The New York herald., 1922-09-23
Continued from First Page.

The blackmail theory has many sup
porters in that 1t permits of explana-
tion OF otherwise contradictory develop
ments and details. As to whether, II
blackmail was the original purpose OF
the murderer, the plot had been care
fully laid. or whether II was hatched
I'm revenge for interference with some
OF the innocent pleasures" in which the
New Brunswick. youngsters like to I'M
dulge. Is purely a matter of conjecture
But as witnessing the waning interest
in the jealousy theory upon which so
much unproductive work has been done.
here is the statement issued tonight by
Stricken:
ITO tho Public-The Prosecutors Of
flee will welcome information concern
ing any phase of the Hall Mills murder
that may be in possession Of persons
who have not as yet been in commune
cation with the Prosecutors office, and
who undoubtedly are reluctant to give
such information because of publicity
tnat may be incident to furnishing the
same.
IF any data are in existence the
same will be received by this office in
tho strictest confidence, if the person
possessing the same will communicate
with this office. Arrangements will be
made to receive such information with
out disclosing the Identity of the I'm
formant
The Prosecutor calls upon all citizens
to perform their duty TO the State and
TO communicate to this office any data
which may throw light upon this matter.
JOSEPH l.. STRICKER.
Prosecutor OF the Pleas
The theory OF blackmail is held by the
local Chief Of Police and as matter Of
60 rf a,,tI t,,
session Of the prosecutor tending to show
that jealousy existed or was even justl-
fed before the crime is small
There has been lot of gossip since
the murder and that Is all. The hard
cold fact remains that Hall was well
thought OF by his congregation and by
the townspeople generally and nothing
tas come to Mr. Stricken or his associate
of Somerset county, Mr.. Beekman. that
substantially shakes the pastors reputa-
ton. This was shown again tonight
when the vestry of the Church of st.
John the Evangelist unanimously adopted
the following resolution:
THE wardens and vestry of the
Church of st. John the Evangelist. now
assembled In meeting wish TO express
their heartfelt sorrow in the death of
their dear rector. Edward Wheeler Hall,
and also wish to emphasize their con-
tinued faith and trust in him. believing
him to have been loyal and true TO his
God and the church. and that copy OF
this resolution be sent to his widow and
family and the press and be spread
upon the minutes"
This was sign by c. e. Phelps.
senior warden, and H. l.. Bartholomew.
junior warden for the vestry.
Mrs. Hall is i'll. AS she mas denied
herself to the public it is not hossible
to state her exact condition. which will
probably be referred to as bordering on
collapse. She was nearly exhausted this
afternoon, Ii was learned. because of
the great strain she has been under
but nevertheless, was able to converse
with friends. who when seen afterward.
did not seem greatly alarmed for her
health
Heard Two Women Scream.
According 10 the statement OF Mrs.
Harry McCabe. the wife of the tender
of the so-called landing bridge, less
than a mile TO the north OF the spot
at which the bodies We're found, he
heard two women screaming on the
night OF Thursday, September IA. OF
this she is positive and she amplified
her statements to reporter for
THE NEW YORK HERALD Tonight.
Up to the present the authorities as
sumed that II there were two women
one was the dead woman and the other
some one who might have been Jealous
Of her. yet was violently shocked over
the killing So far IL has not been sug-
eested that the second woman might
have been otherwise than a rival for
the affections Of the rector. A week
of work has failed definitely 10 estab-
lish the rivalry or to determine with
any degree Of certainty the identity of
the second woman.
The elder daughter of Mrs. Mills, the
dead church worker. though is. ap-
pears sometimes to have the wisdom
of 30 She looks more than her age
and dominates her meek father. as her
mother Ii reported 10 have done. She
has been examined. but not at great
length by Prosecutor Stricken. and she
will be examined again \ few days
ago she made this somewhat surprising
statement:
"They will never get the person who
killed my mother. They are not work
ing right"
Calls Accusations False.
Then she said fatty that they were
trying to accuse a woman who has fig
ured prominently in the story, bus that
this person had nothing to do with It,"
To-day In an interview, in which she re-
ferred to her mother as "Mom," Char"
Iotte appeared to have made a complete
about face. She spoke of many things
and several persons, including Mrs. Hall.
the rectors wife who had been her sun
day school teacher
ri Is understood that Mrs Hall wrote
her nice letter after the tragedy-just
such a letter as a minister's wife would
write in the circumstances. Clearly,
then, there was reason TO believe that
Charlotte was on excellent terms with
Mrs. Hall. To judge from what young
Charlotte had to say to-day the very re-
verse was the case. She saw reporters
al the home of her aunt, Mrs. Augusta
Reinhardt Teunyson, 1877 Albany street.
New Brunswick.
Il was in Mrs. Halls Sunday school
class for two years." she said, "and al
though Nom liked Mrs. Hall very much
/ never did like her. We never got along
together, either when ] was In Sunday
school or personally when ! saw her at
times when she would come to the house
here to see Nom about some wedding.
funeral or something about the church.
about O'Clock Friday morning Mrs.
Hall came to the house about her hus-
band and talked TO my father lie
amount Of money when he went out
@I TSY3;