Evening star., 1919-12-29
DRY" INSPECTORS
SECOND TRIAL ON

MANASSAS, Va, December 29 (Spe-
ciaD.-'Unlawful murder" will be the
goal of testimony of the prosecution
in the second trial of w. c. Hall.
prohibition inspector, charged with
the killing of Lawrence d. Hudson.
last March. The trial opened here
this morning before Judge Samuel G..
Brent.
Judge F. s. Tavenner, counsel for
the prosecution, in his opening state
ment to the jury declared that the
prosecution would attempt to prove
lawfully" killed Hudson, who was sit
ting helpless in the automobile sus-
pected of bootlegging without lift
ing hand to do anybody harm
Likely to Plead "seIf-defense."
Self-defense will be Hairs plea. At
torney Louis o. Wendenberg, chief
counsel for the defense. indicated in
his opening statement. The defense
will seek to establish the fact that
Hudson had pulled Hall into the au-
tomobile and hit him over the head
with a haf-filled bottle of whisky.
The trial got under way speedily.
The jury, representing farmers for the
most part, was impaneled at 1881. less
than an hour after the trial opened.
berger. r. NJ. Jenkins, w. r. Hoskin,
! J. w. Arnold, J. F. Huffman. George
D. Baker, A. r. Abel. Raymond Curtis.
George NJ. Davis. j. ]. Newton, w. w.
Leming and w. F. Carrick.
The shooting of Hudson took place
outside of Winchester, Va, near the
Ttlmbling Run bridge. In the car with
Hudson was Raymond Shackleford, al
legged to have been transporting liquor
from Baltimore to Petersburg. Shackle-
ford was killed at the drivers seat
that night Hudson was fatally
wounded and rushed to the Winchester
Hospital in the automobile of the pro-
hibition officers.
Jointly charged with. Hall with the
murder of Hudson are three fellow Of
ficers: Harry F. Sweet, sr.. w. G. Dun
leayy and j. H. Sullivan. When ar
rGigned they elected separate trials.
If Hall is convicted action will be
taken against them. If the case ends
in acquittal their cases will be nolle
! pressed.
These three men. Joe Williams. who
was their chauffeur on the night of
the killing and who is now under in
dictment for the murder of his wife,
ard one other were the only witnesses
present for the defense this morning.
Seventeen Witnesses for Prosecution.
For the prosecution seventeen wit
nesses were sworn.
Mr.. and Mrs. Alfred Blye and Della
Racey are expected to prove the star
W Illnesses for the prosecution, since
they were occupants of house only
250 yards from the scene of the shoot
ing. Miss Racey is a sister of Mrs.
Blye. The latter appeared in court
this morning with an infant in arms.
The case proceeded with such dis
patch that the opening statement of
both the prosecution and defense had
been concluded before 1870, and shortly
after which the first witness took the
stand: He was Fl. Morrison. jr., a
photographer of Woodstock, Va. who
presented photographs showing the lay
of the land at the Valley turnpike and
Tumbling Run bridge where the shoot
ing occurred. These photographs were
introduced with the purpose of inform
ing the jury exactly as to the details
of the neighborhood of the shooting.
In his opening statement Judge Tav-
enner charged that the automobile in
which Hudson was a passenger was
stopped without authority. apparent
ly, from the commonwealth of Nir-
ginia" He declared that the men were
stopped under the idea that prohi-
bition officers had a right to do so,
believing that the ear had liquor in
it. He said that Shackleford was an
acquaintance If not a former friend of
Hall. When they met, declared Judge
Tavenner, but few moments had
ciasped before Hall had shot Shackle-
ford twice. He then charged that Hall
had. after an interval, turned the gun
on Hudson.
Discusses Defense's Point.
Speaking of one of the primary
points of the defense, he declared that
they will show that Shackleford's
pistol had three empty chambers in
it,"
But Hall was the first man to see
the pistol" he told the jury. Why
were five shots fired. first two and
then three, after the car had come to
a stop"
It is on this point that the prosecu-
tion will fire one of it's strongest legal
projectiles into the ranks of the de-
Tense. The Blye family has been called
TO the stand especially to testify as to
the interval and number of shots fired.
The theory of the prosecution is that
the defendant himself exploded the
cartridges in Shackleford's gun in an
effort to secure a basis for defense.
The prosecution painted a word pic
ture of the deceased man, describing
Shackleford as being a one-legged
man, "a crippl.' and Hudsin as
out a boy of eighteen. The defense.
however. drew a darker picture of the
deceased. They claimed that Shackle-
ford was "a notorious bootlegger" and
that Hudson was a veritable young
giant standing six foot two inches in
spite of his eighteen years.
In charge OF the prosecution are
Commemorative Attorney Thomas H
Lion of Prince William county and
Judge F. S. Tavenher of Woodstock.
Va. Counsel for the defense are Louis
o. Wendenberg. former state senator;
Walton & Walton of Manassas, and
Meetz & Didlake. also of Manassas.