Evening star., 1922-10-20
THINK MAN SAW DEATH CAR
New Brunswick Authorities Probe
Story of B. Z. Soper.
Rv The Associated press

BY the Associated Press.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. October 20.
Search for an automobile of old model.
which B. K. Soper. retired business man
of Highland Park, declared he saw in
the de Russys lane. near where the
bodies of the slain rector of the Church
of st. John the Evangelist and his
choir leader were found September IL,
was instituted today by all forces seek
ing solution of the crime.
Soper asserts that he can identify the
car on sight.
He declared he was returning by mo-
tor from a visit to Somerville the night
Of the murder and that the car attracted
the fact that II was coming from a Sec
tion seldom followed by motorists in the
middle of the night He was certain, he
said. that the car bore a New Bruns-
wick tag alongside the license. While
the Investigators have not entirely
that Rev. Edward W. Hall and Mrs
Eleanor R Mills were murdered in an
old barn at Weston Mills. a settlement
about four miles from the Phillips farm.
where the bodies were found. they be-
lieve that the automobile clue brings
them closer to the slayer or slayers and
are making 1t their first point Of inquiry.
Continued to Watch Residence.
State troopers continue to keep the
n.
r"y for the first time since the mur-
der, newspaper men were unable to
communicate with members of the
Hall household by telephone. In
quirers at the residence were told
that the telephone connections had
been cut.
Authorities are checking I'D dete;ls
of new information which thew said
dovetails with facts previously OBJ
tained and points to definite solu
tion of the case, which has baffied
oficials and detectives of Middlesex
and Somerset counties for more than
a month.
They were said to be weighing
carefully a story to the effect that
Mrs. Francis n. Hall. widow of the
Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall. rector
OF the Episcopal Church of St. John
the Evangelist, and Mrs. Eleanor
Reinhardt Mills. choir singer. who
was murdered with the clergyman.
quarre!ed shortly before the Halls
left New Brunswick for a vacation
last summer. and that the illfeeling
was pronounced after the vacation
lists returned, 49,
Miss North Informant. --t
Information of the quarrel was
given out by Miss Florence North.
daughter OF the slain choir leader.
Miss North told reporters that a
scene had taken place between Mrs.
Mills and the rectors wife at a
camp maintained by the church at
Point Pleasant, on the Jersey coast.
last summer Reference was made
to the quarrel in a letter written, by
Dr. Hall to Mrs Mills, she said.
The alleged trouble arose. at the
time the camp was breaking up. ac-
cording to Miss North. Mrs. Hall.
who had not remained at the camp.
drove to Point Pleasant to get her
husband. As she and the rector
started to drive or. Mrs. Mills ran
after the car and demanded of DR..
Hall IL he intended to take her with
him He invited her to get into the
car and she rode to New Brunswick
with them. This incident was the
prelude to a more or less open rup-
ture between the two women. IL
was said. After Mrs Hall returned
from her vacation in New England
she and Mrs Mills spoke to each
other perfunctorily, but 1t was eri-
dent there was no friendship be-
tween them. Miss North stated.
Charlotte had informed her. Miss
North said, that the two were de-
cidedly cold toward each other dur
ing tho ten days Immediately pre-
ceding the murder.