Evening star., 1949-01-06
Closing Arguments
Heard in Hall Trial
On Murder CHARGES

trial OF Thomas Hall, 81, accused OF
Staying Prince Georges County
Policeman Charles Caldwell, were
concluded in Upper Marlboro today
with the State asserting that he
should be acquitted if the court
believes the story he told yesterday.
The defendant had a right to
take the officers gun" States At
torney A. Gwinn Bowie said. "He
should be acquitted if the court be-
lieVes his story that he was struck
with the blackjact twice without
any provocation whatsoever. ANY
human being would have done the
same thing.
But we don't believe it and we
don't think the court believes it,"
Fought for Life, Counsel Says.
Defense Attorney J. Frank Lillard,
jr, said Hall, who is colored, was
fighting for his life" when he shot
officer Caldwell and wounded his
partner, Policeman Wallace Baker,
last June II in the $500 block of
Nye street, Deanwood Park, Md.
1t was a dramatic story unfolded
by the Zig colored man who said
he was born in South Carolina
served with the AEF in World
War I and earned a living for his
wife and three children doing man.
ual labor. Thirty years ago, he said
he was arrested and fined $25 fol-
fighting with his wife and that was
his only encounter with the police
until June IL.
1T, was my day off," he related
in deep bass voice, land I was
home listening to the ball game on
the radio. My daughter, jamie,
come home and said a boy had hit
her and she had cut him.
I'VE all waited in the front yard
for the police to come, me and jamie
and my old lady. jamie. had been
in some trouble before for fighting
with police, and we told her it was
best for her to 60 along without
making no trouble.
Then the two policemen came
and told jamie to come on. They
started down the hill and jamie
started struggling with them. I
hollored, jamie. don't start that
foolishness; go along with the police
men I walked after them and
caught up with them and told jamie,
You ought to be ashamed of your
self: you 60 along now cause you
know what happened last time I
was of to one side, cause I didn't
want any one to say I was inter-
fering.
SAYS Caldwell Hit Him.
But jamie kept on struggling, and
when we crossed the ditch to get to
the police car, both policemen had
to push her up the bank. They took
her to the left side of the car to put
her in, and I walked around to the
right side, just telling her to go
along with them.
when they got her in the car the
big policeman-I can't never re-
member his name, the one that died
came around to the right side. He
put his hand on the door like he
was going to get in and then he
turned around, looked at me and
said, I'm going to lock you up, too,
and hit me twice with the blackjack.
II can't understand why he hit me.
hadn't done nothing, and hadn't
said nothing. But he had his hand
up to hit me again, and I moved in
and put my arms around him, kinda
from the side.
Then he hollored to Offieer Baker
to get his gun. The blood was flow
ing down all over my face, and I
was dizzy. I reached down and
grabbed his gun, and Of1cer Baker
came around the car with his gun
in his hand. I started shooting,
and he started shooting.
II was holding the big policeman
and I shot him three times and
let 60 of him and he dropped. Then
was shooting at Mr.. Baker and
he was shooting at me. He hit
me, and I guess I hit him, cause
the next I knew all of us was lying
on the ground.
Helped Him to House.
"Mr. Baker said, Help me- and
I told him, I been shot, too, but
I'll try to help you And I got him
up on my shoulder and helped him
up the hill to my house and told
my boy to get him some water.
Then I found. while was away,
somebody had killed my old lady
with a baseball bat, and I tried to
find him, but he was gone. Then
I saw the other police coming, and
I went out to meet them and I
helped them hunt for the gun. And
that's the truth of how it hap
pened."
Hall was asked why he shot Pvt.
Caldwell after he had disarmed him.
81 fired trying to protect myself"
he said. THAT was my only chance
to keep from getting killed. I
knowed I hadn't done nothing to
get hit for, and I knowed if I
hadn't shot he'd have killed me. :"
Halls daughter, jamie, is also un-
der indictment for the murder of
Pvt. Caldwell. She will be tried in
Anne Arundel County later. Halls
wife, Mrs. Mable Hall, was mortally
injured with a baseball bat by A. C..
Bradley, colored, who testified he
struck her in self-defense when she
attacked him for calling police to
arrest her daughter.