Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-05
MRS. MILLS SLAYER
WASA CRACK SHOT
Finding Of Three Bullets in a
Row Shifts Murder Mys-
tory Inquiry.

New brunswick. y. j., Oct. e.
Some one who was not only CONVEX
eant with firearms but practiced In
the use OF the pistol killed the Rev.
Edward w. Hall, rector OF the Church
of st. John the Evangelist. and Mrs,
Eleanor Mills. church worker and
choir singer, on the night OF Septem-
Der IL.
This has been established beyond
question by the authorities. The In
formation Is regarded by them as
eliminating from consideration some
OF tho persons who have been more or
less under suspicion.
Within the last thirty-six hours
much OF Importance has been dis
covered. Plans have been laid for deep
and searching inquiry along lines
hitherto untouched.
Should an arrest be made and ex-
pected disclosures follow there will be
revealed. it is firmly believed, sur
prising chain of events not only lead
ing up to the murder but following IT.
Reasons then may be found Tor some
OF the bungling that has been apparen
more than once since the inquiry be-
ran. Ii also may be revealed that the
crime was planned long in advance
The determination that a practiceo
= pistol shot killed the couple follows on
the REORGANIZATION OF the body OF Mrs.
Mills, 1t demonstrates the high M
portance Of the autopsy and the utter
worthlessness of the superficial exam
ination made after the bodies were
rr-,S- N.tt y,i,,ofinn hr0uE ut
forth the vague and unsatisfactory re-
port that Mrs. Mills had been sho'
once. The denomination disclosed
four bullet wounds in her head, one
being in her lip. 1t now appears tha'
three of the wounds in the head Were
in roy and constituted an exhloition
OF craftsmanship of which an expert
might be proud. The weapon used was
Colts automatic pistol. n novice
with this weapon could not, in the
Judgment of experts, have scored Sc
, heavily, even at close range.
Points that the Hall autopsy vii
decide are whether the clergyman wa
shot more than once, whether the cal
iber OF bullet that killed him was the
same as that which slew Mrs. Mills
and whether his body was mutilatet
after death.
DR.. T.. /. Cronk, Health Officer here
Is 10 represent the two county Prose
cutors, Stricken and Beekman, at TIL
autopsy in Brooklyn. Cronk did not eN
anime the Hall body before burial eN
cept in a perfunctory manner. He die
examine the body Of Mrs. Mills.
- -. fnI that che had hpCf
shot more than once that led to tn
'iecussion between him and DR.. WI
liam Long, Coroner's Physician, VIII
made the original superficial examina
ton. When he was asked why he ha'
examined Mrs. Mills body, Cronk sal
ne had been engaged to do so by forme
State Senator William +. Florancs
counsel to the Hall family.
Theoretically. at least, Timoth
PfefYer OF New York has succeede
FYorance as the Hall family counse
He has been here nearly every day
and yesterday he had long talk Wit
the newspaper men. He admitted IN
truth OF the story that he hsd aske
pernaission TO attend the autopsy {
be held today and that his request ha
been refused by the two prosecutor
His desire 10 be present. he said. wa
10 enable him to be sure thorous
examination was made.
The theory that DR.. Hall and Mr.
Mills had planned TO elope 10 II
Orient and that this elopement Wa
prevented by the death Of both We
given renewed consideration yeste'
day with the disclosure that Mrs. Mil
had written to Hindu practitioner 4
occult spiritualism in Miami, fla' la
February. asking him;
Il. Will the minister get divorce
o. VIII he go to a foreign country
IS. If he goes 10 the Orient, shall
60 with him."