New-York tribune., 1922-11-10
No Immediate Prospect
of Case Going Before
Grand Jury and Mott
lis Reticent Over Delay
Judge Writes He
Is Taking Vacation
Five Witnesses Ready to
Dispute Story Told by
Slain Rector's Widow
By Boyden Sparkes

I NEW BRUNSWICK, N. j., Nov. g.
For eome unaccountable reason action
III the Hall-Mills murder investigation
has been suspended indefinitely. AL
though there was an announcement
yesterday that the Somerset County
grand jury would be convened to-mor-
row afternoon at Somervilc to begin
hearing twenty-five witnesses, it was
learned to-day that there is no i'm
mediate prospect of the double mur-
der being submitted to the jury.
The only man who can explain this
amazing shift in policy is Wilbur
Mott, of East Orange, N. j. He is the
forne. Prosecutor Of Pleas in Essex
Count5 who was appointed a special
Deputy Attorney General to take over
the investigation from Prosecutor
Stricker OF Middlesex County and
Prosecutor Beekman of Somerset
County, when these officials were be-
ing sharply criticized for their failure
to discover and prosecute the person
or persons who killed the Rev. Edward
Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills.
Mr.. Mott would not explain to-day.
! 1t had been announced that he and
Prosecutor Beekman, Alfred Glib, of
befnardsville, foreman Of the grand
jury, and Supreme Court Justice Par
ker would confer at II o'clock this
morning in Mr.. Beekman's office in
Somerville. 1t was clearly indicated
that the purpose Of the conference was
to arrange for the converting of the
grand jury.
Conference Lasts an Hour
At II o'clock Mr.. Mott arrived in
bonneville and went TO the Offices OF
| Prosecutor Beekman in the Second
National Bank Building Foreman
Gibb. was there and Sergeant Lamb,
of the State Troopers, although he
was not included in the conference.
The conference lasted an hour. Jug
tlce PRrker, whose presence had been
| expected, was not there. Colonel Nor
man Sehwartzkopf, superintendent Of
the state troopers, was present during
a part of that time. Then at IL o'clock
Mr.. Mott emerged and was surrounded
| by newspaper reporters. Anticipating
questions, he peered at them over the
upper edge Of his crescent-shaped
! glasses and said:
have no statement to make"
"Mr. Mott, do you know when the
grand jury is going to mect?'
Eyes, think / know. But I'm not
going to tell YOU"
win the grand Jurors assemble this
week ?"
~ don't think So"
Next week."
Next week Is q long time Off. And
Mr.. Mott reached into an inside
pocket and produced a letter. "Justicc
Parker sent this message to me-"
Mr.. Mott read part of the letter in
which Justice Parker explained that he
| was leaving for New Orleans, where
he Planned to take ship for Havana
and that he did not expect to return
until after November -.
Justice to Take Vacation
II am writing this letter" Mr.. Mott
read, $50 that you may tell the news
paper men l am taking a few days
vacation, as / have had very hard
summer trying homicide cases"
Mr.. Mott. replaced the letter in his
| pocket without explaining what part
Justice Parker was to have had in the
| grand jury which already has been
charged with respect to the Hall-Mills
| murder. Mr.. Mott then started for
/; the railroad station. Reporters fol-
lowed him.
Are you going to New Brunswick 2"
| He has not been to the town where the
principals in the murder case all live
in more than ten days-unless he has
| worn a disguise.
"No; am not going to New Bruns-
1 wick"
At the railroad station they asked /:
"Where are you going?"
"That's all right" responded Mr.. Mott
blandly, and climbed aboard train for
| Trenton. 1t is understood that he went
to the New Jersey capital to confer
with Attorney General Thomas McCran
! about the murder investigation, but
that is all the information that could
be extracted to-day from the same Mr..
! Mott who said when he took hold Of
the investigation that he believed the
public was entitled to know about the
| progress of the case.
! Prosecutor Mott had an engagement
| TO meet his chief investigator, James
| Mason, in New Brunswick at 3 o'clock
this afternoon. When reporters in
! formed Mr.. Mason at the courthouse
here that his chief had gone to Tren-
! Continued on page six,
! r Il LN