Evening star., 1919-09-02
v. C. HALL FACES
MURDER CASE Jury
State Prohibition Inspector
Accused in Case of [. E.
Hudson's Death.
SINGLE DEFENDANT TRIED

From StaY Correspondent
MANASSAS. Va, September I'm g
packed little courtroom here this
morning w. C. Hall, state prohibition
inspector. was placed on trial, accused
of the murder of Lawrence E. Hudson
who was killed with r. c. Shackle-
ford. while in an alleged attempt to
transport liquor to Winchester. Va
Three other deputies were indicted
with Hall, but each has elected a sep
arate trial They are W. B. Dunlavy
Harry F. Sweet and j. A. Sullivan.
+ Selection of Jury.
With Judge Samuel c. Brent pre-
siding. the jury box was filled within
an hour. Evidence of the feeling of
some residents was exhibited when
J. NJ. Russell of this town was ques-
toned for qualification as juror. He
was asked how he felt about the case
He replied: Il feel | don't want to
aave anything to do with it," Several
residents here have expressed similar
sentiments
Before the men were accepted as
Jurors the defense demanded that
they consider the case with the pre-
sumption that Hall was innocent un-
til 1t was proved undeniably that he
was not.
Prosecuting Attorney c. E. Williams
of Shenandoah county opened the
case against Hall. He declared that
the only issue on which prosecution
would be based was whether or not
Hudson met his death "unlawfully'
at the hands of w. c. Hall. He out
lined the occurrence, giving a minute
description of the location of the
Ch N,x,ha
scribed creek called Tumbling run
and the bridge across it where the
prohibition agents blocked the road
with their big red automobile. He de-
clared that evidence will be produced
to show thai man standing to the
left of the alleged bootleggers' auto
mobile fired two shots; that an ex-
clamation of oh. my" followed, and
that after that three more shots were
fired
Before these five shots had been
fired. however. he declared. there had
been a fusillade of shots. He said
that residents of a nearby home had
witnessed the firing of some of the
Sao.= The car of the prohibition. in
spectors. he declared. would be shown
sons machine and that Hudson's ma
chine had been reversed and turned
down a byroad. Almost Immediately
he said there was a fusillade of shots,
lowed by another pause. Then. he de-
c,ared. there were five single shots.
Firing of these five only, he said, was
seen by others than the principals.
Basis of Prosecution.
He will attempt to prove. he said,
that a man standing in the road, in
the glare of headlights. fred these
five shots from a position to right
of Hudson's car. On the proof that this
man was Hall. he declared. would be
based the case of the prosecution.
Attorney Wendenburg for the de-
fense admitted in his opening address
to the jury that Hall might have fred
the shot which killed Hudson. He de-
clAred that his case would be based
On the fact that Hall was pursuing his
duty in using a revolver for the en-
forcement of law against two dan
gerous criminals.
He painted a dark picture Of the
two dead men, declaring that they
were notorious bootleggers: that they
went armed for the purpose of shoot
ing down any man who interfered
with them when they were violating
the law.
At this juncture a slight little black
haired woman with redeemed eyelids
produced a handkerchief with a black
border. She dried her eyes from which
tears were flowing. as she heard the
given to the two men. She
was Mrs. X. c. Shackleford, whose
husband was shot down on the morn
ing of March IS. during the fight with
prohibition agents. Elizabeth Shack
leford and Shackleford's mother were
with her. The widow and the dead
mans mother were dressed all in
black with veil Her sister was not in
mourning.
Prohibition societies have declared
that they would lend every aid to the
defense of Hall Ofiicials Of prohibi-
tion societies are in Manassas today.
The trial will be made a virtual test
case as to the limit of authority for
prohibition agents enforcing the dry
law.