The New York herald., 1922-11-29
GRAND JURY FAILS
TO FIND INDICTMENT
IN HALL-MILLS CASE
Gets No Real Evidence Af-
ter Many Witnesses Tes-
tify in Five Days.
MAY BE RECONSTRUCTED
Mrs. Gibson Meets Mrs. Hall
While on Way to Make
Accusations.
NEITHER ONE FLINCHES
Dramatically Stare at Each
Other Before Crowd Await
ing Decision of Jurors.
NEITHER ONE FLINCHES

Special Dispatch to THE New York HEzALo.
SoMERvLLE, N. j., Nov. 2s.--Having
considered the Hall Mills murder mys-
terry for five days and concluded it's
deliberations in an atmosphere fit-
tingly dramatic the Somerset County
Grand Jury this evening adjourned
without finding an Indictment, A
little before S o'clock the foreman
Alfred B. Glib, made this statement
"For reasons which to them seem
sufficient and controlling the Grand
Jury took no action in the Hall-Mills
murder case and laid the matter over.
This does not necessarily mean that
the matter cannot be taken up again
by this or a subsequent Grand Jury"
Thus the Grand Jury wrote the
word "hnis" to the dramatic inquiry
into the killing of the Rev. Edward
Wheeler Hall, rector of the Church
Of st. John the Evangelist in New
Brunswick and of Mrs. Eleanor Mills,
a singer IN the church choir.
Beekman Scores over Mott.
Thus. too. was Azariah Beekman.
prosecutor of Somerset county. tri-
umphant over Wilbur A. Mott, Special
Deputy Attorney-Genera!. appointed to
\ handle the case. For the jury uecided
as Azariah had said it would weeks
ago. and for once prophet was hon-
orcd in his own country.
And while the jury deliberated--for
the whole OF the day in fact--Mrs.
Frances Stevens Hall. widow of the
! rector, sat within twenty rect OF the jury
I room door. just across the corridor. Her
attorney. Timothy y. Pfeiffer. sat with
her. as did Miss Sallie Peters. her
! friend.
For forty-fve minutes toward the close
! the trio had q nerve racking time OF II.
but they all emerged triumphant and
| smiling. Mrs. Jane Gibson. farmer.
actual accuser of Mrs Hail. told her
/ story In the course OF the day. the eye
witness story which eviu-nriy the Jury
did not believe. She identified. too. the
man II had been thought would be In
1 dlcted
Charles Alpaugh. a bus driver, ap-
I peared as a new witness and swore that
\ at midnight on the night OF the crime
( he had seen a Dodge sedan, such tho
/ Halls had, standing by the entrance to-
De Russy's lane. Henry Mills. Jimmy's
brother, testified. and so did Detective
| Ferdinand David. and the interview
with Mrs. Hall was introduced in evi-
dence through the testimony OF re-
| porter.
with Mrs. Hall sitting In the corridor
and Mrs. Gibson in the building the air
was electric, the whole proceeding dra-
\ matte even sensational. Then, when
Beekman and Mott left the jury room
and the ballotinG began. there were re-
ports and counter reports, and the hnal
suspense was intense. Even the stoical
Mrs. Hall showed evidences Of feeling
X occasionally.
Bets Made on Outcome.
Detective George Totten and the
Sheriff took places by the jury room
| door: the courtroom was prepared an
for the sitting OF court for the presenta-
/ ton OF an indictment. In a hotel lobby
across the way bets were made "indict-
ment or no indictment"
Then the doors Of the room swung
wide and a woman juror left. That was
the signal Had an Indictment been
found she would have remained to 20
! into court for the handing UP of 1t. She
smiled slightly at Mrs Hail. few
minutes later the reporters were sum-
moned and Mr.. GLIB made his state-
ment
Outside the room. word was carried 70
Pfeifer Mrs. Hall smiled and ros4
from her chair. Pfeiffer grasped he'd
arm.
Two minutes later they and Sallie
Peters were In the Dodge sedan. home-
ward bound, and Mott. asked what his
position would be from this time on.
said: "rll be In state OF suspended
animation"
Beekman smiled. as we'll ne might.
He had refused 20 go to the Grand Jury
with the evidence Mott presented. TO-
morrow Mott ard Attorney-General Me-
Gran are 70 have a conference on the
case.
Tonight In the kitchen OF the dingy
home In New brunswick of Jimmie
Mills, sexton OF the church and husband
Of the choir singer, the little oe-begons
man prepared his supper Of cheese and
bread and bologna sausage. As he
scraped his meal together he said
That's pretty rotten, and Justice has
not been done. am very much sur
prised. for | figured they would actually
get somewhere. Here Il is nearly eleven
weeks and we're right where we were
when Il started. But II justice was not
done by the state u Will be done by a
Higher Power. and the conscience that
has this thing 20 think over will be
punished for It's owner. ltil all come
out some day. but it's pretty rotten to
think the whole thing was thrown down
like that l didn't expect It."
Mrs. Hall waits Three Hours.
Mrs. Hall appeared at the court house
accompanied by her attorney and Sallie
Peters, and after sitting outside the
Grand Jury room for three hours faced
Mrs. Jane Gibson. who had told story
in which she named Mrs. Hall as having
been at the scene of the crime at the
time OF the shooting. Neither woman
ninched and the situation was dramatic.
Later Mrs Hall sat through the after
noon session Of the Grand Jury. Shs
least aslda hsr rassyve and her decision