Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-08-01

BLOW TO THE DEFENSE
Witnesses Testify to Her Alleged
Attempts to Divert Suspicion OF
killing Her Husband.

o,isa Courthouse, Va, August l.
Attorneys for the prosecution nave
come into possession Of new evidence
which, unless refuted, will seriously
an,barras the defense. The evidence
is in the nature of statement maae
70 Commonwealth's Attorney bioO
and Attorney Fulton, his associate
hv Charles T. Johnston, the Rich-
mond railway clerk, whose testimony
so surprised the defense THURSDAY
Johnston told the two attorneys
thai he heard Miss Wood say thaI
when she ran down into the store ana
found Mrs. Hall leaning over VlctofS
bodv, Mrs. Hail told her she was try
inp to make her husband forget what
had happened.
This hears out the statement made
bv Miss Ruby Chewing before the
grand jury. Moreover, it is regard
pd as significant in view of the tes-
timony given by N. F. Peers VINO
told the ury of Mrs. Halls message
to Miss Wood which was that she
must not tell the grand jury any
thing she had not told the coroner.
The railway clerk was visiting Miss
Woods home one evening when she
ibid, according to his statennts,
what Mrs. Hall said.
.Johnston's Gtatemnt as given TO
/, Cor,roawealth.'S Attorney Dibh and
Attorney Fulton was as follows.
81 was at Miss oWod's home, /
don't remember the exact day, but
I know it was after Mrs. Hall was
indicted. Miss oWod was in the room
and several members. of the family
were there.
s:NIiss Wood said that when she
got down into the store from her
room, Mrs. Hall, with an ammonia
bottle in her hand, was bedne
over Victor's body. She said she ask
ed Mrs. Hall what she was doing and
Mrs. Hall said she was trying to
make Victor forget what had hap
pened.
Counsel clashed yesterday for the
first time in the Hall case. The ar
gument, which involved the admis-
! sibility of testimony regarding the
/ fires at Green Spring Depot, was
heard by the judge in chambers. Mrs.
Hall was not present.
Attorneys for the Commonwealth
so the Judge announced, had con-
vinced him that testimony regarding
the fires should be admitted.
! Counsel for Mrs. Hall promptly
noted an ext option.
i Witnesses vii not be allowed at
this time to testify as to all the fires
at Green Spring Depot, but only the
burning of Dunkum's store, and the
second attempt to burn Halls store.
It was announced that the defense
expected to call Miss Elise Wood to
the stand 1t will not do so, hcwever,
until all the Commonwealth witnes-
ses have been examined.
DR.. Thomas NJ. Taylor was put on
the stand for moment by Attorney
Fulton and asked if, Victor Hall could
have killed himself. The physician
was positive that Hall could not have
committed suicide without mecha..
ical ;contrivance to pull the trigger
WHICH mechanical contrivance Victor
did not have.
The commonwealth suggests thai
it is a noticeable fact that although
i Mrs. Hall claims she found her hus
band "all crumpled up" on the floor
l that not drop Of blood was found
The bolster taken from the Hall bet
was saturated in blood! .!rn
:, The commonwealth vii endeavor t
show that Victor Hall was shot whil
in bed the ball entering the bacl
part Of the head near the top of tn
skull mad taking a downward course
lodged just over the left eye. Tha
| after he was shot he was. taken VI
with the bolster, and dragged int
the store. This, they say, account
i for the bolster being. so bloody
while there was not a drop of bloc