The Detroit times., 1911-09-12
.HARDrNGs TRIED TO
FORCE BILLS UPON Me-



decorations IN the Harding home. and
other wedding expenses.
Later Mrs. Harding arranged Tor
an operation for my wife which would
cost $500. and had TO object; l
couldn't stand such expense"
Mr.. Hall then referred to the oc-
casion when he first remained out all
night, as related by Mrs. Hall.
1T was On the night OF the presi-
Dental election In 1908. and ! spent
the evening at the club where we
were receiving election returns" he
said. THE returns were very slow IN
coming In. and 1t got so late that af-
+, ter the club closed several OF III re-
NAMED up the balance OF the night
playing cards. called my wife In
the morning on the phone and found
her very angry. She announced that
she was going 10 Detroit or course,
II knew there was no use arguing
with her In that temper. and that day
she left for her home. | went after
her the next day, and after a little
/ persuasion she came back TO Lansing
with me and we were happy until
1909. Then Mrs. Harding began urg-
ing us TO accompany them on an ex-
tensive auto tour. That was very
busy year In the lumber business,
and could not spare the time; al
SO, was short OF money. My wife
became angry again and left for De-
troit. ! followed her the next day,
and that Is the occasion she refers
to when she said she saw me on the
streets of Detroit drunk. was per-
fectly sober at that time, and was
! then on my way to the Washington
arcade to buy Mollie a Billiken baby.
Mrs. Hall has stated that she
never knew | took drink until after
our marriage. drank on the excur-
sion train where we first met, as did
every one else on the train, but not
to excess.
Mr.. Hall gave his mother-in-law an
other hard rap when he referred to
the occasion mentioned by Mrs. Hall,
when he remained late in his chick
en- coop, and Mrs. Harding remon-
stTated with him.
Il found that two OF my fancy
chickens were sick and I spent quite
while with them, doing what |
could TO effect cure" said Hall,
Running out OF medicine | ran over
to the drug store and was gone about
half an hour. When / returned |
found my father there, and he told
me that he had been sent for. ! said,
Why, have been away only half
an honrg and Mrs. Harding said:
| How do We know that you weren't
out with other women
II replied to her: Mrs. Harding,
II want you to understand that my
love for Agnes is based on perfect
confidence, and | don't want you to
bring that serpent into this house
You can have your husband watched
by detectives II you want to. but
won't have such charges made here.
She asked me what l meant about
a detective after her husband, and
told her OF the occasion she asked
me TO accompany Mr.. Harding on the
| train, because she had seen a nice
! looking woman in the train and she
was afraid he would meet her. Mrs.
Harding was angry at that and kept
to her room for several days and IN.
sisted that | apologize, but could
see nothing to apologize for"
The early part of Tuesday morn
| ings session was taken up with the
testimony of witnesses brought from
Lansing all of whom were introduced
to back up the defendants claim that
he Is not a heavy drinker.
Henry Behrendt, chief of police. adj
mitted that he knew Mr.. Hall drank,
but said he had never seen him
drunk
Was your attention ever called to
his habits" he was asked.
did Mrs. Hall ever talk with you
about the trouble?"
Yes. She told me her story. She
complained almost entirely Of Franks
drinking and gambling. She also said
she had been told something about
other women, but she admitted she
knew nothing In that regard. I told
her II was news to me of Franks
drinking to excess, and tried to in
duce her to give him another chance,
but she refused to listen to me-"
Dent you know of the occasion,
when Hall was arrested In North
Lansing and brought before Capt
Backus?" the witness was asked in
leross-examinatien
Il was told of 1t yesterday" he
replied.
William Klein, owner OF q garage In
| Lansing. who, Mrs. Hall testified
brought her husband home drunk. said
he remembered one night taking Hall
home In his auto, but said the defend
ant gave no Indication of being drunk.
II was then about IL o'clock, the wit
ness said
did you ever see Hall drunk"
Klein was asked
! NO." he answered.
Ever hear of IT."
Not that remember Of"
do you want to swear that you
never heard OF Frank Hall being
drunk" Attorney Wilkinson asked.
The witness hesitated for a moment,
glanced at Hall uneasily, and then at
/ Halls attorney, as though undecided
| what to say. Judge Cahill then came
! to the witness defense with an objec-
tion to the question, which Judge Hos
mer sustained.
| William II. Porter. a former alder
man and sheriff, said he had known
Frank Hall from the day of his birth,
and regarded him as capable bust.
ness man, who drank no more than
/ the average lansing business man.
! Edgar ]. Bush. a brother Moose.
said he had never seen Hall drunk.
| Louis Neller, contractor, and
Charles F. Hammond. an attorney,
both testified that they had never
/ IJon ar-aLo~l 81.