Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-30
Hall Murder Trial
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the preliminary examination of Hau.
Counsel for the defense read iron;
these to show that at the preliminary
hearing DR.. Traynor testified that dean
was caused BY shock and internal hem;
orrhaRe OF the brain. In reply to oues'
tons DR.. Traynor said that he consia-
cred himself an authority on perform
ing autopsies, but that prior TO that on
Mrs. Halls body he never had perform
ed an autopsy on body which hai
been buried 70 days and then exhumeo.
He said that he had discussed the med
ical evidence in the case with County
Attorney Franklin r. .Chesley. He had
also consulted with DR.. George B. Ma
grath, medical examiner OF SUFFOLK
county. Massachusetts,, talking with
him between four and six hours on
Jan. Is He identified DR.. Magrath as
being present in the courtroom.
IF a person becomes dizzy" asked
Judge Emery. lis not the head thrust
forward and does not the body follow
in the same direction
The witness said that was correct.
He admitted that if person fell in
such a manner that the head struck
small pebble the scalp might be split.
He was questioned as to changes in the
appearance Of body after death.
These. he said. would vary with diff
ferent bodies after a period OF 20 days.
Putrefaction, he said. was first OBJ
serva Bile on the esophasus. DR.. Tray
nor said that il a person in falling in
s;inctively put out both hands to save
his head. the wrists might be frac-
tured Reaction from a fall, he tesri-
fed. might cause the fracture of rib.
Judge Emerys last question before to-
days session Of court ended brougi..
from DR. Traynor the statement that
if a persons veins broke down as
result OF injuries black and blue spots
would result.
The attention OF Ernest J. Matthews.
the section man and first person TO ar
rive on the scene after Mrs Henry
II. Hall fell from bridge over sha'
low stream near Wells Depot last June.
was first attracted by the calls Of her
husband for help. Matthews testified
on cross-examination today at the trial
Of Hall for wife murder. After he ha.
crossed the culvert in his motor car
and was 80 feet away he heard Hall
shout: "Earnie Matthews. Stop! Coma
back
Hall walked up the tracks ard :old
hum what had happened. pointing from
the bridge 10 the patch Of coarse grave,
and rocks near the bridge on which Hall
said his wife fell while dizzy. He To-
Gated the spot on a diagram. Some
times il is covered with two or three
inches of water. and at other times it
is bare as it was when Mrs. Hall Fell.
Matthews stated while under direct
examination that Mrs. Hall lay face
downward. with her head within fco.
of the third step Of the westerly aput-
ment. Her fact VIZ not wet. He did
not remember that Hail. made any ex-
animation Of her.
Judge George J.. Emery. counsel
for the accused man. in cross exam
ination brought out from Matthews
tt:t fc,' body on the bank. where i,
had been taken by Hall from the
brock. was headed UP the path lead
ing to the tracks. indicating that Hall
was trying to carry her to the rail-
road. Section men, he said. frequent
~ used this path to visit a spring
close by
The Wells Depot station agent. he
testified. could see the bridge from
the station, three-auarters OF a mile
away
Matthews noticed a CT. on Mrs.
Halls head. disco1oration near the
Mo- h. Ie
Much Of the testimony Of Matthews
was corroborated by his 16-year- old
daughter, Ida NJ. Matthews, who was
with him on the motor c, r She said
Hall called to her father after they
had passed the spot. She stayed on
the car but was able to see Mrs. Hall,
face down. on the embankment. The
irst they knew of the presence of
the couple was when l-a1' came into
view and shouted to hsr father.
Matthews said that while he and
Hall were carrying Mrs. Hail to the
car and had crossed fence Hall
tripped. AS he did So he stopped and
grabbed her by the wrists to save
himself. He did not see Hall change
his hold on the wrists. He lad been
holding her under the arms. Mat
thews found a hairc IN also dish
OF berries beside it. on island.
C.. Norman McIntire. associated
with ". l. bennett. a Biddeford ur-
dertaker, testified in reference to the
taking of Mrs. Hall to a Riddeford
hospital after 1890 that night with
DR. Lawrence E. Willard in an amhu-
lance and to the emhalming of the
body after death, which took place at
. O'Clock the next morning.
When he reached the Hall home.
there were bandages on her forehead,
under the chin and on the wrists. He
.-Hnd deep Cut on t, of the head
and a deep hole over the right eye.
on which ne put 4 .ial .ening com
pound and plaster. Powder was rub
bed on to discolorations on both sides
Of the throat
Undertaken McIntire admitted that
when he put four quarters of embalm-
ing fluid into the body. it might have
caused discolorations. This nigh. be
avoided by drawing off the blood
slowly. He did not use an excessive
amount OF the nuid. Hall did not go
the hospital.
Miss Auror Gouvin of Somersworth.
a nurse at the Wehher hospital. where
Mrs Hall was taken. assigned to care
for her, testified that the pulse was
low. No one but the nurses talked
wit. her. Mrs. Hall died half an hour
after arrival. She noticed the discol-