The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-10-26
HALL PROBERS ON WRONG TRACK;
SAYS FAMOUS QUAKER SLEUTH
BY BOB DORMAN.
NEA Service Staff Writer:

. NEA service stan writer.
Toms River, N. j., Oct. 26.-They're
wrong-all wrong!
They're followiHg blind trails in
the Hall-Mill; murder mystery.
"When this chu,c:l crime is solved
l believe there will be solution
upsetting every theory SO far ad.
vanccd." "'- Us
Deceive Ellis Parker is speaking.
The famous Quaker detective, who
has solved and secured convictions
in 80 out of 80 murder cases-with
three cases still untried-gave NEA
Service his views on the New Bruins
wick mystery in which a church rec
tor and choir singer were slain more
than five weeks ago.
. Parker, 81 years old and % years
a detective, has had many appeals
to enter the Hall-Mills case. Even
though the end has come to his lat
est successful case, in which Mrs
Ivy Giberson was convicted of the
murder Of her husband, Parker has
been loathe to discuss the famous
church mystery.
II don't like to talk about a case
on which otheA; are working" ha
said. sand want it understood that
/ will only 60 to work on it by or
der of my superior officers-and with
the full consent of all those now en-.
gagged on the case.
= SHOULD l be assigned to the case,
l would follow my usual procedure.
~ would want all the facts and
theories thus far obtained by the
authorities now working ON the case.
q Getting q Lead.
II would want every newspaper
man to give me all his data and
theories.
II would question each person even
remotely connected with the case, in
cluding the church members.
"All statements would be made a
matter of stenographic record.
"No man can fully carry in his
mind the exact statements made to
him. A careful comparison of all
these statements would probably
show discrepancies. They always do.
"Ironing out these discrepancies
would probably furnish a lead.
"Motives are no safe guide in q
murder case. How can we know
what another person is thinking? A
motive for murder may be born in
an instant. ......
"Thinly veiled insinuations have
been made against Mrs. Hall. -,
"But-isn't it a natural thing for
God-fearing woman whose hus
band, minister Of the gospel, has
mysteriously disappeared, to hire a
lawyer to conduct un investigation!
isn't is natural that such a wo-
man would be unwilling to expose
her religious faith to the ever-ready
sneers of hypocrites who gloat over
the downfall of leader in any
church? .
"Could not the murder have been
the, product of the twisted brain OF
some fanatic who considered himself
appointed by Heaven to avenge the
insult he fancied minister Of the
GOSPEL had offered to his God?
1T is only by reasoning examina-
ton and ordination of all the facts
in case, with plenty of hard work
thrown in, that we can arrive at the
truth. =
"Story book detectives are good
but they start with a theory and
then make the facts prove the
theory. The detective in real life
must take his facts as he finds them
and build them into theory that
will stand the test of court"
/ Parker is short and bulky, with
faded blue eyes, bald head and a
short choppy mustache, and an in
veterats pipe smoker. AS Quaker
he testifes on the witness stand by
affirming instead of by oath.
Probably the most difficult case nc
has solved was the murder of Ser
geant Michael Gregor at Camp Dix.
When the skeleton, identified by
keys lying nearly, was found Zee. 8
1921, Parker was called in-and he
picked the murderer out Of ITS nen
at Camp Dix on the slender fact that
only this man could clearly recall
the events of Sept. 9, the day Oregon
disappeared. 1t took months to COM
plete the inquiry, but the man Par
ker picked out eventually confessed