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Terrible Tragedy Enacted ina House of lll-Fame.Mrs- John B. Hall Finds Her Husband £ sleep With Maud Hunter,And Shoots Him Through the Heart With His Own Revolver.The Murderess Gives Herself Up The Coroner Summoned and Holds an Inquest.Full Particulars of the Affair, W ith a Completa Report of the Evidence Adduced.Frcrn Friday’8 Laily.At No. 20 north Second street, where#t’ic house of ill.fame kept by Aggie Lear is located, a terrible tragedy was enacted between four and five o'clock this morning. Mrs. Hall went there in search of her husband, John B. Hal!, and finding him in bed with Maude Hunter, an in mate of the house, grasped her husband’s revolver vLich he had placed on the wash-stand in the room before retiring, and shot him as he was sleeping. TheballPENETRATED THE HEART,lodged in the muscles of the back, killing him instantly. Betore he died he muttered something, which was unintelligible. Mrs. Hall fired almost as soon as she gained access to the room and immediately left after the shooting, in company with a hack driver, FraDk Cain, whom she had c-mployad to drive her around in search of her husband. Mrs. Hall said nothing when she fired the fatal s-ot. Soon afterward she gave herself up to the police and was locked up in jail.THE SHOOTING.occurred in the back room on theground fioor of the hou3e. The placiwas formerly kept by Jennie James andlatterly by her sister, Kate James. Hallhad been at the house since 12 o’clocklast night. He was under the influence ofliquor. He is the man who has beenrunning the soap’and lottery scheme onthe corner of Third and Main streetsand the attention of the police was calleda9 late as last evening in the Gazette, tohis swindling arrangement.He has been known under the namesof John Hall, John Phillips and “Coal Oil Johnny.trouble yesterday.Mrs. Hall and her husband have beenliving at the St. Charles House sincethey came up from Evansxille, about a week or ten days ago. She has with her a little boy, aged six, the fruit of a union with a former husband, now deceased. Yesterd ay afternoon she went up to his carriage onthe corner of Third and Main streets andangrily demanded avalise which he had. He refused to give it to her and some hot words passed between them. Hall then called on Policeman Agar, who was present, asking him to take her to her room and lock her up in it. The officer asked him to give berths valise and he finally1*1 t 1 • O • • *1did, abstracting from it a revolver. Then she demanded a diamond ring, out that he would not give her. It seems from what has transpired since that Hall had this diamond ring in “soak.”The news of the tragedy spread very quickly and large crowds gathered in front of the house. The coroner proceeded to hold the inquest. Clerk W. H.Duncan taking the following testimony:THE TESTIMONY.John Ciin testified: Little after 12o’clock last night 1 saw two men going east on Main street near Sixth. 1 was driving a Lack. I called to them if they wanted to go to the depot. When I turned tne corner to go to the National House some onewhistled. I turned and went back. I found Henry Baker and the deceased.Oue of them said he wanted the hack. They went into the National House barroom and had a crink. They got into the hack and told me to drive to Mrs. Michaels, on north Fourth street. We went there and then drove to No. 20north Second street. I left him at thelatter place at twenty minutes to 2o'clock this morning. Baker left the house with me in the hack.Francis M. Cain testified: I drive a hack tor C P. Staub. About 2 o’clock this morning I was in the house; a bus driver called me out and told me to goon the east side of Sixth street. J wentover and found a woman there. Henty Cline helped me into the hack and told me to drive over on Main street and she would tell me what she wanted. I droveon Main and stopped. She told me totake her to all the*saloons that weie open.I took her to a saloon on the corner of Second and Main streets, which was only one I found open. She drank a glass of beer. She then told me to drive east and see if any saloens were open. I went as far as Ninth street but foundnone open. I then went back to theNational sa!oon, where she told me toask if any person had seen the “compound” man. The bartender lohl me he I tbouelit that John Cain had taken him and Henry Baker away. She then toldwhere he had gone. I drove down to Neil Decker’s: I then drove to John Cain’s residence, No 914 south First street, and asked him where he drove the man to. I didn’t say why I wanted to know. He told me he had taken him to No 20 north Second street. The woman then told me to drive to the St Charles’Hotel. We went there and she told the night clerk if her boy woke up to take care ot him until she returned. Then she ordered me to drive to No 20 north Second street We drove there. I rang the bell. A girl opened the door and we went in The woman asked the girl if she had any rooms to rent. The girl said “no.” but the landlady would be down in a minute. The landlady came down and said shenalehad no rooms to rent, but could fix up the front room for her. She then asked theilandlady about the two men who came there at 2 o’clock. The landlady told me one ot them was then in the house. The wonan then 9aid she wanted to see him, after she and I would occupy the room. I went back to the room and knocked at the door. A girl opened it. The woman walked in and looked at the deceased, who was asleep. She said nothing, turned around, took a revolver off the bureau,’and fired a shot. She came out of the room, got into the carriage aod told me to drive to the St. Charles Hotel. She went iDto the hotel, but soon returned with a boy and told the clerk to lock up her room, as she was going away. She got in the hack and told me she wanted to give herself up. I started for the jail. Atter we hadkone about a hundred yards she stoppedme, handed me the revolver and said for me to keep it so she wouldn’t use it any more. I drove to the jail, roused up theturnkey and he told me he was the onlyerson there and to go to the police eadquarters. I started for the police headquarters and when at the corner of Third and Ohio streets, 1 met three officers. I informed them that the womanwanted to give herself up. She wantedto drive back to the house and see him betore be died, but the officers said he was dead and we drove to the jail.Maud Hunter testified: I ain an inmate of Aggie Spence’s house, No. 20north Second street. The deceased came to the house between 12 and 1 o’clock this morning. He bought beer and then went to bed with me. He went to sleep as soon as he went to bed. About 5 o’clock this morning I was awakened by some one knocking at the door. 1 opened the door and a strange woman came in. The deceased was asleep whenshe came in; she looked over at him andthen took from the bureau a revolver that the deceased had left there b*lore going to bed, and shot him once. Not a word was spoken and she went out immediately after the shooting, as did also the hackdriver. I knew neither of the parties to the shooting.Aegie Roland testified: I am known as Aggie Spence in Terre Haute. I am proprietress of the house at No. 20 north Second street. Between 12 and 1. o’clock this morning the deceased came to my house. He ordered the drinks After about an hour and a half he went with Maud Hunter to her room. This morning, after daylight, a hack drove up and the door-bell rang. I got up and went down stairs. In *he parlor I found a strange woman and a hack driver, The driver asked me about a party that came to the house the lore part of the night. At first I denied their presence I said several parties had been here and didn’t know which one he meant. Hespoke of two parties brought by JohnCain. I said one of them was here Both wanted to see him before going to bed. She spoke about a room. I asked ber who she wanted to see and she replied, or at least I so understood her, that a party was coming to see her. I told her that she could have the front Both insisted on seeing the manroobefore going to bed. I didn’t want todisturb him, but finally went to the door with them and knocked gently. The hack driver knocked loudly. The girl in the room answered and opened the door. The woman walked in the room, picked up a revolverfrom the bureau, turned towards the bedon which the deceased was lying, and shot him, Alter the shooting, the woman and the hack driver left as soon as possible. The deceased and the woman who did the shooting are unknown tome.Francis McCain, recalled, testified: The woman told me the deceased had two or three hundred dollars, which she was afraid he would spend and that was the reason she wanted to find him.Andrew Morris testified: I haveknown the deceased since 1868. In 1868 he was known as John Diamond in the oil country. In the winter ot 1871 and 1872 I met him in New York under the name of John Dye. When I knew him he was crossroading. This morning at 3:30 o’clock I was on the corner ot Second and Main streets, a woman came%up wringing her hand9 and said a manhad been shot in her house. I went to No. 20 north Second street. In a back room I found a man lying on his face on the floor with his head and shoulders lying unier the bed. Some woman connected with the house said: “Andy,look cut for that valise; it’s full ofmoney.” I called the attention of Wm. Jones to the fact that the valise should not be opened. I took the valise to the corner of Second and Main streets and left it iD charge of John Burns, bartender, subject to the order of the coroner, returning as soon as possible to the bouse, I thought the man wa9 drunk and pulled him from under the bed. I turned him over on his back and found he had received a wound aboutthree inches below the right nipple. Hewas then alive, but died in a very short time. He muttered something but it was unintelligible. He w»3 the party I have described a9 John Diamond and John Dye.woninthfor tto th hust him he w livei ant,lock jail £ hust bure Hallceas Hlt; dece him play an h calle timeSecofluerenveHallWhehi]C.dece:namlt; “Coa sixy The start from Di ing t thelodg'Trtake]lishrby Iposthad32.Mmon in ri tollo lasthubtquit wine Hou he h doze betw bancout 1to atellfourcirci9ayssayshareapj‘lt;uatiianccdowunuiTho;MarFar]thirtheranySWOlClt;hadseve ishe a ye:a gatowiver. of mwhesomiotheuablarticapplt;giviiclt;tele^the lt;MYlt;herewithNtimeT]has' actilt; i kille and died othe whomur Kan a hu founT1tookto d,nothstep lay t that'or cIAcclt;pt;oiXDealIme to drive around to the ‘‘houses” to seeJames McKenna testified: I am a policeman. About 4 o’clock this morning I was at the police headquarters. A telephone message came that a man hadbeen shot at Second and Main street*. I started for the place named. When I got there 1 was told that the shooting occurred down at Aggie’s. I was told that the man was j dead. One of the girls said the shooting ' had been by a woman who got in a hackand drove off. I started up the streetand was sent to the St. Charles Hotel,where the couple had been stopping, bythe Lieutenant. I went there and askedj for the woman who did the shooting, I I was told she had gone away in a hack. I , then went to the corner of Third and(Ohio streets and saw a hack coming from the west on Ohio street. The driver sig-ReieverElllM061pontBLLaUni'ORJerf :lt; ttll Hit
Newspaper Details
Terre Haute Weekly Gazette
Terre Haute, Indiana, US
Thu, Jul 26, 1883
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Tim C.
USA 04 Apr 2018
Other Publications Near Terre Haute, Indiana
Western Register and Terre Haute Advertiser
Terre Haute Wabash Courier
Terre Haute Tribune Star
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