Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-21
POLICE CLOSE NET
ON SINGLE SUSPECT
IN DOUBLE KILLING
Search for Slayer of Pastor
and Choir Singer
Narrows.
MEMBERS OF HALL
FAMILY QUESTIONED
Investigation Leads to Widely
Scattered Points in
New Jersey.
WILLIE; STEVENS AGAIN ouIzzEn
Phillips Homo. Alleged rr,,,Inr
Place, Thoroughly
Searched
OF HALL
FAMILY QUESTIONED
WILLIE STEVENS AGAIN au1zzEp
PhiilIps Home. Alleged Tr>,tIpr
Place, Thoroughly
Searched.
tBy Associated pre,st

81
NEW BRUNSWICK ~. J.. sept. 90.
Tn" snares spread by tho prose
cutting and detective stan OF two coun-
ties 1--WE days ago for the person or
persons responsible for tn. killing
OF Revercnd Edward Wheeler Hall
rector OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church Of St. John the Evanselis,.
and Mrs. james Mills. choir leader
In the church. were closing In to-
might. tho police said. on single
suspect.
We wiii not be rushed in this
case" said Prosecutor Stricken, o.
Nidd!cse1 County. TO make an ar
rest now would be to open the way
for habeas corpus proceedings
which would force us to disclose the
lines along which we have been
working"
auestIon Hall Family.
Detectives OF Middlesex and
somerset Counties were reported
working in widely scattered points
OF New Jersey throughout the day.
ana al. were understood to be work
Ing 10 make more tangible the theory
in which the unnamed suspcc, is
the central figure.
Detective Totten and members Of
the prosecutors stan. of Somerset.
questioned every member Of the
family at the Hall home. Tot,en
carried with him tho revolver found
yesterday which is believed tho
weapon with which the clergyman
and Mrs. Mills were killed. The de-
fiectivc quoted Willie Stevens as
denying that tho gun was his. while
at the same time reitcrating tina, he
mad a pistol.
Detective Totten said he asked
stevens. who is n town charactcr
and ngure known throughout tho
country for his eccentricitics, to re-
peat again his account OF what he
did on last Thursday night, the as
sumo time of the double shoo1ipr
Mrs. Hall had told the polio. early
IN the investigation that her brother
accompanied when she went out "a
the church about mitnigh, Thurs
day In quest OF her husband. Will.
declining AZ Arst TO speak in corro
horatton "f his sisters story. Willie
Is reported 1" have said later In :,
conversation at the ,irr-hous. rim,
he wasn't with his sister on Thurs.
day night. Detective To;.c;, said
he reiterated this statement during
today's aues!oning. which lasted
three hours
servants Are 0uizzrd
Mrs. Hall also was questioned ~
were servants and Mrs SalIio
Peters. who said was an old friend
% tho family" and had been q
bridesmaid at Mrs. Halls wedding,
She said she had been visiting Mrs
Hall since the Tragedy.
While at the Hail home ,ba 10
tcctives made minute examination
OF the Hall garage. which holds two
cars They paid particular attention
10 the pattcr OF the tires on tho
smaller Of the two machines. Willie
stevens accompanied Tottcn's mSn
int" the garage. He did not leuya
with them. but remained I'm m,
garage with doors shut for some
time. Inquiries for stevens at ,he
Han home directly after the dctec-
tives had left brought tho statement
that "Mr. stevens was not a, home"
Detectives later returned and took
stevens and ono OF the Hall servants
To the prosecutors office, whcr. thay
We're questioned at some length
Stevens declined 10 max. any STATE
inent after leaving the prosecutors
Office and returned al once 10 the
Hall residence with the servant De
tectivcs declined to say whether IN,
servant had been JuStiuncd q; All
but admitted that the Han family
was keeping Il close watch over the
slain rcct"r's hrothcr-in-law. James
Mills. husband Of the SLAIN woman
,i:ontinucd on page II roI q,