New-York tribune., 1922-11-05
Can Forestall Possibility
OF Arrest Unless In
dicted if Allowed to
Testify. Is Her Belief
Motifs Reliance Is
Mrs. Cibson's Story
Rector's Wife Not Fear
ing Indictment ON the
Eyewitness Evidence
BY Boyden Sparkes

"oi oue ooihsrSet county grand jury
is convened to consider the Hall.Mills
murder mystery, Mrs. Frances Stevens
Hall will go to Somerville and demand
that she be allowed to testify. This
was stated authoritatively at the Hall
home to-day with the permission OF
Mrs. Hall. The widow of the murdered
rector of the Church of St. John the
Evangelist, will waive immunity.
BY this bold decision, it is believed
MRS. Hall and her counsel have fore.
stalled any possibility of her being
arrested without the formality Of an
Indictment, and if she is permitted tc
testify before the grand jurors and
withstands their examination, there is
an excellent chance that they will re.
fuse to indict her on the evidence tina;
Special Deputy Attorney General Will.
bur Mott is prepared to present.
a prominent New Jersey attorney
intimated that Mrs. Hall might not be
running any great risk in offering ia
waive immunity, as the law of New
Jersey forbids the acceptance of a
waiver of immunity from prospective
defendant.
"Under the New Jersey law" he
said, there is no such thing as a
waiver Of Immunity. A prospective de-
fendant has no legal right in this state
to appear before the grand jury as a
witness in the case in which he or she
is involved. The prosecutor conduct
ing the investigation naturally would
oppose any such move"
Mr.. Mott is, on his own word, relying
on the eyewitness" story of Mrs. Jane
Gibson, or Easton, who says she saw
Mrs. Hall at the Phillips farm both
before and after the murders, on the
night of September IA. But this strange
farm wcman, who seems to reconcile
herself to scayenger's life on BEHALF
of her pigs by weaving for herself a
romantic background of blue-bloodeG
ancestry. h through much talking has got
herself into q mire deeper chan those
in which. her pigs wallow.
Many Doubt Her Word
AS the case stands, counsel for Mrs.
Hall could show by the testimony of
a score of newspaper correspondents
and many residents of the region in
WAlCH tis laIM Woman lives tn6C an e
does not scorn to tell what suits her
convenience.
This woman, born in Hoboken, but
asserting that hers is an old Kentucky
family seems to have a passion for
making complaints against people.
Some time ago she went to Chief Of
Police O'Connell, Of New Brunswick,
and asked for detective to catch q
person who was opening the. gate of
her pig pasture. She offered to pay
$100 for the detectives services.
Somerset County, advised her to COM
municate with the authorities there.
It is known that Azariah Beekman,
prosecutor Of Somerset County, de-
clined to take action on Mrs. Gibson s
story because Of her frequent COM
plants to his office against various
people she believed had offended
against the law and herself. 1t was
this stand on the part Of Prosecutor
Beekman that caused split between
him and Prosecutor Stricker, of Mid
sion they went to Supreme Court Jus
ticc Parker and told him they were
ready to be superseded. Then Wilbur
Mott was named special assistant at
torney general to take charge Of the
murder investigation.
A little more light was thrown on
Mrs. Gibson's character to-day by
Frank Dole, who lives in Metuchen.
Mr.. Dole is director of the dog depart
ment Of "Harper's Bazaar"
Tells of Visit to Farm
He knows more about dogs than old
man Noah, but Mrs. Gibson did not
know this. when he motored into her
farm about six weeks ago---before the
farm woman figured in the murder
mystery-to inquire about some collie
pups she had advertised for sale.
"She said the male pups were all
gone" said Mr.. Dole yesterday.
~ explained that / wanted some pups
before Christmas and Mrs. Gibson as
sured me her dog would have more in
plenty of time. suggested that they
would hardly be old enough to leave
their mother; that in four weeks they
wouldn't be able to eat.
"sMy dogs eat at two weeks the
woman assured me In very positive
way. She didn't know knew anything
about dogs. / saw she was just giving
me lot Of hot air, but out Of curiosity
I inquired about racehorse she had
advertised for sale.
ais it trotting or running horse r
I asked her. Both" she replied.
"What?n asked. "You mean this
horse will trot in harness or run under
the saddle?'' "That's what ! mean,"
said Mrs. Gibson. This horse does
BOTH
Il have felt since Mrs. Gibson told
her story naming Mrs. Hall" said Mr.
Dole, "that it was my duty to relate
this experience. After my talk with