stamfordconnecticut

Judge William Henry Williams (b.1850) presided.over the twelve day jury trial of Mrs. Helen M. Angle in March, 1915, for manslaughter in the death of her friend Waldo R. Ballou in Stamford, (Fairfield County) Connecticut in June, 1914. The trial was held in the Superior Court at Bridgeport, Connecticut, the county seat of Fairfield County. The all male jury had an average age of fifty, the youngest was thirty five. The question before the jury was, did Waldo Ballou, Helen Angle's elderly suitor, fall down the stairs from Helen's apartment, after calling on her late one night, fracturing his skull... or was he, as the State contends, pushed -- or hit over the head with an iron? Judge Williams twice warned the lawyers and press against untimely disclosure or discussions of the evidence to be introduced. He said that under Connecticut law any one making public testimony in advance of its introduction in court would be open to a charge of contempt. Mrs Angle took the stand in her own defense, and told her version of what happened on the night of June 23, 1914. More than 500 people were turned away from the packed courtroom. After a twelve day trial the jury deliberated for one hour and forty-five minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty, after three ballots. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge William H. Williams was State's Attorney for New Haven County, and a partner in the firm of Wooster, Williams & Gager.  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]  

Thanks Pixel Wrangler, We'll add his full name to our record.

Mrs. Helen M. Angle was on trial in March, 1915, for manslaughter in the death of her friend Waldo R. Ballou in Stamford, Connecticut on June 23, 1914. Helen was divorced from her husband of twelve years, Frank W. Angle. Her father was Leonard Blondel, a wealthy former Stamford Councilman who was retired from the coal and road contracting business Waldo Ballou was was a friend of her fathers, and a leading Republican politician and Stamford business man. Helen met Waldo in 1911 after his wife died. Waldo proposed to Helen several times, but she said he was too old. He was 69, she was 40. Mrs Angle took the stand in her own defense, and told her version of what happened on the night of June 23, 1914. More than 500 people were turned away from the packed courtroom. After a twelve day trial the jury deliberated for one hour and forty-five minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty, after three ballots. Judge William H. Williams presided. Eight months after the trial, Helen remarried her former husband, Frank Angle, a foreman at Union Metallic Cartridge Company in Stamford. It was said that during her trial Mr Angle's sympathies were aroused, and he was a frequent visitor in the court. [1] [2] [3]  

There are several low-angle shots from inside the courtroom. I wonder if they were taken surreptitously?

Thanks Pixel Wrangler for her full name, we will update our record. That's a good question artolog. I think it would be hard to sneak a camera from that time period in, but he may have been able to take in his camera because he took photos before and after the trial. The only thing I'm unsure of, is if he could take multiple photos without making any noise or being disruptive. He would have had to change the glass negatives and that seems like that would be hard to do secretly. That's all assumption on my part. Feel free to suggest other reasons.

This was an accident at Stamford, Connecticut, on June 12, 1913. A west-bound express train from Boston apparently did not stop for a signal, and rammed into the (wooden) Skylark chair-car (pictured above), that was stopped at Stamford Station, killing six people and injuring dozens more. There was an extensive investigation amid differing claims that the brakes were either faulty, or were in excellent condition. — excerpted from New York Times. This accident appears to mark the end of major railroads using wooden coaches, with all steel construction becoming the norm.[1] (Note the large wheels of the locomotive are under the wooden coach car.)  

Pixel Wrangler: Thanks for supplying further information and references. We'll upgrade our source data with the specifics and reload the description.

Ghastly. The engine went more than half way through the passenger car. Interesting that the locomotive wasn't damaged in the collision. Two days later its brakes were tested at full speed by a panel of experts. The engine appears to be a 4-6-2 (Pacific) locomotive.