Evening journal., 1922-10-16

brother. was wont to associate. II
Braun develops a new theory these
people will probably figure In H.
The state troopers are working on
a half dozen or more leads, cheek
ing up all sorts OF things and really
paving little attention for the time
at least to the jealousy theory, which
they and others believe is about
played out. on the other hand
George d. Totten. the Somerset
county detective. is sticking to this
theory with great persistency and
for days has had four members OF
the local police force helping him
through the courtesy of Chief O'Con-
nell. Totten is the man who should
know more about the case than any
one else. as he was the first on the
scene and the first man to question
nearly all the important figures in
the case This>is what Totten has to
say: -.
From the moment I saw the diff
ferent consideration with which the
dead bodies had been treated-the
eyes OF the minister lovingly closed
and his glasses placed on his nose
and the woman with her head al
most cut off and her eyes staring
knw I was not on the trail Of any
blackmailer or robbeT or ordinary
criminal.
'T have had "'- men working on
that lead for thios weeks and work
ing so quietly that nobody but my
self has known what they have been
doing. Within few days now
everybody will know and will be sat
isRed we have not been wasting time
or bungling"
Totten Is sure the mystery will bel
solved and expects to continue work
ing on the case regardless OF Judge ,
Parker's action. which might put
Totten's superior. Beekman, out OF
the matter entirely.
The State troopers on the other
hand are not nearly so optimistic.
They have not made enough pro-
gress to satisfy themselves and while
hey are working hard and virtually
all OF the staff OF $50 men are avail
able for use in connection with the
mystery. their leads have not devel-
,ped anything of great moment.
Occupying about the same sltua-
ion in Middlesex that Totten occu-
pies In Somerset, Detective Fred
David holds different views. for he
says: "It is true that this case has
been bungled. but the fault IS not in
county. The case did
rot come into this office until noon
u Monday. September is, forty-eight
lodrs afetr the crime had been dis
covered. BY that time the Phillips
farm had been made a show place
md the bodies had been carried Off
o Somerville. Nevertheless. we
lave gathered a great amount OF evi-
lence and I believe we are getting
iearer the truth every day"
Thse quotations show the situation
hat McCran or his representative
Sill encounter when he takes over
he case. providing Judge Parker.
signs the expected order. That
..anigan or whoever takes hold Will
want to question Mrs. Hall IS expect
ID, and ne will unquestlonably call I
Mills and the latter's daughter. Char
otte. It seems improbable there
fore that with the work being begun
again there can be many worthwhile
developments Tor some days at least.
More than a thousand automobiles
stopped on Easton avenue and De-
Russy lane during yesterday while
the occupants visited the mysterious
old farmhouse and the now famous
crab apple tree. This tree Incl
dentally will soon be no more, for
sightseers have broken off not only
twigs. but whole branches as SOU
Vennirs. They have pretty we'll
wrecked some parts OF the farm
house. too.
One pillar OF the front porch has
been broken down. there is a hole ten
feet long in the flooring Of the back
porch. one set OF steps has been
broken to kindling wood and four
windows have been broken and
boarded up.
The doors have been broken in
more than once and nearly all Of the
smaller pieces OF furniture have been
-aken away bodily by the curious
whose morals seem to suffer a relapse
rs they near the place. Samuel
levin. owner OF the place. hurried a
out there to-day when he
leard the crowds were literally pull
ng the place to pieces, and the
had a lively time until
Lfter dark. when the crowd faded
way.