The Detroit times., 1911-09-06
MRS. HALL DEs7s|
ATTORNEYS IN
WAR OF WITS
Stands Up Well Under IAwysu' He
Fire and Piles Up Testimony q 10
Drinking Habits Of Her :
Husband.
Il Never Worried About Other
Women. Liquor Was His TroubIs,s
Wife Says.

Mrs. Agnes Harding Hall, the preftf
wife OF B. Frank Hall. Lansing busl.
ness man. who IN suing him for d.
yorce In Judge Hoamers court
matched wits with three skilled al.
torneys. Wednesday morning, ana
came through the ordeal unshakek
and in the opinion OF the spectators.
victorious.
The cross-examination was con-
Quoted BY Prosecutor Van zils. who
was frequentiy coached BY formef
Judge Cahill and Attorney Samuel
Davis, who are associated In the de-
Tense OF the husband. Many times the
answers given were not what the
questioner desired. but they served
to pile up the evidence az to The
drinking habits Of the defendant.
Only once did Mrs. Hall lose her
usual calmness, and then her answers
rang out emphatically and impress
sively. Judge Van Zile insinuated IN
his questions that Mrs. Hall and her
husband had become reconciled dnr-
ing one OF his visits to Detroit, ana
that she had agreed TO return to Lam
sing with him and resume housekeep-
ing.
us It not fact" he asked. that
on one OF Franks visits to Detroit you
made UP and agreed to return homo
with him and that on that OCCASION
he accompanied you TO your fathers
home and occupied room with you
that night7'
mo sir. It IL not true" she de-
clared, almost springing to her feet
II have not lived with my husband
since left his Lansing home"
This question was repeated In sew
eral forms, but always the same an
swer, with increasing flrmness. was
given. $3.50.
He did try to effect'a reconciIia-
ton"
.'Oh, yes, many times. told him
that FOR the sake oftthe children =
would return II ne would align an.
agreement 10 leave liquor alone ana
I gave him paper TO sign. The next
time I saw him 1 asked II he had
signed Il. and he replied, I'll not sign
It. It's none Of your damned BUSH
ness how much I drink"
Judge Van Zile then took up the
charge made by Mrs Hall az to her
husbands habits regarding liquor, but
she repeated and piled up the charges
that he was q drunkard.
you say your husband was drunk
and remained out all night?"
Yes"
How do you know he was drunk"
Bob Larned told me. I asked him
why some OF the boys did not bring
him home as had been done before
and he said there was no one In the
party sober enough"
Judge Van Ziie attempted TO inter
rupt this answer, and Attorney Ralph
wilkinson demonstrated to Judge Hos
mer.
"The witness seems to be taking
her own part pretty we'll" the judge
replied.
wasn't your, husband much better
after Lansing went dry"
He was for a short time. but he
soon found where to get liquor. ana
was worse than ever"
Wasn't he at business every day
"No sometimes he wasn't In the
once Ave minutes day. His father
smoke TO me about II great many
times. and said Frank had no right
TO draw his salary. His father said
II would ruin him." :,
aYour husband is very fond o.
fancy chickens, isn't hel'
ayes. he always IL when he haa
been drinking"
"On one occasion when he went 70
the coop at night carrying lantern.
and remained for some time, dion
your mother find fault, and say mat
Derhans he had been out with soma
women, not chickensr
mo. Mother never interfereo.
never worried about womenf II VA
his drinking that caused the trouble
cat the time you left your husband
FIVE days before the BABY was vol =.
didn't he plead with you TO remain
ne aid ask me TO stay, and later
refused to take me to the depot
After you came to Detroit didnf
he see you often?" -
"Yes. He came at the time the
baby was born, and he smelled 50 OF
fr~.sg,u~d nm RmnR TWO.l