Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-08-04
STATE RESTS IN THE
TRIAL Of MRS. HALL
Accused Woman May Learn
Fate by Thursday
Afternoon.
BLOW AT DEFENDANT
Statement that She Would Go to
"C"air" Except for School Teach
ers' Evidence Goes in Record.

| Louisa, Va, August 4.-Shortly
before noon yesterday the Common
wealth rested in the trial of Mrs.
Elizabeth A. Hall, charged with muir
dering her husband in their store at
Green Spring Station on the morn
ing of April IS, and the defense pro-
ceeded so far in the afternoon with
the taking of testimony that the ac-
cused may know her fate by Thurs
lay afternoon. Attorney Hill Carte
stated that the defense probabl
would complete its side of the cas-
today by adjournment, when all Il
character witnesses will have be-
heard. In that event, by agreeme
of counsel for both sides, the ju
will 80 to Green Spring on Wedn'
day to view for itself the scene
the murder and the surround,
premises.
1t has not yet been determil d
whether Mrs. Hall shall 90 on
stani to tell her story of the kill! ~
though it has been said that she IS
anxious to repeat, with more elabor-
ate detail, her explanation of the
manner in which Victor Hall met his
death. In taking the stand, however,
she will be at the mercy of the prose- :
cution and Ccmmon Eealti!'s Attor-
nev w. C. Bibb and Attorney NJ. j.
Fulton, who is assisting in the prose-
cusion. will be unsparing in their de-
n:anG upon heg'-to explain away the
alleged discrepancies in her previous
statements. There has been no i'll
dication of compromise and
change in Mrs. Halls plea Of not
guilty. She is determined to fight
for her liberty, and Attorney r. Lind
say Gordon, OF her counsel, is equally
as determined that his client shall be
cleared Of the suspicion which now
attaches to her name.
+ Some comfort came to Mrs. Hall
yesterday when A. o. Wood, father
of Miss Elsie Wood, and J. w. Flan-
nagan testified in her behalf that
Charles Johnston had told them that
he knew nothing about the case, and
. did not know whether Victor Halls
pistol was loaded or not at the time
! he looked at the weapon. Mr.. Wood
swore that Johnston told him that he
had been brought into court "on the
: biggest fool errand and by the big
gest fool there was, and that he was
making the easiest money he ever
! had made. Mr.. Flanagan swore that
Johnston told him that he did not
| know a d----d thing about the case.
| As an offset to this, Johnston had
i previously testified that he never had
mentioned being paid for his serv-
| ices as a witness, and sworc that he
/ had not received any money.
! As further offset to the evil
dence of Mr.. Wood and Mr.. Flan-
! nacan. it is said that the prosecution
may put on in rebuttal witnesses who
will swear that Mr.. Wood threaten
ed Johnston. and forced him to ad-
I nit that he had told two tales about
his examination of the pistol.
When he was asked why he had
become so much interested in the
case. Mr.. Wood replied that he had
become concerned because an attempt
had been made to prove his daughter
liar. Miss Wood has testified that
she fred Victor Halls pistol at a
railroad mile-post a month or SIX
weeks before the murder. Johnston
swore that he examined the revolver
thoroughly nine days before the mur-
der and found every chamber loaded.
The veracty Of the two will be in
question before the jury. r,.r..r
The testimony of W.. Roberts,
who has self-confessedly interested
himself in Mrs. Hall since the mur-
der. and who testified in her behalf
today. was not regarded as decisive
by the prosecution. He went upon
the stand as an expert in the use Of
. firearms and said that he had fired
! a .38-calibre revolver at an old field
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