The New York herald., 1922-11-02
1e wall, The room is hope

lures on the wall, The room is hope
lcssly uiu-Vietoriar.
Mr.. Pfedfter. whose stroke in submit
ting his client TO a cross examina ton
al this stage OF the case. is sure to
cause much comment in legal circles. ex-
Tiained the arrangements to the twenty
odd interviewers. Any question at tali
was to be asked. he said, and he wotld
not even be In the room. Fifty min.
utcs was tine time assigned. At a
round table, by the doorway letting
on the hall. were two stenographers.
Having explained all this Mr.. Pfeiffer
escorted Mrs. Hall into the room and
presented her, departing immediately.
Mrs. Hall inclined her head very
slightly, indeed. as the two reporters
who were to do the main questioning
We're introduced Then she sat down
in high backed rocking chair beside
The table at witch the two stenog-
yaphers sat. She placed one hand on
either arm ar the start. crossed her feet
so that both rested firmly on the floor
and looked about. Her eyes narrowed,
there was slight shadow of smile
which might. perhaps have been mis-
s.s,fen for y sneer.
To Anore, than one oG the interviegers
tse air was electrical They were iools-
Ing full at a woman who for weeks has
ceen tho storm center of this remark
aa,e csse---a woman deprived of her
I husband by violence. a woman whose
Y fS:r1 in that husband might well have
heen shattered. woman against whom
-errible insiniAations have been leveled,
woman chargeds-and by another
woTnan-with the highest crime the law
knows. The inteeviewers felt the situa-
ton.
Mrs. Hall. On the other hand. was at
ease. Her hands fell gracefully in place
on the rocker arms She was the very
embodiment of potse. of self-controi.
She was submitting to an interview. She
was not woman seeking to let her
story be known that she might be judged
thereby. She was cool, tolerant almost
: taciturn client. Neither then nor at any
time was she the gracious. gentle lady
Y valantly putting up with unwelcone
guests.
The first question concerned Mrs. Glib
son. the woman farmer. who has said
she saw Mrs. Hall at the Phillips farm
ON the night of the murder. To the
question there is no visible reaction in
Mrs. Halls mind except that incident 20
the necessity af answering. So she says
What comment could I make? OF
course. that was not So" And that was
all. To Mrs. Halls mind it was clear.
Mrs Gibson was disposed of-story
and all.
A moment or so later came the sug-
cestion that she tell in her own way of
her movements on the night Of the MUIR
der. And Mrs. Hall said: Would yot,
rather ask questions? Ask me what l
was doing" Again the eyes narrowed
ever so little. Neither then nor later did
Mrs. Hall show any disposition to speak
out to volunteer information. to aid her
interviewers. She would answer ques-
ticns. That was the bargain. Beyond
II she would not go. From first to last
that was her attitude.
Face Not Mobile.
When the first question was asked
concerning the relationship of Mrs. Mills
and her husband the small thin fingers
OF the right hand closed ever so SLOWLY
ever the arm of the rocker. Far back
IN the mind there had stirred e. some
thing. but the movement that resulted
w:ts not convulsive II seemed rather de-
liberate Reason. not emotion. caused
the fingers To move.
Mrs Halls face throughout tho inter-
view hardly changed. There was
quick smile about the mouth well on in
the questioning when the preserving or
pickles was mentioned. The eyes did
not smile even then. The features are
so heavy that naturally the face Is not
mobile No muscles twitch by accident
What brightness may appear In the eyes
from time TO time serves only 10 ac-
centuate the hardness OF those MEM
bere The face, besides being heavy. is
sallow. This serves 60 rob the whole
countenance of light and life.
The whole OF the interview, questions
and answers is printed IN other coll
umns. Mrs. Hall answered every ques-
tion. She seemed trihe evasive when
closely questioned as to why she had
not given her name to the police when
she FIRST called asking II there had been
an automobile accident She seemed
lA.-
vazueness. when the question OF the
time she says she went 10 the church
and the time she says she returned
were up for discussion. She seemed TO
feel a sense OF secureness in her an
swers 10 questions regarding Mrs. Mills
and 70 take pride that she felt no vim
dictiveness and would not want to have
any one punished.
One Outstandfng Point.
II Is perhaps a significant thing that
the one point on which Mrs. Hall really
ball1ed concerned neither the death OF
her husband the fnslnuations against
her nor the alleged relationship between
the rector and the singer The question
she put off and asked not to be pressed
concerned $4,000 in money that her
husband had and where he got II. To
questions as TO this she replied rs that
necessary? All those questions-havc
they anything 10 do with III
Actually. as tho record shows. Mrs.
Hall did not state where II was the ad-
ditional $4,000 OF her husbands estate
came from. though she answered ques-
tions as 70 insanity in her own family.
as TO her relations with her husband.
as 20 her attitude toward the woman
who died beside him and as 10 the let
ters Hall is supposed TO have written to
q woman other than his wife.
This vas one outstanding point
Another was the evident dsdain with
which the question Were you born in
New Brunswick was received. Mrs.
Hall was born in South Carolina and
sho was Just as proud OF that fact to-
day as she ever was. There was
much keener note of appreciation in her
voice as she answered that question than
was noticeable when she replied II do"
TO the question do you stifl believe in
your husband?"
Through the nfty-three minutes Mrs
Hall turned her head slightly this way
and that as the questions came from
another and anou er. Once or twice she
moved her feet a little. once she re-
adjusted her scarf Otherwise she
scarcely moved. Then when Mr.. Pfeiffer
came back into the room she rose. stood
an instant while he spoke. said with
acidity: Yes they have asked dues-