The Washington herald., 1918-11-26
HALL, ON TRIAL
IN ROY MURDER,
Wins FIRST DAY
All Evidence Favors Wood
cutter Who Is Accused
Of Killing Girl. !
FATHER TAKES STAND
Dramatically Tells Jury of
/. Finding Child's Body
Near Spring.
FATHER TAKES STAND

witnesses testifying yesterday at
the opening OF the trial of Lou Hall
accused of the murder of little Eva
Roy In the woods near Burke Station
on the afternoon of August 8. de-
ciared that the woodcutter had talked
to them that afternoon in his usual
unconcerned manner.
Lou stopped at my house about
40 with his wife and two children. -
one witness stated. He STAYED about
half an hour and we joked and talked
ABOUT some potatoes he was going to
ouy from me. Hall didn't seem to be
IN any special hurry or any different
from his usual self"
Dr. q. Robey. the coroner at the In
quest over the child's body, testified
that the murder must have been COM
initted some time near noon of Au-
gust 8, but stated that he could not
De certain as to the exact time. The
witness described cutting the chiId's
oooy from the tree where II was tied
ana the marks found on the chin, He
stated that these marks might have
oeen either by finger nails or by teeth
OUT could not state positively which.
Prompt ExamInation Great Aid.
At a question put by the attor-
ney for the defense, Walter Oliver.
DE-, Robey admitted that il a close
examination had been made imme-
oiately after the body was discoy-
ered 1t might have been possible
to identify the murderer by these
marks.
Walter Wood. a l7-year-old Fair
fax County boy, described meeting
Hail in the woods near Burke Sta
tion little before noon on the day
the crime was committed. He said
that Hall had told him that It was
too hot to cut trees and that he
hoped this would be his last week
in the woods" as he had secured
work at Camp Humphreys. Young
Wood. with his brother and Hall
went in search of a bee tree. de-
scribed by Hall to the boys. The
three failed to find the honey they
were looking for and separated. Hail
going toward his home.
A hsrd witness. Fred Davis, pro-
prietor Of a grocery store at Barker
Crossroads, testified that Hall came
into his store with the little boy
later in the afternoon. between !
and 4. and told him about his new
job at Camp Humphreys Davis ad-
mired the youngster and Hall bought
the child some candy, proudly in
forming the storekeeper that ''the
little cuss" was not quite wears
old.
Father Describes Scene.
Peter Roy, the father of the muir.
dered child, described for the iury the
wood where the crime was committed
and his having seen Hall in the wood
number of times during the week
before the murder. The old man ther
told the jury and attorney for the de.
fense of the search for Eva on the
day she disappeared and of finding
the body in the wood.
Il was down near the spring" he
said, "and 1 heard Paul Marshall
say. Here she is I called to him
Is she alive" and he answered
No."
The first witness called. Joseph
Barry, the county surveyor, gave tho
jury an exact description OF the WOOD
where Eva was found murdered. Al
a suggestion of Mr.. Oliver it was de,
cided to take the jury to Burke Sta
tion and let them examine the place
for themselves.
1t is possible that Ben Rubin, the
escaped convict, who confessed to the
murder and during his Imprisonment
in the Fairfax jail was locked in
Halls cell. may be called to the wit.
ness chair today. Rubin will be ques.
toned as to certain statements made
to him by officers Of the Common.
wealth during his crnss-examinatior
in regard to their belief as to Halls
Innocence