Evening journal., 1910-10-07
INSANITY, PLEA
OF MRS. HUDSON
New Turn in Murder Trial OF
Woman Who Slew
Husband
STATE CLOSES ITS
CASE AFTER TWO DAYS

SALISBURY. Md, Oct. 7.-MrB
Annie Il Hudson, on trial for the muir
der of her husband, Tobias Hudson,
listened yesterday TO rehearsal OF
her past life. her troubles and the
hsrdships which she has endured for
the man she murdered. Her life with
this man was laid bare by the defense
in an effort to prove that Mrs Hud-
son was insane and not responsible
for her act when she fred the shot
that killed Hudson.
The defense opened and made
known that they would use the plea
of insanity. This came as a surprise
20 the state. which had expected the
unwritten law. It Is thought that the
line OF defense was changed on ac-
count OF the courts atiitude regard
ing the admission OF evidence along
that line. The defense called a num-
her Of witnesses from Cambridge VINO
were intimately acquainted with Mrs.
Hudson, among them being Joseph
Anthony, the second husband Of Mrs.
Hudson. whom she left to go TO Hud-
son; John p. Phillips, John Anthony
Mrs. Hudson's son; Mr. and Mrs. Ed
ward Wilson, who lived next door To
Mrs. Hudson; Tyler Hudson, Samuel
Wright, William Hanley and Edward
Bordley, and through them brought
out tho life she had lived with her
husband, Tobias Hudson. They said
that she was a slave to Hudson for
! four years, that she cut the wood
! took the mules out and brought In the
crops. etc. on the farm in what is
I known as Jackstown, near Cam
bridge: attending without q word
of complaint 10 all the drudgery
OF the farm, while Hudson was either
in bed or away from home, and fire.
quently she nearly starved TO death on
account of Hudson not providing any
thing TO eat, and when asked on one
of these occasions why she did no,
kill some OF the chickens on the
place she replied: Hudson would
kill me II 7 did that" She had re-
peatedly made the statement that she
would rather live with Hudson with
only % cents a week than to live with
anyone else with $4,000 a week for.
she said. IL love him better than life
itself" They testified that when Hud-
son left her-as he did on q number
Of ocoasions. for months at time-she
would act as someone crazy. walking
around, crying and wringing her
hands. and on these occasions It was
impossible 10 get her to talk on any
subject but Hudson
She had nine pictures Of Hudson In
her sitting room. every one covered
with netting TO keep them from get
ting soiled I'm every instance where
the defense tried to get the Witnesses
TO give their opinion as 10 the sanity
OF Mrs. Hudson the court ruled against
them on the ground OF insufficient
foundation TO get unexpert testimony
as TO the sanity OF the prisoner. This
effort on the part of the defense was
made with every witness. and light
after fight was held between the coun-
Hsel OF the state and the defens'
on this question, the defense al
ways noting exception TO the ruling
Of the court II was also brought oul
/ that Hudson had. on a number OF oc-
casions threatened to kill Mrs. Hud-
son, and that she lived IN fear Of the
man.
The state closed its case after
bringing out statements made by Mrs.
Hudson on several occasions priot
to the shooting, such as, IL ] cannot
live with my husband. no one else
will" and "if / had killed him a lons
time ago 10 would be all over now,
trying to,show that murder was plan
ned