Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-16

One pillar Of the front porch has
been broken down. there IL hole ten
feet long In tho flooring Of tho back
porch. one set OF steps has boon broken
to kindling wood and four windows
have boon broken and boarded up.
Tho doors have been broken in more
than once Ind nearly all OF tho smaller
pieces OF furniture have been taken
away bodily by tho curious, whose
morals seem to suffer n relapse as they
noar tho place. Samuel Levin. owner
OF tho place, hurried a watchman out
there today when he heard tho crowds
were literally pulling the place to
pieces. and tho watchman had lively
time until after dark. when the crowd
faded away.
Not in Open Scandal.
Many persons have been asking III
the friendship OF tho Rev. Edward
Wheeler Hall and Mrs. James Mills
was an open scandal In tho Church of
st. John the Evangelist. why did the
church people, tho vestry. the war
dens permit II to 20 on7 Why did they
not tako tho action customary in such
conditions7"
Tho answer ii. II was not an open
scandal. II was not a scandal at nll
In the proper sense OF tho word. There
was not even widespread gossip
There was talk" but II mover reached
the body OF tho congregation. Com
paratively few OF the 500 members of
the church heard a breath OF II. II
started in the choir and virtually
stopped there.
A few members OF the choir were
downright suspicious. others mod
erately so. others continuously increa-
ulous. Even those most suspicious
had no proof that something was
wrong" They have no proof to this
day.
That is ono of the notable facts
OF this extraordinary murder case
Despite all that has been said and
done In the month that has passed
since tho finding OF tho bodies, thor,
cxists. so far AZ public knowledge
goes. no conclusive evidentinl sup
port Of tho theory as to tho minlste,
and tho soprano 10 which the finger OF
inference no strongly polnts-no per.
son who can say, I'm not guessing oi
supposing; know"
Always Room For Doubt.
Within tho month facts have Doe,
disclosed which would in the mind
OF the sophisticated. place the char
acters OF tho man and woman on tn
defensive, TO say the least. and We
even the many sophisticated person.
now visible here have TO nod assen
when. after the discussion has swun,
around the trampled circle, some on
says: And it wasn't true after all :"
Another interesting II not signincan
fact ia the persistent refusal OF tn
Hreat majority Of his parishioncrs Z,
believe any evil OF Mr.. Hall. The nor
worldly remark, Well. he was n hu
man being like tho sest OF u.s." bu
most of tho men and women who at
tended st, Johns are so sure that h,
could not have erred that they speal
out their faith exultantly. defantl,
and one is forced 10 believe sincerely
This has often been noted before. bu
Ia worth nothing again.
For example. there il Miss Agne
Storcr. organist OF the church for elgh
teen years. an intelligent and devou
senuewoman. She was with tho Choi
constantly and must have heard tn,
gossip. yet she says:
We are all waiting anxlously 70,
the mystery TO he cleared, as It viii b.
In Gods good time. for when Il Il
cleared every ono will see that Mr.
I 1yan fhn In n,
knew him 10 be-"
Opinions Of Church People.
reporter yesterday spent som,
time talking with persons who knew
most about the relations OF Mr.. Hal
and Mrs. Mills and what was going
on within the church group. Some o.
them spoke with unexpected frankness
others evasively and others not Mt all
The reporters purpose WAS 10 pene.
trate as far as possible into the truth
of the theory that the secret OF tn,
murders lies IN St Johns Church
Whatever he found out is here sc
down.
Mr.. Hall. Il Will be recalled, settle,
, in New Brunswick on July Is. 1909 II
/ was born in Brooklyn, sang in tn
3 boys choir OF Grace Church in Maj
1 haitian. was graduated from HubaI
= College and the General -TheolOgica
{ Seminary, went 10 Bernardsville.
= j.. after serving as n curate In GraC
Chapel, New York. and from Bernardt
Vile wns called TO New Brunswick
St Johns Church, originally an of
s shoot OF a larger church in Ne
: Brunswick. had q small congregatio
: that increased considerably during II
= Halls rectorship. II hae by no meaI
9 the largest church building IN tow
n but good architecture and tho plantir
n of fast growing ivy which now smotl
g ers tho walls made II attractive. NJ
II Hall. when he moved to New Brun
e. wick. was IS years Old. rather shoi
inclined 20 be chubby, fresh in colo
= Of boyish disposition.
Rector WEEDS In 1911.
During the first year he seemed
the parishioners to have a mark
liking for Miss Matte Long. a scho
tea cher. Their engagement was r
ported, but not announced Recent
Miss Long died Her friends say &,
,e