Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-10
YOUTH IS HELD
IN CONNECTION
WITH DEATH Of
JERSEY COUPLE
Clifford Hayes, 19, Is in Jail
Charged With the Murder
of the Rev, Hall and
Choir Singer
is ARRESTED AFTER
CHUM'S ACCUSATION
Accused Man Is Said to
Have Stated He Thought
He Was Shooting at a
Girl and Her Stepfather,

New Brunswick, n. j., Oct.
(by the Associated Press) Cliff
ford Hayes. a youth of l9, was
held incommunicado in the som
erset county Jail at Somervllle TO-
night on q warrant charging him
with first degree murder OF the
Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall ana
Mrs. Eleanor Reinhardt Mllls on
September IA.
But if the authorities VINO
caused his arrest have any evil
dence which would show loglcai
motive for his alleged act, they
have carefully withheld it.
The explanation Of Raymond
Schneider. 22, whose accusation
caused Hayes arrest, was that II
was a case of mistaken identity.
tIayes. he said, thought he was
shooting 15-year- old Pearl BANNER
and her stepfather. Nichoias
BANNER.
Only Motive Advanced.
But the only motive ne au-
yanced for the reckless crime was
a sort of Quixotism on Hayes
part--a desire to right supposed
wrong done a friend, Schneider
who. although married, admits ne
is in love with Pearl.
Hayes' retort was that Schneider
was "a. damned liar He admlt-
fed going with Schneider to the
deserted Phillips farm, where the
bodies were found, in searcn OIL
Pearl and her stepfather.
eThey heard shots and scream
ing. he said, and ran toward the
crab apple tree whence the shots
seemed to come, observing an au-
tomobile dash away as they ran
Beneath the tree, he declared
they found the minister and the
choir singer dead and--he added
Schneider bent down and stole
the minister's watch.
This Schneider hotly denied
during the long examination, TO
which both youths were subjected
Schneider, in turn, accused hayes
of having committed the theft.
Glaring Discrcpancp.
one of the most glaring discrep-
ancies In Scnneider's story is ms
assertion that neither he nor
Hayes touched the bodies, except
for the fllching of the watch--of
which he accuses Hayes.
It has been established by pe-
lated autopsy that Mrs. Mills
throat was cut from ear to ear,
and her head almost severed.
Schneider could not explain TINS.
Neither could he explain now
the bodies came to be laid out,
carefully, side by side, as ii for
burial.
He was equally unsatisfactory
as TO how the love letters written
by Mrs. Mills to the minister came
TO be scattered about the scene,
or who placed one of the minis
ters cards against the sole of his
shoe, as if to make sure of iden-
tification.
mistaken Identity"
His story does tally remarkably,
however, with the first statement
attributed to Mrs. Hall after the
murders were discovered-that
her theory of the double Staying
was mistaken identity" This
statement later was repudiated by
Miss Sally Peters. confidante of
Mrs. Hall, who said the rector's
widow could imagine no motive,
except possibly that OF robbery,
for the murders.
Although they openly expressed
confidence that the case had been
practically solved, the authorities
were still hard at work tonight
trying to reconcile all the tangle of
evidence with Schneider's story
or to batter hi mdown to further
admissions which would make mis-
story more plausible.
A part of Schneider's story--as
much as she could have been ex-
pected to know---was corroborated
by Pearl BANNER.
o nthe night Of September IA,
she said, she was out with Schnei-
der, remaining until about
O'Clock. When she returned home,
she continu ed, she found her step
father ON the porch, intoxicated,
and consented to go with him while
he attempted to walk OFF, the
effects OF his drinking.
Girl Began TO Cry
They passed Schneider, Hayes
and Leo Kaufman on q street
corner, she said. and the three
youth followed them. After they
had walked some distance, she
said she became tired and wanted
to return home, but her stepfather
insisted she continue. She began
to cry, she said, and the trio rushed
up, Schneider doffing his coat and
expressing his determination to
beat BANNER.
The encounter ended without
blows, however, she said, and she
Continued on Page Two.