New-York tribune., 1922-11-16
IIrs. Hall Seeks
n Batter Down
Gibson Story
,,,,eciives Searching Past of
TurbuIent Farm Woman
/, an Effort TO Discredit
Her Account of Murder
Iew Witnesses Hinsed
,u;,Is Threatens to Sue Miss
North for Money From
sale ofWife's Love Letters
py Boyden Sparkes

srw BRUNSWICK, N. j., Nov. 49,
&, frances Stevens Hall, who was
...,.iaed by Mrs. Jane Gibson as the
.,rau il, gray whom she saw at the
p.iyli5s farm on the night the Rev.
psv.rd ". Hall and Mrs. Eleanor
sN. seye murdered, is seeking to dis
.rsss nat Identification by establish
- snarray of facts detrimental to
- ,Esrscter of Mrs. Gibson.
Nmistedly Timothy Newell Pfeiffer,
yn Halls lawyer. has not much hope,
! his client is brought to trial. Of
reyias an alibi. The wealthy widow
4 the rector of St. Johns Church in
ssts she did not leave her house that
aght until long after midnight, when
h went to search for her husband at
BE church and at the home OF the
ssmsn she says she did not know was
III husbands sweetheart. But Mrs.
stH thus far has been unable to pro-
he any adult person who can support
4sss statement.
Dig Into Mrs. Gibson's Past
therefore, the private detectives
3wxing for Mrs. Hall under the direc-
Ia of Mr.. Pleiffer are digging into
sast--and the present--of this un-
al witness. If they succeed in i'm
shing her testimony the case
#s.inst Mrs. Hall will fall OF its own
sHght. If they fail--a jury will de-
i Il between the two women-one
areughout her life 8 symbol Of ex-
asiye respectability in New Bruns-
~. the other a turbulent character,
4 Ia in recent years has made living
h s,asmuting New Brunswick's garbage
se pork.
ssout a year and half ago there
IL q grand jury investigation of
ht Mrs Gibson had with Mrs. Joe
4 t.sack over q horse which Mrs. Glib
= claimed as her own and which
!, found in the Cossack stable. Mrs.
81 ngaek was worsted in that battle, ac-
srting TO neighbors, and short time
In her baby was born prematurely
81 died. The grand jury dismissed
81 ! eorplaint against Mrs. Gibson.
there have been other fights be-
III rsp Mrs. Gibson and her neighbors,
W id each Of these resentful persons is
81 hding eager listeners in the private
hYsstgators working for the wealthy
# Ns Hail. The Investigators also have
issa Interested in gossip Of these
# Heghbors to the effect that Mrs. Glib
sons pigs are slaughtered for market
81 beng shot through the head be-
1 fore sasii hroats are cut.
Ssnder MATERIAL
Eis slender material with which TO
j build up defense against charge
b Il ngsE but the utmost Is being
ID @N hfnd somewhere In all this
& alfAapromis ;ng fact that will tend
kssa The likelihood Of jury be-
AsHg Yrs. Gibson's story OF what she
" BE saw on the night of Sep
abaA.
b spise Of the story of Nellie TO
Msl5 negro, who lives about 500
aas from Mrs. Gibson, that the pig
T.fwas visiting her at the hour she
hsSorn she was watching the slay-
& af DR.. Hall and Mrs. Mills, the
Nssrities seemingly have not lost
Nib in their star witness.
lyo new figures came into the case
stsrday afternoon. Night Watchman
Villain Phillips, Of the New Jersey
ase College for Women, disclosed
tass about two weeks ago he was ac-
mtee by two men under the mistaken
preston that he was watching the
hll home.
according to Phillips, who is the man
NO first saw Mrs. Hall slip into her
hvse by the aide door between 2 and
o'clock in the morning after the
teable murder, these two men were
hken by him to county officials who,
said, obtained valuable information
nom them.
They drove up In an automobile
N e$ ~. -
Ups. Approaching me they said:
iaure watching the Hall home, amt
Led Men to officials
told them wasn't the Hall home
sssanan, but they didn't believe me.
ss y them said: We just wanted to
t.sSsta as's talk with Mrs. Hail. | pre-
s,n;s ZIG . go in to see Mrs. Hall then,
ssslalas around the house. When
a.. s@s oa. ! told them she wouldn't see
~ sM. Then took them down town
Ia aed some of the officials. who
sss aiOng talk with these men. They
~ seme valuable information from
asn, took their names and addresses
sao \, iet them CO."
Tal County Detective Ferdinand Dav-
and Detective James Mason. cl Of
si,ss si,ss5sa.or for Prosecutor Mott, ad- |
H,,sl Hsa so-nighS that they had ques-
nSa ul naese two mysterious visitors |
I,S. hah nome, but they would not |
ss,sse ssss Their identity nor the char /
ssm u Tie Information they got from
snor, @ aiott q Indignantly denied to-day q !
fe.n.saat mat be was seeking to force in
u es,ia.s. sv;at de said he would present
I'M. sushce sase N his possession and allow
Ssds aaeIses County Grand Jury to de-
assst." "aeshss there should be indict- /
Up to Jury, He SAYS
la5 I1s M responsibility rests with shem,' !
hara a., mason. mason. my duty ends when
a. presented my case.1
Ca1rsa mills, sexton Of st. Johns
tasj, ana husband of the murdered
4 ager. said tonight that ne was
SIT Eng ing the advisability Of fling
sainst Florence North. q woman
Yase T. VINO has been acting as ad-
ass, ms ,a.a, daughter, Charlotte, who is
sasaa Mills Mills said he felt that he
mjd beiYe 4, any money that was to
etsr. ss;, ~ New York newspaper for
lhara .sen by DR.. Hall to his wife.
= have ale Il piils to pay and Pm going
sad nm aard struggle to paw them.o
sa masa.. ma.s. explaining his desire IN e,a.
ss.ossa,ssy,. - Mills said he was ths 80
E:tsai q his wife's estata wg .he ex-
saat thheg sa nosa snare of joint bank ac-