The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-04-15
A. Legal Picture
Puzzle
By ANNA BENTLEY
Copyright, 1910. oy American Press
Association.

A number Of gentlemen were speak
Ing Of the many cases of poisoning
that 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:
Il once had such q case, and II
showed me how difficult II is to arrive
at the truth when certain persons are
interested IN hiding an important parl
Of the truth This withholding Of facts
makes Us see very plainly as true
what is really false. criminal case
in law is like q picture puzzle-all the
parts must be present and 6t In their
places to show the design.
Mrs. Hockaday was the wife Of old
Hockaday. who made a big fortune Oh
the Stock Exchange. She was twenty
and he sixty when be married her
Nevertheless they seemed to get on
very well together. and the young
wife appeared 10 be very fond Of her
old husband But one day MIR. Hocka.
day died very suddenly Of disease
his doctor could not make out No
suspicious were cast upon his wife al
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 fig.
ure would have never occurred. The
police in order to satisfy a public
clamor get up something they call a
case. and there is a preliminary exam
inauon. So they did in the Hockaday
affair. But nothing was proved. and
the lady was not held for trial.
This Is the beginning. where 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 thar Mrs. Hockaday had
poisoned her husband. She made a
statement TO a 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 mad the
uncle not married. This fred the
nephew. who came out with a state.
ment that he believed the millionaire
had been poisoned and demanded that
the body be disinterred and tested by
This was done. and heavy dose Of
a poisonous substance was found In
the dead mans stomach.
ut was now plain to those who were
amusing themselves solving the puzzle
Of the Hockaway case that 1t would
turn out to be representation of
young widow with one hand poison
ing an old man and with the other
grasping money bags.
Mrs. Hockaday was arrested aud
placed on trial. was her counsel.
The prosecution brought out an i'm
portant fact that tended to prove her
guilt. II was proved that she had
paid from time to time considerable
sums to an attorney Of bad repute for
services connected with her husbands
property. On the day of his death the
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 bag of gold from
his widow.
THE shyster attorney testified that
ne 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 it going to any one Of her
husbands relatives. The prosecutor
,ndeavored by cross eXa nlination 10
make him reveal more exactly the ma
.ure OF these services. but failed.
Seeing that 1t behooved me TO ex-
Dnerate this attorney, who had been
'eceiving money from my client and
vas accused of poisoning her husband
n return for his fees. | urged him 10
% back TO the day Mr.. Hockaday was
TO have been poisoned and
discover his whereabouts at the hour
he millionaire visited his Office. The
esult was the proving of an alibi.
When Mr.. Hockaday called on the at
orney the latter was in the Office OF n
nan from whom he was endeavoring
o extort some money under sort of
'lackmail.
by this time the puzzle trainers
we're ready 10 give I'D all but a Young