The Detroit times., 1911-09-12
HARD|NGs TRIED TO
CROWD BILLS
UPON Me
--D. FRANK Hall
Defendant In Divorce Suit swears
wifss Parents Wanted Him %
Pay For Wedding Invitations;
he Did Provide Flowers.
Witness Makes Flat Denial q
Charge That He Used liquor
TO Exoess.

Looking squarely into the eve of
Judge Hosmer and speaking slowly
ana deliberately, b. Frank Hail. Ian
sing lumber dealer and politician. and
ueIendant In sensational suit for d.
vorce brought against him by Ma
wlie, Agnes Harding Hall. OF Detroit
began shortly before noon, Tuesday.
the story upon which he IL relying 10
Keep his family together. or at All
events. make him the guardian Of his
two little children.
After a few preliminary questions
Hail was permitted to tell his story
In his own way. and the crowded court
room was absolutely quiet while he
talked.
Replying to the questions OF his At
torney, Judge Cahill. Hall stated that
ne was 39 years Of age. For several
years he was connected with the
Cleveland Plain Dealer as a reporter.
later became war correspondent dur
ing the campaign In Cuba, and fol-
lowing tLs war had charge OF the
Plain Dealers Washington bureau.
Several years ago he gave up news
paper work and returned to Lansing
to engage in the lumber business with
his father and brother.
After this information had been
given. Mr.. Hall was then told to go
ahead and tell his own story. He be-
gan with a description OF his meet
ing with the woman who later became
his wife, and this part Of his story
was highly humorous.
II first saw Mrs. Hall during Feb
ruary. 1905, when she accompanied
her father on an excursion given BY
the Michigan Retail Lumber Dealers
association to Washington" he began
Who introduced your he was
asked.
well. believe we talked before We
were introduced the witness replied
glancing slyly at his wife, who re-
sponded with = sweet smile.
"It was this way" he continued.
There were several ladies on the
train who knew I wanted to meet her.
and they suggested that I imperson-
ate the Pullman porter. ! tried that
plan. and when Mrs. Hall rang, an
swered the call, performed the task
she gave me, and she tipped me
quarter. or course this episode caused
considerable amusement, and from
then we were good friends.
1--WE were married a few months lat
er. and don't think there was ever
a young couple happier than we were.
There wns not cloud to mar our
happiness until just before the birth
of Mollie, and that In the occasion
Mrs. Hall has already referred to
when she says came home drunk
with Alex Cohen. Mrs. Hall was not
well and there was a nurse with her.
She knew I was going with several
other married men to DIR. Noting
hams for a stag party, and | had
urged her to call me II were needed
During the evening the phone did
ring and DR.. Nottingham answered.
without consulting me he told the
nurse to shake up the fire as II was
her duty to keep her patient warm.
Half an hour later ! was called and
went home. took Mr.. Cohen with
me, hut he refused TO remain over
night. We were both perfectly sober.
but admit we had had few drinks
OF beer.
when I reached home found that
the nurse had worked Mrs. Hall into
terrible state by telling her Il was
drinking at DIR. Nottingham's. and
bad hard work to quiet her. She be-
came calm. however. and the occs-
sion was forgotten. thought. Shy
never charged me with being drunk
on that occasion until In this court
room. and that was the first time ]
knew she even thought that was
drinking at that party"
Without any promptings from his
attorney the witness then paid his re-
spects to his wife's family, Mr.. and
Mrs. II. w. Harding, Of Detroit
1T was evident to me from the very
first that the Hardings thought wss
man of wealth" he said. and they
crowded all the bills on me that they
thought I would stand for. The first
bill they sent me was for photos OF
my wife ordered by her mother and
taken before We were married. The
bill was $40. and refused to pay iL
also received a bill from Wright.
Kay & Co. for $50 for the wedding
Invitations which 1 also refused tc