| in the spring when I slept downstairs and
| heard them moving above. He said that the
| strain upon his mind caused by church at
| fairs was SO great that he needed relaxation,
and, knowing my delicate physical condition,
| he sought Berries society He reminded me
| OF his affectionate disposition and said he
| must have companionship and society. 7 de-
| cleared then that should expose him, but
| he said BERTHE had given her consent and the
! law would therefore shield him. You know
| said he. a man can go out into the world
| after an exposure Of that kind and recover his
| position, but woman never cam He quoted
| story from the Bible to convince me that
this true. Shortly after this he said he
had a further confession to make when l was
strong enough to bear it, and after / had
urged him several times he told me one day
that he had deliberately planned this mis-
conduct as punishment to me for the misery
married life He said the first step had been
| taken on the day when BERTHE received the
| letter which made her cry. He kissed her
| then and comforted her. I told him hanging
was too good for him, but he declared that
his conduct was justifable.
The case will be resumed today at 2 D. m