New-York tribune., 1922-10-24
Former Prosecutor Mott
of Newark Put in Charge
of Inquiry as Local Of
ficials Admit Failure
Grand Jury Still
Aloof lin Mystery
Detective Parker To Be
CalledIn; WidowPIed
Aid; Knew of Mothers
Affair, Asserts Charlotte
By Boydeni Sparkes

ga new chase after the murder
ers Of the Rev. Edward w. Hall and
Mrs. Eleanor Mills begins to-mor-
row, with all the power Of New Jer-
sey at the disposal of Wilbur Mott,
of Newark, who takes up trail that
has been growing colder for nors
than five weeks.
Mr.. Mott, for eighteen years
Prosecutor and Assistant Prosecutor
OF Essex County, which includes
Newark was appointed a Deputy
Attorney General in charge of the
murder investigation to-day, after
Prosecutor Beekman of Somerset
and Prosecutor Joseph Stricken Of
Middlesex County, confessing fall
ure, had surrendered control of the
case to Attorney General McCran.
The action of Prosecutor Stricken
and Prosecutor Beeknaan was forced by
public clamos against the mismnnags-
ment of the Investigation, which sas
betrayed first by the discovery that tbs
bodies Of the victims had been buried
without autopsies and by the arrest on
the charge of murder of Clifford Hayes
on no other basis than the obviously
lying statement of his close ac-
quaintance, Raymond Schneider.
Called "Bunglers"
This situation was seized upon adj
roitly by Timothy Newell Pfeifer Of
New York, the lawyer of Mrs. Frances
Stevens Hall, widow of the murdered
rector. <Pfeiffer wrote to Governor
Edwards on October I3, denouncing the ?
omola!s OF Middlesex and Somerset
Governor Edwards did not reply to tbat
letter. but its publication forced
Stricker and Beekman to go before SUI
prene Court Justice Parker and asx
him to instruct the Attorney General
to assume control of the investigation.
I Then. persuaded that thew might
solve the mystery, they asked ior a
weeks delay. They limited to news
paper reporters that indictments wera
to be returned to-day against thrse
persons, two men and woman, but
when the grand jury met in Somervilis
it brought in true bills against some
thirty minor offenders, none concerned
with the murders.
Deputy Attorney General Mott ey-
planned tonight his appointment, his
plans for the conduct of the investiga.
tion, and declared that the persons
who killed the clergyman and the SEX
tons wife must be brought to justice.
To Start Work at Once
"1 received telephone call on Sat-
urday to see Justice Parker in Nor
ristcwn," said Mr.. Mott "There met
Attorney General McCran and Prose-
cutor Beekman. I have certain the
ories, and will start work immediate
ly. will see the Representatives of
the newsI apers daily and let the pub
lie know whatever developments there
may De. The press and the public ars
entitled TO know. The criminals in
this case must be punished. I have
not gone ever the Official record of the
investigation thus far, but intend to
| do so tomorrow when I visit Prose-
cutor Beekman for that purpose.
| My present plans are to make my
headquarters in Somerville, the seat
of Somerset County, in which the bod
| les were discovered. My chief inves-
tigator will be James A. Mason, county
detective of Essex, and Ellis Parker,
county detective Of Burlington, will ba
called into the case. This doss not
mean, however, that any of the pres
ent investigators will be discarded.s
| AS was predicted in The Tribuno
when Stricken and Beekman first
called on Supreme Court Justice Par
ker, the man selected to direct ths
investigation is Republican. Denao-
cratic politicians have been tremsn-
dously disturbed over the possibility
of disastrous reaction on the party
bot fnrfH n,
1 first attempt to disassoc.ate the Demo-
cratic ticket from the Hall-Mills In.
| vestigation was seen two weeks ago
| when Prosecutor Stricker resigned as
4 campaign manager for George 8.
| Silzer, who is the Democratic csndi-
date TO succeed Governor Edwards,
4 now running for the United States
Senate. -
4 Mr.. Mott was an assistant prosee
cutor of Essex County for number df
years before he was appointed prose-
lcutor. After being in charge Of the
Office for some years he was reap
he was in charge Of all Important
homicide cases in the county. He re-
4 tired from the Office last May and
entered tho law firm Of Mott & Bern
hardt. IS
/ Mrs. Halls Aid Pledged
Il When Pfeiffer, Mrs. Halls lawyer,
learned Of the shift in control Of the
investigation, he said:
II believe the appointment will meet
a with general approval and result In. .
thorough, comprehensive, intelligent
3 and coherent investigation Of the ease.
& Mrs. Hall and all her family are ready
8 now, as they have been, to make avail
liable to the prosecutor nli information
y within their knowledge"
n Prosecutor Stricken had very little to
. say about the situation, although it Is
! apparent that he feels Ill used. He
said: 3
81 am ready to obey orders as we'll
as to give them. While ] do not waHe
to force myself upon Mr.. Mott in thd
.Ievegt that he does not desire mo to
{ continue in the case, am entirely al
Ihis service
Prosecutor Beekman said TO-DAY
!. that he had remained away from Souner.
lviiss yesterday. He played goN az