New-York tribune., 1922-10-14
Appeals Through Counsel
For Fearless State Off,
cial so Solve Murder
of Husband and Singer
Sees Self Suspected;
Assails Stupidity
Hayes Accuser Is jailed
Anew as Perjurer and ON
Stories of Bahmer Girl
By Boyden Sparkes

"bungling stupidity counsel for.
Mrs. Frances Hall and her family
wrote to-day asking Governor Ed
wards to take from these officials
control Of the investigation of the
murder Of her husband and Mrs.
Eleanor Mills.
The letter was signed by Timothy
Newell Pfeiffer, formerly an Assist
ant District Attorney Of New York
County, assigned to the homicide hr-
reau. Two weeks ago he superseded
former State Senator William Flor
ance as Mrs. Halls counsel. In the
letter to the Governor Mr.. Pfeiffer
asked that the investigation be
placed under the exclusive authority
Of a fearless state officer who would
bring the guilty to speedy justice.
One BIander After Another
A series of amazing blunders, some
Of which are difficult to account for.
even on the ground of stupidity, was
the basis Of Mr.. Pfeiffer's request. The
first Of the hlunders was failure of the
responsible authority, Prosecutor Beck
man, OF Somerset County, to have au-
topsies performed on the bodies of the
victins. The revelation thai this had
not been done forced Mr.. Beekman to
have the bodies exhumed. The last
blunder was the failing of Clifford
Hayes on the charge of numbering the
rector and the choir singer on no other
evidence than the obviously lying
statement of an incompetent witness.
Governor Edwards has already ex-
planned that he lacks the authority to
send the Attorney General of New
jersey here to take charge unless tho
prosecutors concerned (both appointed
by him) request such action. But
some action IN line with the request of
mr.. F1einer seems inevitable now.
State Troopers Handicapped
State troopers were sent here to as-
slst In the investigation after Charlotte
Mills, daughter of the murdered woman.
had written to the Governor REQUEST
ing his aid in finding the murderer.
The state troopers have worked earn
lack of cooperation. After she com.
planned to the Governor the fifteen
year-old girl was taken from her high
school class and roughly chided at the
courthouse by the county officials.
Once before MIR. Pfeiffer complainek
about the handling of the case. THAI
was when he objected to the treatment
accorded Willie Stevens, eccentric
brother Of Mrs. Hall. Mr.. Pfeiffer said
then that the officials had turned from,
stupidity to brutality. Willie had been
whisked over the county line and held
prisoner in the courthouse tower for
more than seven hours, until nearly 8
o'clock in the morning, while attempts
were made to get confession from
him by the use of third degree meth
DDS.
The feelings of all the persons who
were most likely to have been SORROW
stricken by tho death of Mrs. Mills and
DR.. Hall have been narrowed by mex
pert Interrogation. Misleading state-
ments have been given to the news
papers one day and contradicted the
next, with the result that about the
time Mr.. Pfeiffer's note should have
reached the Governor tonight citizens
of New Brunswick were holding mass
meeting to protest against what they
termed an attempt to railroad Clifford
Hayes to the electric chair.
Mr.. Pfeiffer's letter said:
"The course of action pursued by
the prosecutors Of Middlesex and Som
erset counties in the investigation OF
the murder of the Rev. Edward W
Hall and Mrs. Eleanor r. Mills, and
particularly their course of action
during the last week, compels rae as
the representative of Mrs. Hall and
her family to bespeak your prompt
Intervention.
Whatever the situation may be in
respect to your legal power to inter-
vene, surely the great office of Gov
ernor Of New Jersey is invested with
the moral power to bring about
through every means available to
sovereign state thoroughly coinpre-
hensive, intelligent and conerent In
vestigation Of this hideous crime. Such
an investigation has not yet been
made, nor do the methods hitherto
employed by the present prosecutors
give promise that il ever will OF can
be made by them.
THE net result of their activities
up to the present, so far as sciu-
tion of the crime or the development
of any ciew reasonably looking toward
its solution is concerned, is absolutely
nil But other results Of farreaching
character abound. The atmosphere OF
New Brunswick is charged with every
sort of rumor, that political pressure,
money and social prestige have been
made use Of by Mrs. Hall and her FAM
ily TO hinder and delay the adlninistra-
tion Of justice in this case
Says Widow lis Blamed
sIn the mind of the public Mrs. Hall
is held responsible for the present I'M