The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-11
Trial Concludes; Abruptly
Following Defendants
Flat Deriials.
REEUTFAL WITNESS
CONTRAD1CTS HALL
Mrs. Mary Lavey Says Man
Knew Beforehand What
Charges Were.

The trial Of Frank c. Hall on
charge Of statutory rape came to an
abrupt ending yesterday afternoon
shortly after tho defendant had been
released from the stiff corss- -exami-
nation which followed his presentation
Of an innocent version OF his relations
with 14-ycar- -old Ellen Lucetta Pruyn,
the complaining witness.
The defense rested its case when
Hall had finished testifying. Four
rebuttal witnesses were called hynthe
state, anu then the evidence was
closed. Attorneys Immediately pre-
: pared to argue ove- the courts in
structions to the jury before Judge A.
L. Duncan. They will begin their
final arguments to the jury Monday
morning at $3.50
Woman Springs sensation. i.
Hairs testimony was the feature Of
the final day of the trial proper. con-
sisting as It did of general denial of
every detail of the states evidence.
But the sensation of the day was pro-
vided by Mrs. Mary Lavey, 404 East
Spruce street, who was called for. re.
buttal testimony late in the afternoon.
Hall had declared on the stand that,
being innocent of any wrong, he did
not know what he was charged with
until after meeting with Sam Hen.
b derson,.a a friend on the night OF his
arrest. Henderson, Hall had said.
simply called him up and told him
warrant was out for his arrest, saying.
Don't ride on a street car and don't
come through town.
Mrs. Lavey. at whose home Hender-
son was a lodger, says Henderson
went to. the telephone that night and
to someone addressed as Hail." said:
well, you know what that little
girl promised not to tell on you?" ;.
well. she's told. and you'd better
come over here quick and not walk.
either" \
Makes General Denial.
Hall was placed on the stand early
in the day.. He was under direct ex-
animation by his counsel, Z. c. Null
roney, until 2i3O. Charles H. Hall
then put him through strenuous
two-hour ross-examination. Through
all his long stay in the witness box
Hall insisted that his relations with
the girl had been quite proper He
denied or Interpreted as Innocent every
detail OF Lutte PryuIs story and all
the circnmstantlal evidence produced
by the state. Nh
Lutte Pruyn declared that Hall. after
having been enabled by the influence
of the child's custodian. Mrs. Nellie
Matheson, to achieve the intimacy
first suggested when the 12-year- old
girl visited his store, gratified' his de-
sires on innumerable occasions during
the two. years preceding his arrest.
Hall denied that he had ever even
made improper advances toward the
child.
"Fathsrly interest"
Hall declared that he had taken a
"fatherly interest" in the girl: that he
| oOit VI uAOptcu St1lu nC
bought clothes for her on several oc-
casions: that he paid for her school
ing; that he offered to send her east
when physicians at the state orphans
home, where she was for n time
placed. said she ought to go to lower
altitude: that he gave her small sums
of money when she asked for them:
that he always advised her to do
right
Mrs. Hall "Nsrveus."
Hall admitted that he and Lutte
with Mrs. Matheson and John Ma
honey. sometimes went on automobile
trips into the country. but denied
that the trips had been marked by i'm.
prorricty. He and Mahoney some.
times drank beer on these trips, h
said. Mrs. Hall. he declared. was no
taken out on these occasion becaus.
she was nervous and didn't like rid
Ing in the automobile"
Hall also admitted that while Luti,
was living with Mrs. H. T. Thompso,
he often visited the house with San
Henderson, sometimes taking bee
with him and sometimes sitting witt
Lutte In the kitchen while, Mrs
Thompson and HendcSson were in tn
bedroom or the parlor.. He said. how
ever. that on these occasions he .ad
vised Lutte TO do right and tried +
urge her to leave and 20 to school. o.
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