New-York tribune., 1922-09-19
Shots Also Echoed Near
Farm Where Rector's
Body and That of Choir
Leader Were Discovered
olice Think Slayer
Attended Funeral
Mills Absent at Services
tor Clergyman; Widows
Brother To Be Quizzed
From a STAG correspondens

NE" BRUNSWICK, N. j., Sept. 19..~
l ne screams Of two women were heard
iast Thursday night by an elderly
couple, who live within few hundred
yards OF the spot on the Phillips farm
"hefe' on Saturday morning, the bodies
OF the Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall and
MS choir leader, Mrs. Eleanor Mills,
were found Other residents of that
lonely region were discovered TO-DAY
VINO say they heard five shots. All of
these persons fix the time of the dis
turbance at between II o'clock and
midnight.
Possessed of this information the
authorities were conducting their
search for the murderer tonight on
the theory that the slayer was among
the sparse gathering of mourners at
tending the funeral services for the
dead clergyman to-day in the iyy-grown
Protestant Episcopal Church Of St.
John the Evangelist. James Mills,
sexton of the church and husband of
the dead woman, was conspicuously ab-
sent from the funeral, this being the
attend in long time.
To Question Brother-in-Law
Willie Stevens, brother of Mrs. Hal.
and resident of the Hall home, ,is te,
be questioned by the investigators in
the immediate future, it became known
tonight. Az the instigation of his
brother and sister Willie some time
ago was adjudged incompetent to han
hn
ms mother, and his weekly allowance
has been doled out to him by his min
lister brother in-law
The elderly couple who heard the
screams of two women at the spot
where the minister and the choir lead
err We're slain are Harry McCabe and
his wife Catherine, McCabe is the
tender of the bridge that spans the
isarltan River at the foot of Landi no
Bridge Lane, about 800 yards from the
goldenrod field on the Phillips farm.
:, County Detective George Totten. of
Somerset County, talked to tha couple.
Mrs. McCabe told him she was kneelinp
beside her bed about twenty msv1tes to
~ on Thursday night telling her beads,
When her prayers were interrupted by
a scream that she knew was from a
woman's throat. She shook her hus-
band awake, and the two. clutchine
each other, remained still for few
minutes, listening to a succession of
other screams. They were able to dis
tlngulsh the cries Of two women. Me
Cabe pulled on his boots and trousers.
Gale ed his dog and tried TO find tn e
women who were making the noise.
The Phillips farm, which has not been
worked for year or so, is between
his house and town. The screams
were coming from somewhere on the
Phillips place.
Neighbor Hears Shots
McCabe felt none too eager about
moving around in the dark over those
fields, and gave up the search after
proceeding not more than a hundred
yards from his home. The next day
Mrs. Mary Waters, who lives on the
west littoral of the Raritan. crossed
the bridge to visit with the McCabes,
And did you hear the shooting last
around your place, knew. I thought
you might be having some trouble. 1t
was between IL and IL o'clock. One
shot, then three or four more"
The McCabes told her they had not
heard shots, but had heard screams.
Mrs. Waters said she had not heard
screaming. Despite the natural temp
tation to agree, the McCabes and Mrs.
Waters are sticking to their original
stories. Mrs. Waters said she heard
shots. but no screams. The McCabes
agree they heard just the screaming,
but they are positive they were two
women making the sounds.
The Middlesex County authorities
and the New Brunswick police, after
forty eight hours of inactivity, began
to participate in the hunt for the
murderer to-day after their aid was
sought by Prosecutor A. M. Beekman,
of Somerset County. Although the
victims were residents Of New Bruns
dick they have heretofore disclaimed
authority because the bodies were
found just beyond the county line.
Prosecutor Beekman and Detective
Totten, a few hours before the minis
ter's funeral, came to New Brunswick
and conferred with Prosecutor Joseph
w. Stricken, of Middlesex County, and
his detectives, Ferguson. Fitzpatrick
and David. They all went to the SPOT
beneath crabapple tree where the
bodies were found. made intricate
measurements with steel tape, rubbed
fingers over the newly cut crosses (they
are more nearly x marks) on slender
cedar tree, which mingles its scant
shade with that of the crabapple,
poked about in the grass and then re-
turned to town for another conference.
tcontiuued on Gags seysni