The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1910-04-20
A Legal Picture
Puzzle
By ANNA BENTLEY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

n Aooocidaou.
number of gentlemen were SPEAK.
Ing of the many cases OF poisoning
tnat have occurred in which young
wives have been accused of getting
rid Of old and rich husbands when one
OF the party. an attorney, told the fol-
lowing story:
once bad such case, and It
showed me how difficult It Is to arrive
at the truth when certain persons are
interested in hiding an important part
OF the truth, This withholding OF facts
makes us see very plainly as true
what Is really false A criminal case
10 law Is like a picture puzzle-all the
parts must be present and ft in their
places TO show the design.
Mrs. Hockaday was the wife of old
Hockaday. who made a big fortune on
the Stock Exchange. She was twenty
and be sixty when be married her.
Nevertheless they seemed to get on
very well together, and the young
wife appeared to be very fond of her
old husband But one day Mr.. Hocka.
day died very suddenly of disease
| bis doctor could not make out. No
suspicious were cast upon his wife at
the time. But Mrs. Hockaday did not
wait very long after her husbands
demise TO appear at places of amuse-
ment. and her participation at balls
and other such functions soon fol.
lowed.
Had she been more circumspect in
this regard probably the celebrated
case of which she was the central fg.
ure would have never occurred. The
police in order to satisfy Q public
elamor get up something they call a
case. and there is a preliminary exam
nation. So they did in the Hockadat
affair. But nothing was proved, and
the lady was not held for trial.
This is the beginning, where a few
scattered parts of the picture puzzle
are furnished. but the picture is not
even conceived of.
Unfortunately this disposition of the
case did not satisfy the takers, who
still insisted that Mrs. Hockaday had
poisoned her husband. She made a
statement to reporter that she would
not rest until she had proved herself
innocent Then she stirred up the
matter rejecting on Peter Hockaday.
a nephew of her husband, who would |
have inherited his property had the
uncle not married. This fired the
nephew. who came out with a state
ment that be believed the millionaire
had been poisoned and demanded that
the body be disinterred and tested by
experts.
This was done. and heavy dose of |
a poisonous substance was found in
the dead mans stomach.
1T was now plain to those who were |
amusing themselves solving the puzzle |
of the Hockaway case that 1t would |
turn out to be a representation OF a
young widow with one hand poison
ing an old man and with the other |
grasping money bags.
Mrs Hockaday was arrested and /
placed on trial. | was her counsel.
The prosecution brought out an i'm
portant fact that tended to prove her
guilt. 1t was proved that she had
paid from time to time considerable
sums to an attorney of bad repute for
connected with her husbands /
property. On the day of his death the
millionaire went to this attorneys Of
fee. drank a glass of wine. went
home and died in few hours.
The picture puzzle changed. There
was now a rich old man. a shyster
lawyer pouring out dose with one
hand and receiving a bag of gold from
his widow.
THE shyster attorney testified that
be received fees from Mrs. Hockaday
for legitimate services connected with
her prospective interest In her bus
bands estate. her object being TO Sc
cure all the property herself and pre-
vent any of II going to any one of her
husbands relati, es. The prosecutor
by cross examination TO
make him reveal more exactly the ma
ture of these services. but failed.
'Seeing t-at Il behooved me to ex-
Dnerate this attorney, who had been
money from my client and
was accused of poisoning her husband
In return for his fees. urged him to
20 back to the day Mr.. Hockaday was
supposed to have been poisoned and
discover his Whereabouts at the hour
The millionaire visited his Office. The
result was the proving of an alibi
When Mr.. Hockaday called on the at
torney the latter was in the Office of a
man from whom be was endeavoring
10 extort some money under sort of
0iackmail.
by this time the puzzle trainers
we're ready to give up all but a young
wife making way somehow or other
with rich old husband and set of
'ascals helping her.
There was n central piece to the
picture. without which it was insoIva-
Die. One might put all the other pieces
together. but nothing would come of
L without this central block. But
when it was inserted the puzzle stood
nut complete. the picture being plain
IS day. In the examination of the
'hyster lawyer it came out that the
nephew. young Hockaday. was init
nate With him. And finally ! proved
hat the nephew had met his uncle in
he shyster's Office ON the day of his
leath and the two had drunk a glass
# wine together.
THE nephew was the central piece
n the puzzle, aud the picture was a
'ich uncle and a nephew. the latter
putting poison into the old mans
,lass.
young Hockaday next intended to
POISON the widow aud get the prop
.rty. but sse was afraid Of him and
Iept out of us wy"
w IT Robinson If Faulconer SOLD