The Washington times., 1921-09-18
S|STER-|N-LAW
. TOLD WIFE DIED
! IN PORTO RICO
Second Missive. Expressing
Grief, Penned After Re-
; covery Of Body.
PLEA OF GUILTY EXPECTED
Virginia Authorities Believe Ac-
I cused Surgeon Will Ask
Courts Mercy.

RICHMOND, Va, Sept. 17.-Let-
ters which DR.. Wilmarth Amos Had
ley, charged with tho murder of his
wife, is alleged to have written to an
army nurse, with whom he is said
to have been infatuated, and TO sis
ter Of his wife, are expected to be
important features Of his trial in
Henrico county circuit court next
month.
All these letters were written after
November "a, 1918, the date given
as the day on which Hadley, accord
ing to a written confession which
the Henrico county authorities say
he signed, poisoned his wife and then
threw her body into the James river
here.
Confession Discredited.
The letters, which are in the pos
session Of the Henrico county author
titles. loom important as evidence for
the prosecution in view of the fact
that Hadley's alleged confession has
been discredited to a certain extent
by the finding alive in Hollywood,
Calf, of DIR. Jesse A. Griffin, for.
ymer reserve army surgeon and FOR.
mer professional associate of Hadley.
whom the confession stated Hadley
had shot and killed at the same
time he slew his wife.
Another possible dramatic feature
OF the trial, in the belief of Sheriff
w. Webb Sydnor and States At
torney welby Beverley. who brought
Hadley back to Richmond. Is that
Hadley will admit his guilt I'm open
, court and ask mercy In view OF the
age he lived on his ranch near
Pennington, New Mexico, between
the dates Of the murder and his cap
ture there recently. He Is said to
make his plea in the confession he Is
alleged to have signed before he
departed from Denver, Colo, IN
custody Of the Virginia officials.
Hadley was alleged 10 have been
infatuated with an army nurse at
Westhampton debarkation hospital.
near Richmond. when he decided to
do away with his wife, who was stay
ing in a private home on West Grace
street in this city while he was sta
toned at the hospital. Letters which
he wrote her from his home. at
Friendswo ood. Tex, after he left Rlch-
nond. early in December, 1918, before
the body of his wife had been discov.
cred, are expected to play an interest
ing part at the trial. After Mrs. HAD
ley's body had been Identified the
army nurse tainted, according to
Sheriff Sydnor, when he told her the
body was that Of the wife OF DR.. HAD
lev. When she was revived. she was
quoted as having said that Hadley had
told her that his wife had gone West
to get a divorce. Since then, she has
married a New York man and Is ltv-
ing happily in that city. Her relations
with DR., Hadley were entirely inno-
cent, in the opinion OF the Henrico
county authorities. She has assured
them, they say, that she Is ready at
any time to come to Richmond and
testify. She turned the letters over to
Sheriff Sydnor before she quit the
hospital service here.
Two other letters alleged to have
been written by Hadley also figure
prominently in the case. Both were
written to Mrs. A. H. Evans, Of Gin
cinnati, sister of Mrs. Hadley. One
was mailed from Atlanta, Ca. Decem.
Der s, 1918, the day after DR.. Hadley
received an honorable discharge from
the service here. In this, Mrs. Evans
was informed that her sister had died
of Influenza at San Juan, Porto Rico,
November "a, 1918, and had been
buried. I'm the government cemetery
there. The second was dispatched
from Friendswood. Tex, January 2,
1919, three days after the discovery of
Mrs. Hadley's body. but several weeks
before It was identified. This con-
tanned renewed expressions Of grief
over the loss Of his wife. These two
letters are also in the custody OF the
Henrico authorities.