The Washington herald., 1922-10-28
New Jersey Prosecutor
Says Time Has Arrived
To Take Action.
HOLDS MRS. GIBSON
RELIABLE WITNESS
Saw Sobbing Woman al
Second Visit to Scene
Of Murder.
NEW BRUNSWICK. N. J.. Oct. 81.

Church of st. John the Evangelist
and his choir singer met death on
the night of September IL beneath a
scrubby crabapplc tree on the Phil
lips farm on the outskirts of the
city, just over the Somerset County
line.
Judge Wilbur A Mott. special as
sistant attorney. general. declared
tonight that the case is a mystery
no longer"
Mott clearly indicated that he will
within a very short time present
evidence to the Somerset County
grand jury on which he will ask
one or more indictments.
TeIls Of sebbing Woman.
1t became known tonight that
Mrs. Jane Gibson. who has already
late on the night of September IL,
made q second visit to the scene
of the murder at o'clock on the
saw q sobbing woman leaning over
and sesir singer.
Mrs. ssibson identified to officials
ing woman was the same she had
bccu cbTtlcT vi ldhai IhBhk
the lighs Of an automobile in De-
russy's sAs-e.
Mrs. Gibson Identifies to officials
Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall as the
woman she saw twice at the
Phillips farm on the night of the
murder.
Fought Her Assailants.
1t was further disclosed that au-
thorities have evidence to the ef-
feet that Hall was killed first: that
Mrs. Mills was killed after q battle
with her ASSISTANTS, who chased her
when she attempted to fiee and
dragged her back to the crab apple
tree, where the minister had been
killed, and there shot her three
times, and cut her throat
Judge Mott and his chief investi-
gator, Detective James Mason. as
sert their belief in the statement
made by Mrs. Gibson of what she
saw and heard on the fatal night.
For some reason which Is not ex-
planned Judge Mott will not order
an Immediate arrest, though he has
stated that the time has arrived to
take some definite action in the
case.
May Await Grand Jury Action.
1t is believed that Mott favors
the plan to delay the arrest or ar.
rests until after the evidence has
been presented to the county in.
quisitorial body.
Judge Mott was interviewed to-
day, as follows:
@. This a complex mystery. isn'i
IT.?
A. 1t is complex. but it is a mys-
terry no longer.
Q. Do you still believe in the
credibility Of Mrs. Gibson's state.
ment?
A. I do.
Q. Have you talked with anyone
who corroborates her story?
A. Most certainly. That was the
first thing to do.
Q. Have they corroborated it7
A. Oh. sure.
Q. Who are they?
A. I don't care to say.
Admits II Ia Time to Act.
Q. Do you consider 1t time tc
make an arrest?
A. 1t Is time to act.
Q. Why don't you act.
A. It's a matter of Judgment.
Q. What is your judgment.
A. You must Judge by my acts.
@. Have you any information a.
to the automobiles mentioned In
Mrs. Gibson's statement?
A. Yes.
@. Sufficient to identify them? e.
A. l have not seen them. I have
descriptions and a combination OF
numbers.
Q. Do you know the number OF
the auto parked on Easton avenue
the one Mrs. Gibson first saw?
A. I have a combination of num-
bers.
Unworried About Stevens.
@. Don't you think il Henry Ste
vens' alibi stands up, you should
say so?
A. Don't worry over justice fol-
Henry Stevens. Don't worry oveI
more consideration being shown him
than Mrs. Hall.
@. When in your Judgment, the
time comes for decisive action will
you order an arrest or take the
case to the grand jury first?
A. I don't know. but unless there
should be some extraordinary. de.
vlopmnts. / should be inclined te
take it to the grand jury.
Q. With an eyewitness state.
ment you have characterized a.
credible, what corroboration in your
judgment Is necessary?
A. None Is legally necessary
Still 1t Is open to the question oi
persuasion before jury by cor.
roborative evidence.
No Other Evidence.
Q. Isn't 1t a fact you have beer
informed there was another eye
witness?
A. No.
Q. Have you any corroboratine
statement as to the whereabouts oi
James Mills on the night of Sep.
tember IL?
A. No. But we are not so mucl
interested in corroborated state
ments as.wspnre in the credibility o.
the witnesses we produce.
q. Have you any corroboratinf
statements as to the whereabouts o.
Mrs. Hall between p. m. and
a. m, the night of September 14-l5'
Continued on Page Fsvs.