The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-01
HALLIDAY'S WIFE
PUBLICLY BRANDS
HIM "A FIREBUG'
Continued from Page One)

lie IL Ll0lu on d Charge OIL attempting
to kill Halliday in the latter's home
during a fight over some deeds. H
! shot Halliday three times in the arm.
Romero related how he lived wit
Halliday, at 103 Garfield avenue. an,
! the night of the fire he slept in hi
room, the windows Of which look GU
on the Gilbert property, in the from
of the ht% Sc. He was awakened b,
the sound of footsteps in the hous
and heard someone go down stairs
Thieves had been stealing articles from
the Gilbert house, which was still il
course of construction and he though
| he would look out the window
II saw Mr.. Halliday cross the lot t,
the Gilbert house, dressed in his bath
robe. I thought no more of it until
| heard someone crash through the dool
Of my room. 1t was Mr.. Halliday anc
he shouted, Frank, Frank, get up thu
house is afire.'''
| Halliday, unaware that his wife wa!
to follow Romero, laughed at Romero.
testimony and was the picture of con
fdence. The defendant sat next tt
his counsel at the court table.
Romero dressed himself, he said, an6
next saw Halliday calling on the
phone. Judge Nicholson failed te
shake Romero's story, attempting tc
discredit his testimony by questioning
Romero, who wears a pair of very
strong eyeglasses, regarding his ability
to see. He did not wear the glasses
that night to bed, Nut said the LOT
between the Gilbert home and the Hal
liday house is only a small plot OF
ground.
l.sMrs. William A. Halliday, an
nounced Garlick.
She came in from the court cor
ridor, tall woman Of striking car
riage and appearance, dressed in a
military cut suit Of blue and wear
ing a sable fur hat Of chic style, and
sable fur neck piece. Halliday
smiled at her as she passed him, but
she failed to pay any attention to
him, and turned her gaze in another
direction.
The defendant became excited and
remarked something to the effect that
1t was a shame to bring his wife
into court to testify against him. AS
she stood on the witness stand about
to be sworn she was told by Garlick
that she was not compelled to testify
against her own husband.
II realize my duties as wife, but
desire to testify" she calmly as
serted. g
She stated she was married to the
defendant 10 years, and stated she
was present in the Sturges real es-
tate Offices when the property was
sold. Mrs. Gilbert had made a de-
post on the property Of $1,000. 1t
was agreed that the dwelling then
in course of construction, should be
finished by Jan. 1, or Halliday would
have to forfeit $65 to Mrs. Gilbert
for each month it was untenable
It was previously found by the po-
lice that the dwelling was only a
shell, having no chimneys, stoves or
plumbing installed and no interior
decorations.
1.-THE night Of the fre-wiIl you
please state what occurred?" re-
quested Garlick.
1--WE went to bed about IL. O'Clock.
Later was awakened-''
Halliday jumped from his seat as
his wife started on this phase OF in
eliminating evidence, the court off,
GERS grabbed him. led back to the
dock and he sat detected, his head in
his hands, after taking a seat sway
ing unsteadily as though he was
about to faint. Five minutes later
his face was wreathed in smiles.
During this disturbance Mrs. Halli-
day rose excitedly from her chair She
wanted to- explain to the court why
she was there as witness against
her husband"
Judge Wilder said he did not think
it necessary and proceeded with the
events of the night OF the fire.
4 heard the door creak and found
my husband had got up. was awak-
ened on his return by his cold feet. I
thought he was looking at the house
next door and asked him. He said to
me, Mind your own damn business
and go to Sleep
1T was peeved naturally at his man
-ner was doing when saw the
light from the flames through the win
dow. Next I, knew the curtain was
afire and I tried to awaken my hus-
band. He is very light sleeper, but
1t was hard work to wake him up.
HE. grabbed his pocketbook and
went to the telephone. It was four
and jone-half minutes before he could
get Central He was not excited. He
was very cool,
Before the fire he was talking to
himself. He always talks to himself
and he was in the dining room about
8 o'clock one morning talking to him
self about the sale of the house. He
was planning it and was walking about
the room.
81 heard him say: Now if anything
happens I am freed from all response.
bility.' After the sale I realized the
of this remark
Mrs Halliday then told how she
went to- Sturges real estate offices,and
was asked to sign PAPERS. She said
she had no equity in any property.
81 was only a figurehead as I was
always was in any of these transact
lions Anything 1 had in my name
was simply to prevent attachments"
said Mrs Halliday. She stated that
the papers which she was asked to
sign the day of the sale to Mrs. Gill
bert made her responsible for the
property after it had been sold to
Mrs. Gilbert.
II refused to take the responsibility
and my husband said to me, You
remember the time your refusal cost
me $4,000 Though I was afraid, I
finally signed the papers,"
She then testified regarding the
capabilities of her hus-
band and said he could keep col
umns Of figures in his head. She
gave the conversation she overheard