The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-11
Wallis Claims Hoyt Had FIRE.
viousIy Shot Mrs. Wallis.
THERE HAD BEEN EiOPEMENT.
Wallis Was Forgldng and Took The errlng
Womau Back ss noussksapsr After He
Had Secured q DNorcs. +

| JordansVillc, y. Y, May IL--John
e. Wallis, the wealthy farmer who SUM
moned the authorities To his home where
the bodies Of his hayward divorced wife
and Benjamin Hoyt lay on Saturday and
declared that he had shot Hoyt dead after
Hoyt had murdered Mrs. Wallis, was ar
| raigned yesterday before Justice =Asxwelf
on charge OF murder In the first degree
The hearing was adjourned for one week
after Dr. l.. H. Douglas had testified in
! regard 60 the autopsies he performed.
Wallis told the coroner that he had
number OF letters written by 1Ioyt 70
! his wife and they were found IN the farm
er = safe
The prisoner was visibly affected when
he appeared In the Justices court. but
| shook hands with several of his friends
and neighbors who were present.
SISTER WROTE LOVERS LETTERS.
The coroners inquest o. the double
killing was held and some sensational
testimony was elicited Gertrude Hoyt,
sister Of the man killed by Wallis. tes-
tilted to writing all of her brothers let
ters and told of the clandestine letters
sent by Mrs Wallis ana the answers, all
of which showed Mrs Wallis was deeply
She said Mrs. Wallis sent IIoyt "A re-
cent letter urging him not TO go 10 War
ren, AZ Wallis would surely shoot him.
This witness also told how her brother
left for Warren and how she wrote at
hts dictation a last VIII and testament,
as he said trouble would surely follow
his visit. Andrew Hoyf, a brother, cor
roborated this testimony
The inquest was adjourned TIL next
Wednesday. Wallis father who was
also the stepfather OF Mrs Wallis a
man eighty-four years OF age will bc
the most important witness. az he was
present when the shooting took place
There are two stories as 10 the mar
riage and welded life of the Walllses.
One Is that the girl, who was pretty and
the village belle, was forced to marry
the farmer, who was fifteen years her
senior and entirely engrossed I'm money
making. II Is said the girl did not like
his retiring disposition and had another
sweetheart with whom she attempted to
elope She was caught. according TO this
story, her stepfather dragging her from
the buggy in which she had taken her
seat Then she was married to Wallis.
FoRBEARING HUSBAND.
Friends Of the prisoner, on the other
hand. deny these stories, declaring that
he loved his wife and had borne with
her and Hoyt as few men would have
done, and that they had lived happily
together until the hired man caused
trouble between them.
The explanation made by Wallis as to
why he stood by his wife is pathetic |
When the sheriff and "A deputy reached |
the Wallis farm they found Mrs. Wallis
lying dead on couch I'm the Kitchen and |
Hoyt dead on the floor with a bullet i'm |
the temple. another in the right arm and |
a third in the left hand. The woman had |
two bullets in her breast. Guarding the |
bodies were John g. Wallis. the venerable |
father, and several neighbors.
The younger Wallis greeted the sheriff |
II suppose you have come for me?" said |
he. That is all right. There lies my |
dead wife. shot by Ben Hoyt and there
lies Hoyt, whom / killed. Here Is the
revolver / used
Wallis did not wish TO leave his home.
and thought IL hard that he was com
PEELED to do so. He told the sheriff that
he should be allowed To remain andt at
tend 10 his wife's burial. After sNat | 4
Will come to Herklmer, to YOU OF my
own free will" said he. naively. After
some persuasion he went with the sheriff |
While waiting for the sheriff TO come
Wallis wept repeatedly. Once he kissed
his dead wife's face affectionately 'She
was my Wife, said he, sand | always
Owed her. since she was three years old
when first saw her. / love her now and
when, after she had eloped with uoyt
and asked TO be allowed TO returff here
because she feared him. was glad 10
axe care OF her. felt that l was bound
% protrrt- "a
Two years ago Mr. Wallis came home
after his work one day and found his
VIE ana his man HToyt had eioped tak-
ng sl20o OF his money. lie tried 10 nnd
hem and then secured divorce
Mrs. Wallis tired OF Ioyt and i'm Sep |
ember last went back to her husband
skiing his 60 protect her from Hoyt. of
whom she said she was afraid. she
'egged TO be allowed 10 remain In her old
lome as a servant
Then an amazing thing happened Mr. |
Wallis not only forgave his erring wife
ma Installed her as housekeeper, but
'hen Hoyt appeared in the neighborhood
oon after he permitted him TO call at The
ouse This continued until early I'm
april when Hoyt left the vicinity. after
ar. Wallis had refused TO employ him for
he season
Mrs. Wallis constantly expressed to ber
husband and others her fear of Hoyt.
aging that she thought he would kin
er.
AFRAID OF HoYT.
ut was because Of this that pur-
hased a revolver said Mr.. Wallis 10 a
correspondent after the shooting. Others
ave tod me TO shoot him. and many say
nat should have done so years ago
Il saw him coming toward the house
lte saturday afternoon lie was i'm. I
>Nicated. and ] told Mrs Wallis. She
as nervous ana excited. She had asked
10 10 se~' her 20 the depot 10 40 on
isit 10 her sister in Michigan 10 escapo
oyt | went into the house behind Hovt.
nd told him didn't want him about tho
lace. Hoyt said he would do as he ,
leased about going away.
Mrs Wallis asked me to see about
ie railroad timetable. and left the
'om Tor newspaper. I had hardly cot I
az when ] heard Mrs. Wallis scream
'llowct by two shots ] ran back To- tho