The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-18
Authorities Believe Minister
and Woman Murdered.
Phone Call May Have Lured
Couple to Their Death.
JEALOUSY LED TO CRIME?
Letters, Pieced Together, Writ
ten by Mrs. Mills.
Dispute Arises as to Where
Crime Was Committed.

New Brunswick, N. J., Sept. 1s.-
The question of where the Rev. Ed
ward H. Hall, rector of the fashion
able church of st. John the Evangel-
list, and his choir leader, Mrs. James
Mills, were slain was to be brought
up at today's inquiry into the mys-
terious double murder.
Middlesex authorities are not Of
ficially on the case, as the spot where
the bodies were found is over the line
in Somerset county. But unofficially,
they were extremely active about this
city, where. it is certain, the tragedy
had its. beginning, if not its end.
Mills. the widower of the tragedy,
Mrs. Hall, the widow and her brother.
Willie an eccentric, were the figures
about which the investigation re-
volved, all three were expected to be
questioned again today - Mrs. Hall
and Mills-for further details of their
nocturnal wanderings in the early
hours of Friday morning and Willie
Friday morning that Something ter
rible is going to happen"
Trace Phone Call.
The authorities today were trying to
trace a mysterious telephone call
which is bell eyed to have lured the
couple to their violent death.
It is known that the woman re-
Thursday night and it is believed the
clergyman received a similar sum-
mons.
Mrs. Hall, wife the clergyman, un-
der examination by the Somerset
county authorities. admitted she was
the mystery woman" seen entering
her home early Friday morning.
1t was rumored that an arrest. per-
haps two, might be made within twen-
! ty-four hours.
Funeral services for Doctor Hall
were conducted today by Bishop AL
funeral of Mrs. Mills will take, place
| tomorrow.
Admits Going to Church.
Mrs. Hall admitted she had gone to
the church early Friday because her
husband was missing and she was
alarmed. She wanted to ascertain, she
said, if he had been detained -
church affairs.
At the same time, Mills, husband oi
the slain woman, admitted that he
too, had visited the church. He saio
he was anxious over the non-return
of his wife. He visited the church te
| find out if she had been detained e5
choir work.
So far! the authorities have beer
lunable to find any one who have beer
| in the vicinity of the farm, two miles
from New Brunswick, where the two
/ bodies were found Saturday morning
both shot thru the head
| jealousy the Motive?
T.. .Aitho the clergyman's pockets were
| rifIed the police do not think rob-
berry was the motive. They are work
ing on the theory that jealousy led
| to the crime.
| The fragments of torn letters found
beside the bodies have been placed
together. They were evidently written
| by Mrs. Mills to her pastor.
| From what they have learned, the
police are convinced Doctor Hall and
Mrs Mills had carried on a clande-
stine affair together for some time.
| No Signs of Struggle.
| There were no signs of a struggle
where the bodies were found. This
| opened up two avenues of conjecture:
| Either the murderer came up from
4 behind and fired, or else that this
person was known to both and fired
1 unexpectedly while in conversation
with them. The clergyman was shot
from behind.
| 1t developed that the church of st
! John the Evangelist has been paying
bills incurred by Mrs Mills while q
patient in the Middlesex hospital here
| last winter. The operation was OF
such a serious nature that Mrs. Mills
gave instructions for. the disposition
of her body in the event she sue
cunbed. These instructions will be
tfaJIovpf>d at her funeral