New-York tribune., 1922-10-23
Prosecutor Beeknlan Puts
In Sunday at Golf and
Has Been Busy Since
Friday on Minor Cases
Three Arrests Still
Being Considered
Secret kilograms Indicate
Rector May Have Called
on Woman Here at Night
BY Boyden Sparkes

NEW pRONOWiGh, IN. d., Oct. ZG.~--
The Somerset County Grand Jury is
not to take up an investigation Of the
murder cf the Rev. Edward w. Hall
and Mrs. Eleanor Mills tomorrow, in
spite of reports that it would, accord
ing to statement by Azariah Beck
man, County Prosecutor, made to
friend to-day while playing golf at the
Rsritan Valley Country Club.
Prosecutor Beekman has given prac-
heslly no attention to the Hall mur-
der case since Friday, devoting his
time to minor cases and his coin
restigator, Prosecutor Stricker of
Middlesex County, has been display
ing scant interest recently, having
dropped completely, SO far as can be
learned, an inquiry he took up with
some enthusiasm two weeks ago into
the dispatch of two kilograms by MIR.
Hall, one OF which was addressed to
woman in New York
Prosecutor Stricker's attention was
called to the messages by some of his
Investigators who had discovered that
charges for them were included in the
c!ergyman's telephone bill for August.
Failed to Get Them
Mr.. Stricken sought to obtain pos
session OF the messages by sewing g
subpoena on the local manager of the
Western Union, but that official, after
consulting with higher authorities of
the company at New York, refused to
surrender them without an order from
the Supreme Court. Thus far Mr..
Stricker has not sought this order.
Seemingly he lost interest in the mes
sages
It's known that one of thess was ad-
dressed to Henry Stevens at La Val
ists. 1t said: Sorry I cannot get
down" The other partially explains
Why Dr.. Hall broke his engagement
With his brother-in-law. 1t was ad-
afsssed to q weman living in New York.
DER Identity as yeteis secret. This
was the message TO her: "Will be at
your apartment lata this evening
Both of these messages were sent,
It is understood, early in August.
There Is a possibility, of course
that DR.. Hall had sweetheart other
than Mrs. Mills, but the fervor and
apparent sincerity of his letters to
her written during that same month
make 1t seem highly improbable that
he was carrying on an affair with an
other woman. In this connection it
was suggested tonight that perhaps
the rector and the sexton's wife some
times met each other at an apartment
in New York. 1t is known that they
devised excuses whenever they could
for going to New York together. Once
he escorted her to dentists Office
there. 1t has been established that
they did go and that Mrs. Mills had
some teeth extracted. On other oc-
casions, however, they explained trips
to New York with such excuses as that
they had gone to select and purchase
ChristmGs music for the choir of st.
Johns.
May Have Met at Farm
But those few trips were not suf-
Ecient to satisfy their hunger for each
other's society, and the question has
been raised if the rector and Mrs
Mills did not meet in the uninhabited
hut completely furnished Phillips
farm house.
The original owner of the farm, Asa
Phillips, prepared to retire to the
home of his son, A. Middlebush, more
than five miles from here, about a year
ago. After that Sam Levin took an
option on the place for an unnamed
purchaser, stipulating that the furnl-
ture was to be left in the house, includ-
ING carpets. Last June Levin told Mr..
Phillips that the purchaser was Joseph
Porter, trust Officer of the National
Bank of New Jersey. Mr.. Porter is a
member of ST Johns Church and also
acts for the bank as Willie Stevens's
trustee.
Mr.. Porter has never consented to
discuss the farm Deal, acting under
Instructions of former State Senator
William Florance, who is his lawyer.
M, Florance has been Mrs. Halls So
.leitor for several years and appeared
i,or her in the present situation until
y. vas decided to bring Timothy
rieiffer here from New York. 1t has
never been determined by investiga-
sors here whether Mr.. Florance, who
! trustee of Rutgers College, has
ceased to advise Mrs.. Hall.
sam Levin, New Brunswick real
sssate dealer. insists that he is the
sswner OF the property and this is con-
saed srmed by the record Of deeds at
asscameryille, the county seat Of Somer-
s~ Levin insists Mr.. Phillips merely
llsured in the transactions as pur-
.aser SO that Levin could deduct