Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-20
WOMAN ''HOUNDED"
HIM, HALL ASSERTS

RUSSELLVILLE, Ala, Aug. 10
Claiming that he was absolutely
because of the intrigue in which he
found himself enmeshed with Martha
Henderson, woman of mystery"
Fred r. Hall today told the jury in
whose hands his fate will soon rest,
that the young woman had hound
ed' him for two years.
1t was the beginning Of the second
day of Halls trial when the defend
ant took the stand in his own behalf.
AS on yesterday, the court room was
packed. The sheriff and six deputies
moved constantly about among the
people, who showed signs of restless
ness. A night session Of the court
was held last night to hasten the
end.
Hall was nervous but after assur-
ances from his attorneys, he regain
ed his composure and told frank
story Of his relations with the woman
| he killed. He admitted that they
were companions on trips to Wash
| ington, New York and other cities.
The defendant said he had given the
girl large sums of money in COM
pliance with her demands and ad-
united writing letters to her in
which he told her he would divorce
his wife and marry her. In exp1ana-
ton of such communications, he said
such assurances were\ necessary to
"appease her, as she was a desper-
ate woman"
| Miss Henderson came to Russell
vile from st. Louis against his
wishes, he said, and the sight of her
in his home town "drove him crazy.
He pleaded that he was not guilty Of
murder as charged by reason of in
sanity.
A bundle of letters written by Hall
to the girl were offered in evidence
Some Of these were read. In nearly
all of them Halls devotion for the
young woman was expressed and ad-
vice was given as to her movements
AS on the previous day, Hall sat
in a family group, consisting of his
wife, four. children, his aged father
and other kinsmen.
| Couldn't Shake Girl
AS Fritz Thompson, of counsel for
the state, read Halls letters one by
one in cross-examination, he called
upon the defendant to interpret his
declarations of devotion.
'Is it not true" asked the prose
cutting attorney, that you did most
of the 'hounding' in this case?"
Hall insisted that the young WON.
IAN trailed- him relentlessly and that
he could not shake" her.
do you mean to. tell the jury
continued the states counsellor
"that this girl would come to Tus-
cumbia and Russellville frequently
and endanger herself by coming il
contact with members of your fam
lily unless she had been hidden to dc
so by you and unless she had beer
assured of your protection?"
The defendant adhered closely t.
his original statement that he hat
been pursued by the woman until his
| reason was lost.
In one of. the more recent letters
Hall addressed Miss Henderson as
my honey darling" and told her he
expected to secure divorce from hi:
wife as soon as his lawyers could
find legal reason for it"
"Coming After Him"
In further justification Of his act
Hall said he had received from the
girl an hour before the killing d
note telling him he would be given
Just twenty minutes" to see her He
said he had company at his home and
| I1nr
then telephoned him, he said, that
she was coming after him" He shot
her as she neared the front en-
trance of his store.
Hall said he was responsible 1ol
Miss Henderson's arrest in Nashlns
ter on charge OF steanng ms MS ih IT,
tor car in that city, and that ne
once swore ont a warrant aga1nSl
her charging blackmail. He said she
carried a pistol on occasions ana tnal
she had frequently made the state
ment to him that she was golng Ce
of them would be killed" He' testl-
fed that she was the prosecuting
witness in a white slave case brought
against him in Atlanta last 1all; 49,.
Ripp1es of laughter. crossed tne
crowded court room When enugal Ins
terms of unusual e e1I3 rae attorney.
Authorship of all letters read was
| 1son1Iedeed bv the defendant
TLese letters were described by
s+ate's counsel as running the entire
gamut of human em qttrins
.arroants on the ethics Of tele
nhone operator's job followed the tes-
timony Thursday night OF MISS An Az
nia Rox. who said she uSIeneu ~
wben Miss Henderson called Hal
oTar the telephone at which time the
defendant asked the young woman s1, io
"conne on over meaning to ms s
store" The telephone operator sac
che had been promised lmmuIll
from prosecution under a state law
1I,hicb forbids the making puonc OF
telenhone conversations by operators r
| If She would testify in this case Lot
! the state. The witness testlf1ed Lna
! after she hung up" MISS Hehu tIl =
son went Immediately across tn1
street from the station where the cdll
was made to Halls store. From ner
office she said. she saw Hall come
ont of his store and shoot the girl
down. The witness testified that the
girl had asked Hall If she might go
over to his store and his reply was
in the affirmative. -,
store where the telephone station was
located, testified that MISS Hender-
SON called up Hall in soft voice,
shat was Gust as sweet as could be"
saving: 81 understand that you are
entertaining company, but 1 can see
you, can't I?' ,
Hall embraced and kissed MISS
Henderson ten days before the killing
when she reached Tuscumbia from
st, Louis, Tom Lawler. service
driver, testified. The witness said he
was employed to take Hall to Tus-
curbia to meet the young woman
and to find a hotel for Miss Hender-
son at Sheffield. He testified that he
secured quarters for her in Russell