The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-30
opENINt; STATEMENT
DELIVERED HN uIBIs

she passed through the ordeal without
tscluor.
oI.ENING STATEMENT
DI.LINEHi:D BI nIBH
Commonwealth Attorney Bbb dc
iivered The opening statement for the
prosecution. declaring that 1t VIII APP
icar from the evidence that all the cir
ouTnstnuges OF the crime taken to-
gcthcT ana as = whole viii place the
guilt upon Airs Hail X Lindsay Cor
don replied. ana he stated that not only
Would All the evidence % consistent
with his clients imoccuce but-that II
would go further and prove that inno-
c"ucc. He spoke gently and softly. as
one whd addresses friendly ears. He
Had and held an attention wholly un-
Divided, and all the courtroom listened.
iic WAS sorroWtul rather than accusing.
from his lips fe!l no criticism OF those
whose suspicion <atillk rests upon Algs.
Hall He appealed rather for consid
cration OF AL tie circumstances sur
rounding Tie crime circumstances.
which he Says, VIII provc the iuno-
cencc oI the Whitc-taccd woman whc
sat beside him.
Tie courthouse was packed TO DAY
With :, crowd larger than any OF those
Shi-h have boon seen here before. Poo
ole from The countryside motorcd.
droyc ana walked 10 thc courthouse
this morning, and at An early hour
.V,:y seat WAS taken.
mere y t-H - |l.St! 10 eaten . SI!IilpSt
of Mrs. Hall when she entered as the
bell tolied the opening hour OF court
save Tor the deep pallCr oVcrsprcadin.;
lier face, in strong contrast TO The
widow : weeds she wore. she appeared
calm She greeted several friends with
q sn.le and wheu court adjourned FOR
dinner Kissed hcr TWO sisters AZ
icctiouatciy Her sisters married the
brothers Lcstraw, o. Amelia County.
and both appeared here this morning
FOR the first time when court ad-
jourucd for the day Mrs. Hall came up
- The newspaper representatives and
,,Skcd them to give her Il square deal.
She smiled -. shc made the Tequst AHA
she was without rcpvOach.
on!y two witnesses We're examined
to-day--N. w. Hall and Miss Elsie
Wood Both are really witnesses for
the defense. and their examination b.!
;hc ColnnSnwc:tlth was more or less
pcrrunctory. Their evidence was ia
rrablc TO Mrs. Hall. 1t is said. how
ever. that witnesses viii be put on
made TO-DAY.
DEt't.NsE STRIKES OFF
NAMES Or THREE IIR, MEN
Immediately after Judge Shnckeltord
called count To order. X. Lindsay Cor
don, OF counsel foi the defense, handed
= slip OF paper TO the sherin ana the
names OF three jurtmcn We're stricken
from the list Of the sixteen juryinen
tentatively chosen tp try Mrs. Hall.
The prisoner. who yesterday pleaded
not guilty to the charge Oi murder.
stood again TO hear the long -drawn-out
Indictment, and Clerk Porter described
The different degrees OF murder on
which She could he convicted. Under
lac new statute. Il person convicted of
hrst degree murder may be made to
suffer the extreme penalty or be con-
lined in the penitcniinry for life. For
second degree murder the person con-
Nicted must serve not less than five.
nor more than eighteen years in pf'i-
SON Mr.. Fulton called attention TO
the new law, under Which the CUES
tion of elcctrocution OF Imprisonment
IS left TO the discretion of the jury.
Mrs. y W. Hall ana Mrs. Halls Two
daughters. Bessie and Mamie Dunkum.
were excluded from the courtroom. and
CommonwcaIth's Attorney w. c. Bibb
began Bis opening statement.
must consider the life or liberty of
The prisoner on the one hand and the
TIiindication of the law on The. other.
Tic read the Indictment ana said that
he expected TO show beyond Il rea-
*onable doubt that Mrs. Hall committed
the crime with which she is charged
-. we Will prove the murder" he said.
by clrcumstantial evidence so true and
SO painted that IL will leave no shadow
OF doubt in your minds as to the guilt
oI the prisoner. call attention to the
fact Chat all the Commonwealth is re-
qiircd to do is to eliminate every nos
sible doubt that the accused did not
commit the murder"
He exhibited plan Of The Han store
~" 'i ',tI.So". anu St!u liidl he expect
cd 10 show from the evidence that nm
the morning of April 10 Mrs. Hall and
victor Hall Were the only persons on
the lower floor of the store; that il will
appear from the evidence that the front
door was locked at The time Of the
staying and when Victor lIau WAS
Killed he and his wife were the only
occupants Of their room. He said that
the prosecution expected TO prove that
Hall was killed with a 3S-calibrc bull
let and that pistol of corresponding
Continued OF Third PaCcI