The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1886. The Hall-Houston Case

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 57, 23 October 1886, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1886. The Hall-Houston Case

This famous trial has brought to light one of the most cold-blooded attempts to do murder yet recorded in the anuals of crime. The details of the case, the principal points of the evidence, the verdict of the Jury, and the address of the learned Judge in passing sentence on Hall, have already been placed before our readers. Tke punishment of imprisonment for life inflicted on Hall will satisfy the demands of justice as far as the letter of the law requires ; but we do not believe it will be any real punishment to the would-be murderer, who appears too callous to feel the shame and horror of his position, The evidence available against Miss Houston was very slight, and hardlj justified the Crown in placing her on the same footing as the prisoner Hall. But the theory appears to have been that as criminal relations were supposed to exist between them, therefore both were equally interested in procuring the death of Mrs Hall. The man to obtain the insurance money ©a the life of Mrs Hall to conceal his forgeries, and the woman to save her reputation by marriage. This theory as far as Miss Houston was concerned fell to the ground as soon as medical evidence was given, that it was impossible for the supposed criminal relations to have existed, and the conclusion was jumped at that she was therefore perfectly innocent and utterly ignorant of the crime which was being perpetrated under her very eyes. In our opinion there is another theory which might be accepted as haviug some better basis. Miss Houston has shown since the commencement of the trial that she is brave, acute, and self-reliant. Her experiences as a hospital nurse would give her a knowledge of many subjects on which the average woman is fortunately innocent. Her knowledge of" life must have been extensive although she is but youug in years, and the lessons she would gain in watching the sad fate which invariably overtakes her erring sisters, would prevent her falling into sin from mere natural wickedness. Besides, she had everything to lose and nothing to gain by becoming the mistress of Hall during the life of his wife. With the removal of Mrs Hall, however, there would be no obstacle iv the way of her taking the place of the dead woman as the second wife of Hall. Therefore, assuming this theory to be correct, the insurance money and the hoped-for possession of Miss Houston were the influences which moved Hall to the crime. That the former was ignorant of Hall's true monetary position we are certain. The prosecution endeavored to make a point against her from the fact that she rushed to assist Hall when he was struggling with the Inspector of the Police at the time of the arrest, thereby implying that she was aware of his having the poison on him, and ia fact was an accomplice. Nothing is mere natural for a woman than to run to the assistance of any man she likes — to use n» stronger term — when she sees him engaged in a struggle witk another, and this point, with the icewater incident, were the only two semblances of evidence against Miss Houston, and were very properly scouted by the Jury as proofs of guilt. It might, therefore, have been contended that although Miss Houston did not actually conspire with Hall in the attempted murder, yet the death of Mrs Hall would clear the way for her marriage with the man to whom it was at one time suspected she was not indifferent. We are now aware that this is only theory and surmise, although at one time before the evid«nce was given it seemod extremely plausible.