The New York herald., 1922-09-26
MILLS ADMITS GIVING
hint OF HIS SUSPICION
SOON AFTER KILLING
Asked Mrs. Hall if She
Feared an Elopment, but
She Still Trusted.
INQUIRY MAY BE ENDED
Many Influential Persons
in New Brunswick Said
to Want This Result.
DEATH COMPACT AGAIN
Investigators Need Only to
Find Trace of Pistol to Sup
port First Theory.
DEATH COMPACT AGAIN

Mills and the Rev. Edward w. Hall,
lips farm house outside this city on
September 16. may have been robbed
long after they had been killed, the
county detectives OF Middlesex and
Somerset continued to-day their ex-
animation of Raymond Schneider,
who, with Pearl BANNER, Is, found the
bodies.
If it is established that there was a
pistol near the bodies at any time it
Is possible that the authorities will
return to the murder and suicide the
ory which at first proved untenable
when no weapon was found.
Such a theory would make possible
the abandoning of the investigation.
1t is a fact that there are many peo-
pie in New Brunswick, some of them
influential. who would like to see the
whole matter dropped.
The day brought from James Mills
statements in elaboration Of what he
had said previously about his move
ments on the night Of the murder and
his state of nina at the time.
Talked of Elopement.
While he still denies he suspected his
wife. Mills did say he had mentioned
the possibility OF an elopment in talking
with Mrs. Hall. wife OF the dead rector.
on Friday, the morning after the
clergyman and his choir singer had dis
appeared. He said Mrs. Hall replied to
his question about whether she thought
there had been an elopement:
mo. think there has been foul play.
Mr.. Hall was never out so late before.
! am going to telephone the police"
Then Mills. for himself, made to-day
the following somewhat startling re-
mark
Il said nothing. ! had no money to
telephone the police
These afterthoughts of Mills. who has
talked and talked ever since the bodies
were discovered. but who appears every
now and then to remember something
fresh. may. OF course, be products of
the imagination of man literally hurled
into limelight to which he never had
aspired.
But If Mills Is telling the strict truth
they show that he not only had 1t In
his mind at the time OF the murder that
his wife was more than friendly with
the clergyman. but that his own regard
for her had sunk to such low level
that he counted the price Of telephone
call when puzzled about her where
abouts after night away from home. I
Recalling Schneider and the Behner
girl into the case az this stage has served
to add to the complications in the mys-
terry, but apparently the detectives only
are concerned with them in learning
whether the bodies we're robbed long
after the murder.
Schneider. who Is badly frightened
young fellow OF %, had to do lot OF
explaining. lie insists. however that he
did not touch the bodies when he found
them that he did not see either a pistol
or the minister's watch and that he knew
nothing whatever about the crime.
The locking up of the Behncr girl
on her fathers charge that she was in
corrigible. was merely a ruse TO make
her talk and II failed. She was released
this morning. That she and young
Schneider had an affair is established
Schneider has been married three years,
but does not live with his wife. lie
says he met the Behner girl three years
since. II would appear. therefore. that
she was little more than twelve when
she succeeded In mixing up Schneider's
matrimonial arrangements.
The two were together. according TO
Schneider on Thursday night September
~. until about 80. when he left her
downtown. Then he met Leon Kauff-
man and Clifford Hayes and walked 20
the nelghborhood of his home. which Is
left az II o'clock
Then Schneider and Hayes walked
about the streets ana the park until
nearly three In the morning. They as
sert that they were merely talking: that
they saw only one couple IN the park
and one automobile. heard no shots, no
screams nor anything else to arrest
their attention.
Schneider met the Behner girl on
Friday and again on Saturday morning.
When he and she found tho bodies.
Schneider tells the same story he has
told so often. He adds that he and the
girl stayed at the spot under the apple
tree for ten minutes. not knowing what
to do. lie did not touch the bodies,
and tho authorities. he SAYS found them
just as they were when he and the
Behner girl first saw them. lie went
to the nearest house that had a tele-
phone. called the police, and then re-
turned. waiting for the police to arrive.
lie says he HAD no right TO touch the
bodies
Not only was no pistol found, but
tho minister's gold watch was missing,
though he is believed to have carried Il
that night. and there was found In his
pockets only sixty-one cents I'm change
The detectives believe II vital to deter
mine whether the murderer left the
valuables untouched and threw the pistol
on the ground. and tonight. they are