The New York herald., 1922-10-10
BANNER GIRL TARGET
Prisoner Firmly Denies Al
legation Based Only on
Companions Word.
NO WEAPON DISCOVERED
Prosecutor Beekman Tells Lit
tie About Questioning to
Explain Discrepancies.


Special Dispatch to THE New YoRK HERALD.
NEW BRUNSWICK, Oct 9.-Clifford
Hayes, 21, who knew neither the Rev.
Edward Wheeler Hall nor Mrs. Eleanor
Mills singer in Hairs church, is in jail
in Somerville tonight. Tomorrow.
according to Azariah NJ. Beekman.
Prosecutor of Somerset county, he will
be charged with the murder Of the
clergyman and the choir singer.
Raymond Schneider. 22, a much
harder type Of youth than Hayes.
after spending the day and part of the
night here in the court house, was
taken late TO join Hayes in the Somer-
vile Jail, held as n material witness.
Schneider, it Is understood accuses
Hayes of killing Hall and Mrs. Mills.
Hayes fatty denies the accusation.
The two were friends and were to-
gether on the night OF the murder.
Until early this morning those not in
the confidence of the prosecutors had
regarded Schneider, rather than Hayes,
with suspicion.
! Small Pistol In Hayes Home.
In the Hayes heme.1he detectives
found a gun. 1t was not the gun with
which the crime was committed. 1t
was 20 caliber single shot pistol,
J little more than a toy. They found no
stained clothes. Besides the pistol
they discovered a blank cartridge re-
volver.
Though they do not say so the au-
| thorities are proceeding to check up
on Schneider. They have learned. for
one thing, that he was not with his
sweetheart, Pearl Bahmer, early on
the evening of the murder. He said
he had left her at $3.50 and joined his
boy companions about 10. Actually
his movements in the early part OF the
evening are unaccounted for. n fact
that may be of very great Importance.
This fact. like much that has been
learned about this case since the be-
ginning. comes from unofficial sources.
All that has been learned OF Schneiders
alleged confession, which presumably
does not exist comes unoficially.
According 70 Prosecutor Beekman.
Schneider Is the one on whose word
Hayes is being held. 1t is Schneider
who. according to Beekman, charges
/ Hayes with having committed the
rime that has puzzled New Jersey IL
not the whole country for three weeks.
According 10 Beekman--it must be
said that everything that has trans
pired to-day is according to Beekman
there is no complete statement re-
/ garding the case Forthcoming from
any one There is no official statement
] Of any sort.
There Is not. as yet. the usual ON
cial action charging Hayes with MUIR
/ der or any other crime. There are
score Of unexplained points on which
Beekman refuses to talk He assumes
that the mystery is solved II ap-
pears tonight to be more complicated
and puzzling than ever.
This is the belief all over New
Brunswick, for the detention Of Hayes
I has not proved satisfying. though II
had boon felt that an arrest should be
made before long.
While the case appears to he de-
veloping along the lines OF mistaken
Identity and the Prosecutors are pro-
ceeding in the belief that some one.
possibly Hayes. shot Hall and Mrs
Mills in mistake for some one else,
/ II Is barely possible that somewhere
/ i'm the background there is a more
astute mind than appears and that
line hitherto untouched will be
opened up within a day or SO.
Have only schneider's word.
The case ogainst Hayes rests alb
solutclv on the word Of Schneider.
which. in itself is flat contradiction
" what Schneider had said time and
again previously. There is no weapon
in the possession OF Beekman and his
assistants with which the crime could
/ have been committed. There is no
knife that may have severed the Jug
ular vein of Mrs. Mills. There Is no
knowledge Of stained garment. The
authorities have not found the watch
1 Hail carried.
There are about 500 words of what
| Schneider had to say that are directly
pertinent to his accusation of Hayes
His narrative refers entirely TO the