Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-20
BELIEVE COUPLE SLAIN
IN DESERTED HOUSE

mystery will never be solved, per-
haps because some one of influence
may be involved.
The house which today is the cen
ter about which the crime %revolves
was ideal as a trysting place for
; lovers, and those who have been at
the place cannot help but connect it
with the mystery which surrounds
the murder. One of the first stories
concerning the minister and Mrs.
Mills to become known was that the
minister frequently went to the
Parker Home for the Aged in Eas-
ton avenue to hold services and that
Mrs. Mills accompanied him to lead
the singing.
1t now appears that the visits of
the minister to the home were never
frequent, and that Mrs. Mills is not
known to the secretary in charge
ever to have visited Il place. This
is significant in view of the fact that
the Phillips house, apparently de-
serted, although fully furnished, is
directly across the road from the
Parker home.
The house is ninety years old and
a more fitting place for such a crime
could not have been located. State
troopers and county detectives nave
az a -
and although a few days ago it SEEM
ed to open to the public view. today
the windows have been closed and
it is the general opinion that M
thing Of importance was discovered
during the examination. There is
evidence that someone is inside tE@
house, although repeated knocking
at the door brings nc response. Those
who have visited the place have rea-
son to believe that a guard has been
placed in the house by the detective.
Yesterday it was found that the
house is not the Phillips house It all,
it having been sold last July to 10
seph H.. Porter, trust officer of the
National Bank of New Jersey, and
trustee of the estate of Willie Stew
ems. the brother of Mrs. Hall. wife
Of the dead rector. This may be a
mere coincidence, but 1t had added
greatly to the mystery.
When it was found that the land
on which the bodies were discovered
and the empty house had been pur-
chased recently by the trustee of
the estate of Willie Stevens, it was
recalled also that Mr.. Porter had
left town Saturday morning on a
two weeks vacation, either just be-
fore or just after the bodies were
discovered.
Although Porter was supposed to
be away inquiry was made at the
Porter home on Grand avenue, High
land Park. There it appeared thai
the family had returned just ten
minutes ago." Mr.. Porter being IL
with asthma.
Mrs. Porter answered the door
bell. She insisted thai her husband
could not be seen, no matter how
urgent the matter. She showed
much annoyance that any questions
should be addressed to her.
Mrs. Porter admitted that her
husband had bought the place.
but he doesn't W it now she
said.
who does?"
You'll have to find that out from
the records"
Did Mr.. Porter buy it for Willie
Stevens"
No, he didn't. Neither Mr.. Stew
ems nor any other member of the
Stevens family has any interest in it,"
Throughout the last four days the
scene of the crimes has been re-
ferred to as the Phillips's Farm.
Though officials and others interest
ed in the case have talked about the
place from time to time, it was
never disclosed that it was not the
Phillips's Farm and had not been
for many months. The Phillips, in
fact, have not lived there since last
November. They live more than four
miles away on the Milestone road be-
yond the little settlement of Middle
bush.
As A.. d. Phillips, head of the
family, readily told all there was
abo"t the place. He said:
1T was sold last summer through
Sam Levin, a real estate agent, VINO
has an office in the building of the
National Bank of New Jersey,
where, of course, Porter's Office also
is. | told Levin L wanted 5000 for
it. There are about 14SH acres and
the place extends along De Russy
lane for nearly a mile. In November
Levin told me he had a purchaser,
he thought, and negotiations were
begun with Porter, who took an OPP
ton.
Deal for Farm Hangs Fire
"Then the thing hung fire for
months, just why l can't say. In July
the deal was closed, but / IA ask
ed not to say what the price was.
Alfred Marsh of the Middlesex Guar
antee Trust Company acted as coun-
sci for both parties. Under agree
ment we left all the furniture and
everything Just as it was. We
brought nothing away except our
personal belongings. I don't know
why that was stipulated, for, as far
as | know. no one has ever occupied
the place since.
The house has a staircase of
mahogany and its rooms are very
large. 1t was built ninety-fve years
ago by the De Russys, who owned
all the land whereabouts and had
owned it for 200 years. The house
was erected after the original De
Russy home burned down.
II bought the place in 1906 from
Amedee and Julia De Russy, brother
and sister. They now live in Wood
bridge, N. J. Porter has never lived
there. He lives in Highland Park.
They tell me the place looks clean
and tidy inside and l can't quite UNI
derstand that. for as far as L know
there has not even been q care
taker there"
Levin has said that it is untrue
that the farm was sold to Porter,
and declares that it had remained In
his name. This is in sharp contra
diction to the statement made by
Phillips, and also at variance with
what Mrs. Porter intimated. What
Phillips says about the property is
interesting, when one considers the
fact that the house appears as II II
had been recently occupied, in fact
as if the occupants had just stepped
out for a few minutes, Even tn,
windows appear to have been re
Gently washed. The lawn is abou'
the only neglected place about the
property.