Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-16
ALABAMA FARMER.
SLAYER Of WOMAN
< WITNESS, IS JAILED

Fred r. Hall, prominent young
merchant and farmer of Russellville,
Ala, who shot and killed pretty
Miss Martha Henderson Tuesday
night when she appeared at his store
to reiterate her love for him, was
placed in the Jail at Florence, Ala,
Thursday for safe-keeping, accord
ing to dispatches to The Journal.
William Richardson, brother-in-law
of Hall, and three negroes, Tom
Reed, Ed Gates and Annie Berry, are
said to be under arrest in Russell
Vile, charged with having entered a
conspiracy to hold the young woman
a prisoner. Richardson's bond was
fixed at $1,000, and the negroes are
still in Jail, dispatches said.
A coroner's inquest over the body
of Mss Henderson brought the YER
dict that she came to her death by
bullet wounds inflicted by Hall.
Atlanta officials of the department
of justice express the belief that the
woman's mother died some months
ago In Texas and that her father is
now in Birmingham.
Federal agents declared feeling ran
high in Russellville against Hall
after the killing, and that it became
necessary for the county authorities
to rush the young merchant to Flor
ence.
Woman Was Witness
Hall was defendant in a sensa-
tinna1 white c1aup in limited
States court here, and was to have
been tried early in June. Miss Hen
derson was the governments star
witness against him. Hall was un-
der $1,000 bond, and it was said he
was struggling to get back on his
feet financially and regain his for
mer reputation in his home town. He
is married and has three small chill
dren.
His wife, according to dispatches,
issued a statement soon after the
killing, declaring my husband can
not be held responsible for killing
this woman who came here to de-
stroy our home and wreck our hap
declared she would stick by her hus-
band throughout his trouble. Fred
Harrison, Atlanta attorney, who rep
resented Hall in the white slave
charges, said he received similar in
formation from Russellville.
Dispatches from Russellville to
The journal indicate that Mayor J.
W. Porter, of that city, has received
kilograms from w. A. Henderson, Of
Corsicana, Tex, saying that the
dead woman is his daughter. The
father is expected to arrive in Rus
sel1ville and take charge of the
body.
Investigation by the Russellville
authorities has developed the fast
that the Henderson woman was
brought to that city Sunday night By
a taxicab driver and taken to the
home of a negro woman named An
ME Berry. A suit case said to have
belonged to the Henderson woman
was removed by the sheriff ana
cept a few articles of clothing. The
suitcase was found under the bed of
Charles Richardson, brother-in-law
of Hall, it is alleged.
According to the dispatches Hall
fired four shots at Miss Henderson
F. R; Hall Grocery company late ate
bullets took effect in her body and
she died in twenty minutes. Reports
that the woman was in a delicate
condition were denied by DR.. w. j.
Clark, who gave her medical treat
ment after the shooting.
according to dispatches, and several
hundred citizens gathered in the
streets, so that the authorities took
Hall to the county Jail at Florence
to avoid possible trouble.
No date has been set for Halls
preliminary trial, but it 81 expect
ed that a hearing will be held in