The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-03
MRS. HALL IS ANXIOUS
TO TELL HER OWN STORY
Jury by Compelling Force of
Narrative.
DECISION HAS NOT BEEN MADE
Attorneys Still Debating Advisability
of Submitting Her to Gruelling
Cross examination 1t Woul Il
Open Up Every Avenue of Attack.
Gspecial 10 The rimes-Dispatch.l

Louisa, Va. August c.-Whcther Mrs.
Elizabeth \ Hall. on trial for the muir
der Of her husband, Victor *. Hall. on
the morning Of April -. viii 20 upon
the witness stand I'm her own defense
has not Yet been decided. according to
a statement made this morning by
Alexander I. Gordon. OF the accused
~ woman's counsel. II is said, however,
that Mrs Hall is anxious TO take the
stand. believing that She will be able,
by her own compelling force, to con-
vince the jury that she has told the
truth In her narration OF the murder.
Mrs. Halls story is that her husband
answered a strange knocking on the
store door on that fateful morning. and
that Immediately after She heard him
eNclain. "Oh, Lordy." and then the
sound OF pistol shot and of his fall
ing as h2-crumpled up under the as
sassin's bullet. Mrs. Hall has GER
tain ease Of manner which will stand
her in good stead II She takes the stand.
but. on the other hand. she opens up
every avenue OF attack which the prose
cution could desire. She will be sub
jected TO terrible nrc OF cross-cx-
animal tion. an ordeal at which she may
well stand aghast
WILL. BE ASKED TO ENPLtiN
MANY PHASES OF CASE
For instance. Victor Hall was found
lying behind the counter, she said, sew
erai yards from the store door, and she
will be asked 20 explain how il was
possible for him TO have walked so far
after his powers OF Iocomotion were
paralyzed by the impact Of the bullet
in the left lobe of his brain. Then too,
IL is said. she stated TO detectives that
, she went to the pantry TO awaken the
little colored servant, Becky Coates.
ana that She told Becky that Hall had
been shot in the back OF the head be-
fore she had examined the body She
VIII be asked how she knew this and
why she called Becky before going to
The assistance OF her mortally injured
hus band
II Mrs Hall takes the stand. il is
generally believed that her fate will
rest in her own hands-that the jury
VIII cast It's die on her testimony. Most
I OF the people who arrived at the Hall
store soon after the shooting were
summoned as witnesses for the Come
Inonwcalth, and there Is no one TO cor
roboratc Mrs Hairs story of the events
immediately preceding the murder: no
one else. so far as Ii has been brought
out. who heard that strange rapping
on the door: no one who can explain
how ii was that Victor Hall was found
dying behind the counter so far from
I the door entrance TO the store with
his head towards the counter and his
| feet but few inches from his own
bedroom door. These facts, evident to
! several eyewitncSses. VIII be hard TO
explain. and if there be a plausible eX-
planation for them the secret is still
locked in Mrs Halls bosom.
! The prosecution may complete its di-
rect testimony tomorrow, when eight
or ten Witnesses will be called TO the
stand In that event the defense will
begin taking its evidence on Tuesday
Attorney a. r Gordon said to-day that
the defense will probably take two
days. after which will come the re-
h
so that ii may he Thursday before all
the evidence connected with the traE-
cdy is In. The trial may be concluded
on Friday. 1t is problcmatical whether
the jury will be asked 10 be taken to
the scene of the murder. rlans of the
house and premises have been submit
ted to ii by consent of both sides. and
n view OF the scene may not be found
necessary
TwENTY-SEVEN WITNESSES
EXAMINED BY STATE:
The prosecution has so far examined
twenty seven Witnesses out of the hfty-
six summoned. a few will be held for
rebuttal. The defense has summoned
thirty six witnesses. but the exanina-
ton of them, II is believed will not
take such length of time as that re-
Quired for the examination OF the wit
nesses for the State.
1t is net probable that the prosccu-
''Oh VIII attempt 10 cStHDllSn one lln
peliinS motive for the crime. though II
may outline several possible motives.
such as that Mrs. Hall may have feared
that her husband knew she had set fire
to the Dunkum store and had threat
nned TO expose her: that she desired to
obtain the $1,000 life insurance policy
he had made out to her; that he had
bought out her interest In the store
and wished to take In W. r. Dunkum.
whom she hated. as n partner, or some
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