Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-10
HALLADJUDGED INSANE
ACQUITTED OF THE CHARGE OF
FORGERY TODAY

| Not guilty because of insanity, was the
| verdict rendered this afternoon by q jury
| Ia Criminal Court No. in the case of
| Whitney ]. Hall, the former messenger OF
| the Department of Justice, who was tn
| dicted for forgery. The verdict Of acqufttal
| because of mental incapacity, was returned
by direction of Justice Gould, presiding,
Assistant United States Attorney Turner
having suggested such action after DIR. A.
B. White, superintendent of the Govern
ment Hospital for the Insane, had testified
that Hall is unquestionably OF unsound
mind. Dr. White examined the defendant
at the request of the prosecuting attorney
and was called witness by the defense
1t was contended at the outset by the
government that Hall. on December Z, fors,
ed the name of l.. NJ. Blackford, pfinclpai
OF the Episcopal High School, near Alex
andria, Va, on a check for 5000 and mat
he uttered the paper the 4th of December
by opening an account with the Commercial
National Bank, this city, depositing the
check there. Immediately he drew against
the account to the amount of 2.5oo.
Claimed Vast Estate.
For the defense, Mr. James A. Finch, IL
brarian of the Department of Justice. tes-
tilted that the defendant had been under
his supervision for four or five years prior
to the date of the arrest The witness
added that Hall had told him he was an
heir to the estate of Stephen Whitney, that
the dstrbutive share due him was 81, $780,
GoO and that he also had large interest eso
testified that the defendant had stated that
L. NJ. Blackford was his guardian. and that
as such he owed Hall $4,000. Mr.. Finch
said he was also told by the defendant that
the latter was Sir Lord Hail. On one
occasion Hall made O drawing of his fam
lily seal, which the witness recognized as
the English coat-of-arms. The jury was
further informed that an examination
among Halls papers after he had been ar
rested disclosed a letter addressed to the
witness in which Hall complained of In
dissatisfaction with life, threatened self-de-
struction and expressed the desire that all
that was coming to him from the Whitney
estate and the estate in Virginia should be
turned over to his wife.
There was also letter addressed to So
licitor General Hoyt, in which Hall re-
quested him to interecede In his behalf to
the end that he might obtain the money
estate. Mr., Finch further sad that Halls
dread of the dunning by creditors was
largely reality. Hall was married only
a few months prior to his arrest and then
he had entered upon an extravagant course
of living. AS messenger he received SEQ
month salary, but he had purchased a we'd
ding ring and a piano, the cost of the same
aggresating about $500. His living ex-
penses were 500 month.
Expected to Receive Money.
Hall the Monday prior to his arrest, It
was testified, stated that he would soon
receive a large amount of money from the
estate In Virginia Several days later he en-
tered the library of the Department of Jus
tice and there exhibited a considerable
amount of money. He telephoned certain
of his creditors that his wife would call on
them during the day and settle his ac-
counts.
Other witnesses testified that they had
been assaulted by Hall without provoca-
ton, and that he had struck his head
against walls and did many other things
indicative of the fact that he WAS mentally
unbalanced.
The defendant after the announcement
OF the verdict, was ordered committed nv
justice Gould, under the provision of the
Dlstrlct code, to await the action by the
secretary of the Interior. transferring him
10 the Government Hospital for the Insane,
Inc Gelendant was represented by Attor-
neys Greed NJ. Fulton and VIM. r. single
ton. 49, 's4e