Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-21
NEW WOMAN WITNESS
MAY SOLVE MYSTERY
OF DOUBLE MURDER
Swears, in Affidavit, That She
Saw Shooting of Rector and
Choir Singer.
STEVENS TALKS OF ALlBI
By Associnted Press to Every Evening.

EvCNO lHlhO UT HEiDl
iy Associated Press to Every Evening.
New Brunswick. n. j., oct. 21.--
by information furnished in
n affidavit by witness TO the mur-
ers OF the Rev Edward Wheeler Hall,
ector OF the Episcopal Church Of ST.
ohm the Evangelist and his choir
nader. Mrs. Eleanor Reinhardt Mills.
authorities today appeared confident
hat the mystery soon IS 20 be solved.
With guards keeping leading char
Icters in the drama under constant
no fear was felt that
persons might escape.
Reports OF the discovery of a wit
ness to the double shooting. a woman
,f reputable character. were confirm
ID officially.
No Blood On Stevens Hands.
In a statement given out at la
y. j., Henry Stevens, crack
shot. and brother OF Mrs. Frances
stevens Hall. widow Of the slain rec
TOR. discussing the killing. says: :
There Is no blood on my hands -
ne declared IF / had guilty knowl-
'dge Of this awful thing my conscience
would accuse me without ceasing."
He said that he had no opinion as
20 who killed Mr. Hall and Mrs. Mills,
but had an impression that blackmail
was the motive.
1T la my impression" he said.
that some OF the EVIL characters who
i've in certain sections OF New Bruins
wick. no doubt more than one per
son, were involved. and ono OF them
might we'll have been a criminally In
clined woman-and heard OF the town
gossip that associated the names oi
DR.. Hall and Mrs. Mills. These deg
perate characters probably decided n
take advantage OF the talk 70 black
mail DR.. Hall.
Many Puzzllng Questions.
why Mrs. Mills throat was cut is
n question for speculation" ne said
adding that this applied also 10 ques-
tions as 10 vhy the love letters were
about. and the bodies laid
out IN an orderly manner.
AT the moment these murders were
he concluded. Il wa,
within 100 yards OF my home. hshinl
in the ocean. Several friends wer.
with me about I until half past ter
o'clock that night, At 1890. we wen
home where Mrs. Stevens and som,
friends were awaiting us. Hal, al
hour later my family. including my
self, went TO bed"
Preparing to Issue Warrants.
Working Independently OF all othe
investigating forces, Prosecute
Stricken OF Middlesex. county toda,
prepared TO question at least five per
sons in an effort TO obtain sufficien
evidence to warrant an arrest in IN,
case.
In the meantime Prosecutor Beck
man Of Somerset county, operating ol
4 different track was reported to b.
preparing subpOenaes for witnesse
TO appear before the Somerset count,
grand jury at Somerville on Monday.
Prosecutor Beekman believes he vii
be able TO present enough information
10 bring an indictment.
Mrs. Halls Maid Examined.
Barbara Tough. n maid in the Ha
home was the first witness called b
Prosecutor Stricken. She appeared a
his cfiice about half an hour afte
being summoned. In calling member
of the Hall household, Mr.. Stricke
intended it was said. 20 learn some
thing of reported differences in I'll
Stevens family when the Rev. Ha
and Frances Stevens were married
Motive for Murder Established.
One of the persons to be called be
fore Prosecutor Stricken today @
Monday. II was said, was Ralph y
Gorsline. vestryman OF the Churc
Of st. John the Evangelist. Mr.. Gors
line was reported TO have been ou
walking with young woman membe
Of the church on the night OF III
murder
Investigators intimate that the
have established the motive for ID
Staying OF Rev. Hall and Mrs. MIL
but that their failure to make arres;
is due to the fact that some Of III
links in their chain Of evidence ha,
not been properly forged.
The Grand Jury Of Somerset count
met in Someville yesterday, an
while Mr.. Beekman will not admit il.
is understood that the Hall-Mils mu
der case was taken up. Beekman al
Detective Totten were before II
Grand Jury for an hour last nigh
Discussion of the activity Of the Graz
Jury led to reiterated reports that i,
dictments will be found in the ne;
future, possibly at the beginning
next week.
Saw Five Persons at Murder Seen
The eyewitness referred to is
woman who. it is understood, on II
night of the murder was close enoue
TO observe the actions of a group sa
to consist of five persons, two OF who
were women and three men. One
the men was Hall. One of the WON,
was Mrs. Mills. The eyewitness. il
stated. saw the crime committed. b
| ii was dark and there is some questi,
as TO the ability of Prosecutor Bee
man to establish beyond doubt q
| identity of the persons who form
the rest of the group.
So far he has made definite progre
along this line.
In cases where Identification by
eyewitness is the chief feature of I
Continued on page 2.
FAIR, COOL NEXT WEEK,