Imperial Valley press., 1922-10-09
|SAYSPARSON
WAS KILLED
BY MISTAKE
Solution of Mystery May
Be Found in Story
of Two Boys
CONFESSIONS MADE?
Pal Says Mayes Mistaken
in Identity of Two
Persons Slain
CONFESSIONS MADE?
United Press Leased Wire

| NEW BRUNSWICK, y. j., Oct. g.
| Clifford Hayes, 10 years old, Will be
charged with the murder of the Rev.
Edward w. Hall, millionaire pastor, and
Mrs James Mills, his choir leader, ac-
cording TO an official statement issued
ut noon today by Prosecutors Beekman
and Strickler.
The statement said that Raymond
Schneider, % wears old, will be held as
q material witness and that the process
against Hayes will be issued in Somer-
set County, wherein the bodies were
found this afternoon.
Prior to the prosecutor 5 statement,
Schneider was reported TO have signed
statement charging that Hayes shot
Mrs. Mills and Hall by mistake, think
ing the woman was Deari BANNER,
daughter of IL saloon keeper, with whom
Hayes was in love. f
Beekman and Strickler declared that
Hayes would he charged with the mur-
der on ''information by Schneider.ii'
They declared the shooting had evident
" taken place in Somerset County on
the abandoned Phillips farm.
Both Hayes and Schneider are in
custody pending the formal charge
against Hayes.
Arrest of Hayes and Schneider came
after an all night grilling of the pair,
who are chums. Schneider and Pearl
Bahmer, the girl over whom Hayes -
alleged to have been jealous, reported
TO police here they had found the bodies
while hunting mushrooms. Both had
been quizzed previous to today and
Schneider was understood to have main
tanned he had no knowledge OF the
crime other than that he stumbled onto
the bodies, laid out side-byside, with
Mrs. Mills horribly mutilatcd.
Official Statement
The statement issued by Beekman and
Strekler said:
"Upon information in possession OF
the prosecutor s office, obtained from
Raymond Schneider and other witnesses
we feel obliged to prefer charge OF
murder against one Clifford Hayes.
"Schneder will be held as a material
witness, awaiting further developments
in the ease. A process will be issued
in Somerset County today, where it
appears the crime was committed. Both
men will be detained in the Somerset
County Jail =
The prosecutors refused to cay
whether they had eliminated the Mills
and Hall families from the ease.
''We cannot eliminate anyone yet,'
Beekman said
When questioned what had become OF
Hall 5 knife, watch and gun, he re-
Piled:
''Do not ask any questions that will
let those under arrest know what in
formation we have.
He refused TO comment on Schneider s
confession. "We cannot discuss that,
either, he said
Schneider, in his statement, accord
ing to report, declared that Hayes was
Jealous of Pearl BANNER, 10 year old
daughter of u saloon keeper. While
walking with Schneider the night OF
September 1.-THE night Of the mnr
der--he saw Pearl with man who
appeared to be intoxicated,
The two young men followed the pair
anu watched them disappear in the
shadows under a crab-apple tree on the
abandoned Phillips farm.
They followed and then, according
| to the alleged statement, Hayes drew
! Il revolver and opened fire, supposedly
| at Pearl and the drunken man. When
the boys examined the bodies, how,
/ ere, they found it was the clergymaa
and the choir singer who had been shot.
L