New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
Friends Declare Woman
Had No Knowledge Of
Rector's Romance With
the Slain Choir Singer
Doubt Story Told
By Mrs. Gibson
Witness Perspades the
Officials Her Recital
ls True; Others Wonder
BY Boyslen Sparkes

NEW BRUNSWICK, N. j.. Oct. 2s.-
1t became apparent tonight that Mrs.
Edward Wheeler Hall, widow of the
murdered clergyman, was given the de-
tails of Mrs. Jane .Gibson's story soon
after she made her affidavit, when q
friend of the family told what her re-
action had been when she was shown
the charges made by the woman who
has offered herself as an eyewitness
of the murder.
What is there that I can say?"
this friend quoted the widow as saying
as she put down the paper. "I wasn't
there. I know l wasn't there, but they
probably won't believe me-"
The same person declared that Mrs
Hals still stoutly believes in her hus-
band, and keeps saying again and
again: IF Edward were only here he
would nave some satisfactory explana-
ton of everything, including those let
ters." Again, the friend said, she broke
out almost passionately, crying: 81
have been figure in this community
! have tried to be honest and honora-
pie; Does PERSONS past count for
nothing?"
Passes Hours in Study
To this intimate she seemed a pa
thetlc figure, tired, resting late, and
then passing her mornings in the rec
tors study, where she can find around
her the homelike things which will re-
mind her Of her husband. Mr. Pfeiffer
said Of her tonight that no one could
be as natural as she is with any secret
preying on her conscience.
apparently both the dead rector's
family and hers are convinced that she
was in no wise connected with the
double killing. Reporters were told
that Mrs. Francis Voorhees,, of IS Grit
nth Street. Jersey City, and Mrs. Paul
Bonner, of s27 Park Avenue, sisters
OF the murdered man, have implicit
faith in his widow and have called on
And Edwin Carpenter, Mrs, Halls
cousin. secuted the idea that she had
suspected the clergyman and the sex
tons wife by saying that there is "no
use trying to convince Frances that
Edward was not saint"
A half dozen relatives and friends
dropped in at the Hall home this after
noon for tea. The impression at first
prevailed that they had gathered for a
conference, pres umably over Mrs. Glib
sons story, but this rumor Mrs, Halls
attorney, Timothy N. Pfeiffer, went out
of his way to discredit. He admitted
that one OF the guests, Mrs. Sidney
Carpenter, had brought some inforna.
tion which he thought might prove Of
value, but added that he had shortly
disposed of her suggestion. The others
who called included Mr.. and Mrs. Mon
cure Carpenter, Mrs. Edwin Carpender
and Mrs. Sallie Peters.
Doubt the Gibson Story
AT the close of the talk the Iswvor
admitted that he had men at work
looking for clews, but denied that he
had found anything of sufficient value
TO warrant turning over to the
prosecution.
The credibility as a witness of Mrs.
Glpson became point of interest in
the case to-day. Guarded by a state
tfooper' the woman who says she sat
On the back of mule and silently
watched the cold-blooded killing Of
dail and his choir nger-sweetheart,
MRS: Eleanor Mills, kept herself in
seml-seclusion on her sixty-acre farm,
where she raises pigs.
,,l Prosecutor Joseph Stricken Of Mid
credibility Of Mrs. Gibson. although
probably unwittingly, when he said
that. no one in his Office has ever re-
1used to listen to her story. Mrs. Glib
son told newspaper reporters last
Wednesday night at her farm that she
mao tried again and again" to tele-
phone her story to the officials at the
courthouse here
AT least two persons were found to-
day who are prepared to tell of
encounters with this unusual character
that have prejudiced them against any
story she might tell.
one of these is Joseph G. Baer, an
instructor in chemistry in the Stuy-
vesant High School, New York. He
said that his eldest boy, fifteen years
old, was. a classmate of Mrs. Gibson's
son at the public school in Hamilton
Road, about mile from Mrs. Gibson's
farm.
my boy tells me that his name is
William Eastman" said Mr.. Baer.
He is about twenty-one and is much
older than any of the other boys in
his class. Around here we call Mrs.
Gibson Gypsy Mary"
At Odds With Neighbors
Naturally there is certain amount
of feeling against Mrs. Gibson on the
part of her neighbors because they re-
sent the constant carriage Of garbage,
which she feeds to the pigs, into their
community. Mrs. Gibson has an equal
ly strong feeling of contempt for her
nelghbors because, she says. lot of
foreigners live near her and make a
living stealing from her.
Aside from that, Mrs. Gibson has at
times displayed positive genius for
tcontaued on Page twelsc)