The Bolivar County Democrat., 1922-10-21
GRILL HALL FAMILY
IN MURDER CASE
WIDOW OF DEAD RECTOR IS SE-
vERELY QUESTIONED BY
AUTHORITIES.
STRANGE WOMAN APPEARS
New Evidence Reported Uncovered
Which May Bring Definite Action
Mrs. Mills Letters to Hall
Made Public.

seeking to pierce the barriers of un-
certainty about the murders OF the
Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall and Mrs.
Eleanor Reinhardt Mills, the wife Of
the sexton, more than a month ago,
have turned from search of theoret-
! ical by-paths and massed an attack
against the center of the dramatic
| families of the dead man and woman.
The Hall family trio, Mrs. Hall, her
brother, Henry Stevens, and Willie
| Stevens, her eccentric brother were
examined in the court house. Each
was examined alone; only officials
were present and the results were
guarded.
But one eerie aspect of Mrs. Halls
questioning was made known by her
counsel, Thomas N. Pfeiffer.
| Mrs. Hall was seated at the end
OF long room, alone, Attorney Pfeif-
fer says. She was asked to remove
her hat and to put on the gray coat
she says she wore when, at two in the
morning of Sept. Is, she went out to
search for her husband.
She put on the coat.
Then the door opened at the end
OF the room and woman, of foreign
aspect poorly dressed and alone, en-
tered and sat staring at Mrs. Hall,
her attorney says. For minutes she
looked at the widow of the slain rec
tor, turning her head this way and
that. Then, without saying word,
she left the room. Mrs. Hall was per-
mitted to go soon afterward.
Whether the unknown woman iden-
titled Mrs. Hall or not, was not an
nounced. The description of the silent
figure tallies. in many points, with
that OF the peasant woman whose
home is near the old Phillips farm,
long mortgaged, was cleared Of obli-
cations by a recent entire payment.
The peasant woman was brought into
the case when she spoke of having
seen. several days previous to the
murder, woman searching the fields
near the spot where the couple were
later found.
Prosecutor Beekman of Somerset
ccTnty, made public some of the let
ters 1Ound on the body of the Rev.
Hai. They were, he said, in the
handwriting of Mrs. Mills, although
unsigned.
One Of them Is a critical epiIogue
OF book the rector il said to have
given Mrs. Mills-"The Mother Of All
Living" by Robert Keable, described
as a love story of Africa, exotic in
atmosphere and frank in treatment
Dearest" the letter says, "Eow
fast read! remember, too, honey
mine, what lot there is to talk about
after l read this book-we must take
1t with us when we go riding and talk
about 1t, especially the marked parts
this Keable certainly knows hearts
1t Is sweet, but nothing compared
to ours-I don't want to read such
books ever again. Why? You know.
They make me yearn for what per-
haps l missed in this life. And to
think that now and hereafter shall
never escape this longing until our
souls are one at last
Dearest, dearest boy of mine, good |
morning" another letter begins.
What joy and peace is ours today,
and strength. How gracious God is,
to privilege us to know this most JOY
GUS blessing! am on my knees,
darling, looking up at my noble man,
worshiping, adoring. Wonder of won
ders. that love you even more than
yesterday"
Prosecutor Beekman attaches i'm
portance to a third letter, in which is
found:
Honey mine, l was needing you as
only you know. but he was here, and
80 said Eot to come"
Henry Stevens was questioned, ac-
cording to Attorney Pfeiffer, regard
ing his alibi for the night of the mur-
der, when he said he had been fish
ing near Levette, N. ]. He announced
that his proposed trip had been one
planned to South America. not to Eur
ope, as has been said, but stated that
arrangements had been cancelled.