The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-31
WOMAN KILLS. SELF
after CH|LD'S
EXPOSE
Mrs. Nellie Matheson, Brand
ed by Young Girl, Com
mits Suicide.
F. c. HALL ACCUSED:
CHARGED IN COURT
Former City Treasurer Held
for Trial for Rape of 49,
Year-Old.

Ella Lusetta Pruyn, IL years old
told County Attorney Fred r. Ange.
vine sordid story of british immor.
ality last Saturday. The child named
as the agents OF her ruin Mrs. Nellie
Farkc Matheson, a woman with whom
shc lived for a time, and Frank c.
Hall. city treasurer of Missoula in 1914
and now owner of a grocery store at
llOl South Fifth street, west.
Mrs. Matheson committed suicide
early yesterday morning by taking
poison. The county attorney had con-
fronted her with the childs story the
day before.
Hall was arraigned before Judge Asa
l.. Duncan in the district court yestcr-
day morning on a charge of rape. Hall
Will plead this morning at 10 O'Clock.
Meanwhile he is in the county jail.
where he has been ever since he sur
rendered himself Saturday night fol-
lowing search for him by the police.
His bail was fixed at $4,000 and has
not been supplied.
Information Directly Filed.
County Attorney Angevine took his
first public step in the case yesterday
when he asked Judge Duncan for per-
mission to file an information against
Hall in the district court without the
formality of preliminary hearing be-
fore justice of the peace. The re-
quest was contested by f. c. Null
roney, counsel for Hall, but was
granted by the court. Hall, waving
rights Of delay, was nrraigned imme-
diately afterward. He will plead this
morning. and WILL he said yesterday,
enter plea of not guilty.
Both Denied Charges.
Il am not guilty of this charge" he
said. "and the evidence will prove it,"
Mrs. Matheson denied the Pruyn
girls charges, too, before her death.
She told County Attorney Angevine
she would get evidence of her inno-
cence. Instead, it is officially said, she
went home. began drinking and early
this morning, after several attempts to
do so. contrived to get her husband out
OF the room long enough to permit her
to swallow poison.
Many Witnesses Called.
The county attorney had already
named Mrs. Matheson and her hus-
band, j. T.. Matheson, as witnesses for
the state in the case against Hall.
Nearly score of other witnesses will
be called, some of them because of
parts they play in the Pruyn girls
story, some for official connection with
the case. Rumor gives others parts
in the case, but the county attorney is
Keeping his evidence secret It is a
fact. however, that at least one story
of hasty departure from Missoula is
based on fact. Sheriff J. II. Green yes
terday arrested S. II. Henderson. d
witness. because of fear that Hender-
son might leave the city.
Girl Uncared For.
Ella Pruyn, the child whose story
has already reacted SO severely against
those named in it, is the daughter of
Howard J. Pruyn, 1911 South Fifth
street, west, a painter She has not
lived with her father for some time,
however She has had no permanent
home. For a while she lived with Mr.
and Mrs. Matheson. at another time
she resided with Mr.. and Mrs. II. T.
Thompson on Spruce street. Tempo
rarily> she was in tbs state orphans
home
Details Withheld.
She has come to tic notice of pro-
bation officers before now, but her
story OF immoral exploitation by vi
cious men and women came as a sur
prise to the authorities. The details
OF the girls charges are being with
held by the county attorney. He made
no charges against the Matheson wom-
an except to say that she was "di-
rectly involved" in the child's ruin.
AS for Hall, the county attorney in
his information simply charges him
with the crime of rape, committed Oh
or about June 10, 1916.
Suicide Established.
That Mrs. Matheson committed sui
WY ""s cStopisHeu sesterudv ny DTS.
+. d. Pease and J. J. Buckley, who
performed an autopsy at the direction
Of Coroner Albion Lucy. They had not
proceeded far enough with their analy-
ses yesterday to be able to name the
poison used by the woman, but they
had established beyond question the
fact that poison of some kind caused
the death.
OF this there had been no consider
able doubt from the beginning. The
Continued on Page Two,)