New-York tribune., 1922-11-17
Two Surprise
w illnesses Held
For Hall Jury
Evidence as Important as
Mrs. Cibson's Claimed
From Pair Under Cover
Until Hall Jury Meets
Mystery Wagon Traced
~ 0SOW
-------
Mills Collects $1,000 for
Wife's Notes; Farmhouse
Now 25 Cent Museum
Fron. a star Correspondent

W
With all his forces lined up to appear
befone the grand jury in somerville on
Monday, it became known to-day that
Wilbur A. Mott. Special Deputy At
torney General, will produce two wit
nesses who, up to the present moment,
have not figured in any way in the
Hall-Mills case.
Lieutenant James Mason, chief of
Mr.. Motifs investigating staff, adj
mitted that these witnesses would ap-
pear before the grand jury and that
their testimony was considered vitality
important. While the state is known
to place much dependence on Mrs.
Gibson's eyewitness" story, state
ments credited to Mr. Mott and Mr..
Mason would indicate that they con-
slider the testimony of the unidentified
witnesses equally significant.
Kept Under Cover
These witnesses, it is understood,
came to the attention of the state
shortly after Mr.. Mott took over the
investigation from Prosecutors Stricken
and Beekman. Until tonight, however,
no hint was given of their existence
1t is thought emphasis has been placed
on Mrs. Gibson's story so as to divert
attention from these other witnesses.
There will be no further examina-
tion OF witnesses between now and the
presentation of the, case TO the grand
jury unless something unforeseen de-
velops," said Mason. 'The case is COM
plete and we are marking time"
Mr.. Mason indicated that he has had
a staff of Investigators working with
him under cover in developing evidence
to lay before the grand jury. He was
obviously surprised when confronted
with the story that the wagon and its
driver mentionedd in Mrs. Gibson's aff-
davit had been traced.
Wagon Declared Traced
The failure of the authorities to find
the wagon and its driver detracted con-
GiDson's story. County Detective Ferd
A. David, of Middlesex, however, an
nounced that he had discovered the
whereabouts of the wagon and had
traced its owner. 1t was picturesquely
described as a remarkable old farm
vehicle that creaked and screeched as
it moved. This would give weight to
Mrs. Gibson's story, for she referred
to the noisiness of the wagon in her
pursuit of thieves.
Not only did the owner of the wagon
deny to-day that he left his house on
the night Of the tragedy, but Detective
Mason professed astonishment over the
whole story.
~ don't know anything about it, he
said. II am very much surprised. |
L M e., cx,1y Ax,,<>
hours this afternoon and he never said
this story were true he would have told
me about it. Ever since we started the
investigation of this cases2I have had
men endeavoring to trace this wagon
and it's driver, but we have never been
successful. Right now we have three
men doing nothing else"
Hall Home Visitors Found
The authorities have succeeded in
tracing the two men who went to the
Hall home late at night about two
weeks ago and were driven off by Will
liam Phillips, night watchman at the
New Jersey College for Women, across
the street from the Hall home. The
men are we'll known local characters.
Phillips's version Of the story was
that two men had drawn up to the
curb in an automobile and said they
wanted to see Mrs. Hall about some
thing important. They evidently mis-
took him for Mrs. Halls night watch
man, he said, and fiaally he made a
bluff of going in to see Mrs. Hall. In
stead Of going to the front door he
yaulted the iron fence, fingered for a
few minutes in the shadow of the
hedge and then came out and told the
men Mrs. Hall couldn't see them.
Timothy n. Pfeiffer, counsel for Mrs.
Hall, gave different version Of the
story. He said he had had a report on
it from Max Fisher, former New
York policeman, who was stationed at
the Hall home to prevent curious per-
sons from annoying Mrs. Hall. Ac-
cording to Fishers report to Mr.. Pfeif-
fer, Phillips had brought two men up
to the porch of the Hall home about
IL o'clock at night. They said they
wanted to see Mrs. Hall, as they had
something important to tell her. Fisher
said he had advised Phillips to take
them to the prosecutors Office, but
they had been insistent, and he had
finally cleared them away.
Drunk, Mason Thinks
Mr.. Masons comment on this Incl
dent was brief.
II have heard about that story, but
II understand both of the men were
drunk. We are not paying any atten-
tion to it,"
He added that the state was not in