The New York herald., 1922-10-18

slain rector and Mrs. Mills the day
prior to the murder when the actions of
the pastor and his choir singer aroused
the ill-concealed wrath OF the other
women members OF the party. There
was the incident OF the torn suit on the
barbed wire. and later I'm the day while
all were sitting down together Mrs
Mills complained OF moi feeling we'll
She leaned back against a tree near by.
The rector most solicttously went
right TO her and asked her II she was
in pain and what he could do for her.
While he bent over the choir singer two
pairs OF eyes blazed at the couple from
several feet away and Mrs. Mills SAID
to him:
please don't bother about me. III
be all right In a few moments You
had better go back with the other folks.
They are watching YOU now"
Restraint Put on Party.
Following this incident the party took
on a strained attitude and the conver-
sation on the return vr'p was left 10
lapse into short remarks of general
nature. When Mrs. Mills returned e.
her home she was still feeling III ana
told her husband and daughter tha'
she was tired out and that the long
trip must have been too much for her.
Later she spoke briefly of the incidents
of the trip and OF how sollcitous he
rector had been for her.
This story of the trip 10 Lake Ho-
patcong did not particularly please Mr..
James Mills, the sexton. and he eN-
pressed himself in no uncertain terms.
il was learned. He told Mrs. Mills that
she was a. fool TO be bothering about
what the rector said and did. and that
Hall and the rest of the people at the
church were simply making goat or
her to get her to do all the work. This
didn't please Mrs. Mills and she told
him II she chose to do that and be a
goat" she got more pleasure out OF
that than listening to him knock every
one. That ended the family conversa-
tion for "Wednesday night. the night
preceding the shooting.
That disagreement over the rector was
not the only one which happened in the
Mills family according TO persons who
live near by and others. 1t was a COM
mon thing for many months for Mills TO
upbrad his wife for spending so much
time at the church. He also knew that
she and the rector we're in the habit of
meeting clandestinely, that they took au-
tomobile rides not only In the direction
of the spot where they were found muir
dered but toward Metuchen and other
towns.
Mrs. Mills Makes Threat.
"I'd sooner be with him and with other
people than sit heree and listen to YOU
knock every one and everything" Mrs,
Mills said on one occasion when the same
discussion arose. She even threatened
to leave Mills more than once because
Of his habit Of continually criticizing
any one she happened to mention. His
criticism was rarely directed at Hall,
however.
According to one person who knew
him we'll and saw him just after the
murder Mills muttered half audibly that
II he had only done something or acted
differently sooner the thing might not
have happened. Then he broke into
fearful protestations OF his love for his
dead wife.
IL is known that Mills also knew in
directly IL not directly of the fact that
his wife was In the habit of telephon-
ing frequently from the telephone in
the rear OF nearby store. In Mrs.
Mils's letters. many Of which have not
been made public, references to Mrs.
Hall were made.
Wife Seems Suspicious.
Once. according to one OF the mis-
sives. Mrs. Hall said to Hall, handing
him a letter. Here's another letter
from Eleanor. is there any news?"
The rector read the letter through.
Mrs. Hall standing near by, and at the
end he turned and said. NO. nothing
much of news" and put the letter into
his pocket More than one of those let
ters came to the Hall house and were
seen by Mrs. Hall among the mail.
Mills Is having his hands full just now
trying to control Charlotte. Relations
between father and daughter have be-
come moro than strained. as they differ
strongly on many viewpoints. and Mills
is said to have threatened to take the
child from New Brunswick If she does
not become more amenable. Charlotte
Is undecided as to what she is to do in
the future.
State troopers. who have been over
shadowed by the county forces I'm the
last two days, are watching the Hall
home in Nichol avenue tonight. The
purpose of the guard was not announced.