Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-12-17
GIRL EXPLAINS WISH
TO KILL MOTHER
Takes Witness Stand and Makes
Dramatic Appeal 10 Jury
and Court.
ANXIOUS TO STOP SUFFERING
Desired That Her Mothers Death
Agony Should Have Been Ended
by Administration Of chIoroform
Declared She Would Gladly Have
Gone 10 the Chair"
ANXIOUS TO STOP SUFFERING

Standing before Judge and jury and
in the presence of half n hundred
spectators in Judge phegcr's court
room yesterday afternoon, Miss An
ma Han delivered statement re-
garding the suit OF her brother,
Charles Hall to break their mothers
will, and in defense of herself for
having, as the prosecution charged,
desired to give her mother potion
while sho was on her deathbcd, in
order to hasten the end, says The
Cincinnati Enquirer
With all the clocutlonary powers
she posscssess at her fullest com
mand, and with the tremulous ac-
cent Of one deeply affected by what
she was reCiting, Miss Han told tho
Jury, judge ami spectators her be.
lief regarding the humanity Of re-
lleving the sufferinGs Of those hope
lessly III, by administering TO them
some subtle poison. which would
quietly, gently and peacefully assist
them into the Great Beyond" thus
ending horrible agonics that are
worse than death.
In n voice that tromblcd and which
was ct times chokcd with sohs, she
described in n most vivid and tragic
manner the circumstances surround
Ing her mothers death. and the
awful agony Of her last moments
on earth
9uffetngs We're FrightfuI.
Wringlng her hands rs she lean.
Cd forward toward Judge or jury
she appealed TO all 10 uphold her in
her actions Mt her mothers denth.
bed, and 10 believe that she merely
wanted to alleviate the frightful suf-
fcrings Of her parent, when she aait-
ed the attending physician 10 give
The dying woman some opiate, or To
elbow her Ia administer It 10 her
herself.
Raising her eyes toward heaven
she soleinnly assorted that she VIII
insly would have suffered death on
the scaifold or in the electric chair,
md she only been accorded the priv.
ilege of putting an end to the fright.
full pain that rackod tile body of the
dying woman, and which was pic.
tured upon her face in the look Of
untold agony, which she. hor daufh.
ter. powerlcss 10 alleviate. IL nov
equally powerlcss to forget.
To Explain Her Belief.
Miss Hall had been accorded the
privilege Of speaking to the jury, in
order that she might make n state
ment which would show 10 them
her belief upon the question Of as,
s!sting Providence in closing the
lives OF mortal5 who are suffering
torments untold from the ravagcs Of
incurablo diseases. This she desired
because Of the fact that the proSecu.
ton in the case has gone deeply into
the fact that she did want 10 hasten
hor mothers death. In her state
ment she admitted this, and gave he.
reasons for so doing.
The killing by virginius Of his
Virginia in order 70 prevent her fall
ing prey to Claudius was cited by
Miss Hall In her statement az a sun
port OF her theory that death is bet
ter and more acceptable than life
under the stress OF friehtful agonios.
Arguments for her theory from such
"ell known cspousers OF 1t as Rev
Charles W. Wcndt Il former Uni
tarian minister OF this city. who has
now gained widespread noioriety, ii
not fame, by his prcachings Oh the
subject, were presented by Miss
Han. For more than an hour and g
bali she talked to The assomblagc.
reading her notes from scores OF
pages OF manuscripts. which she has
been preparing for months.
Her Brother Wants More Money.
When her brother filed suit 70
break the will OF his mother, Mrs.
Marcey Hail. widow CT the noted
Arctic explorer Prof. John Hall. he
did 80 because his mother had lei,
him but $1,000 OF an estimated ss
tate OF nearly $4,000, and this
money to DO held in trust for him
by his sister Anna, no TO derive only
benefit from tho interest.
lat the first trial tho case was
taken from the Jury and iudgmen,
yaS given to the sister. sustaining
the viii. Miss Hail had taken ex