Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-09-18
that Mrs. Hail was an expert trap

that after her husband received q
telephone call on Thursday night. he
informed her that he was going
over to straighten out the Mills bill"
She explained to the detective that
this referred to Mills wages as SEX
ton.
She related that when her husband
did not return at midnight, she grew
nervous and at about two o'clock
went to the church to see if he had
been detained there" Mrs. Hall,
according to Totten. said she thought
her husband had gone to the church.
Detective Totten pointed out that
Mills had told him that it was tele-
phone message that also called his
wife from their home Thursday
night. 1t was in answer to a ques-
ton from Mills message that the
sexton said his wife answered. IF
you really want to know where I'm
going, follow me and find out" De-
tectives also attached significance to
the fact that Mills told them that
when his wife failed to return Thurs
day night he. too. went to the church
| about two o'clock ''for spiritual con-
| ISOLATION" and remained some time,
but that he did not report meeting
| Mrs Hall there until about nine
| o'clock in the morning.
| A conversation which occurred last
week IN the headquarters Of the To-
cal fire department, which the police
think may have some bearing on the
case, was unearthed by the authorit-
les today. Fire Captain Michael
Riggin was passing the time of day
with William Stevens. detectives said
they learned, when the captain re-
marked that things were rather slow
around town.
Maybe they are now" Stevens
said and has admitted replying. "btt
something big is going to happen
soon"
Stevens, when asked what he
meant by this statement, declined to
answer.
Services in the small but wealthy
church of st. John the Evange!is>,
which sets on knoll overlooking the
town of New Brunswick. were con.
Quoted today by the Rt. Rev. Albion
Williamson knight. bishop of the
Protestant Episcopal diocese of New
Jersey. The text of his sermon was
Faith, Hope and Charity"
| He referred briefly to the tragedy
He said that he had been acquainted
with the rector for a long time and
had implicit faith in him. From his
| own knowledge. he said, and from
what others had told him. he was
sure that the rector could not have
been guilty Of wrong doing.
THE tragedy" he said. was prob
ably test to try the congrega TONS
faith. Clergymen are all human, like
other people. But / am confident
that DR.. Hall was not guilty of mis-
conduct. God knows when he COM
mits eternal principles to us, it is to
, frail human beings. And SO I say
that the tragedy may be. after all.
only test of the spirit and the faith
of the congregation"
Bishop Knight will officiate at the
rector's funeral which will be held
tomorrow from the church Of St
John the Evangelist. The funeral of
Mrs. Mills will probably be held Tues
day.
An autopsy was performed by Cor
| oner Long on Mrs. Mills body today
| He fund that death was due TO a
single bullet wound through the cen
i ter of the forehead The bullet. he
! said, was fired from in front and pas
scd out back of the right car. No
autopsy has been performed on the
rector's body.
| Mrs. Hall refused to comment in
any way upon the deaths of her hus-
ever, said that he had been to see
Mrs. Hall and that while she could
hardly speak, she steadfastly avowed
her faith in her husband.
Il worshipped Mr.. Hall and trusted
him absolutely and l still believe in
him." Mr.. Mills quoted Mrs. Hall as
saying. and added that she had told
him that she intended to hire private
! detectives if ened be, to clear up the
mystery surrounding the double
| shooting.
| Mr. Mills related that the rector's
wife said You may be sure that |
|
which is going around about my hus-
band and your wife"
Mills said when he asked Mrs. Hall
what she thought about the letters
which were found by the rector's body,
and which are said by the police TO
| have been written by Mrs. Mills to the
Rev. Hall. she wept but said nothing.
| Mills told newspaper reporters that
| the letters found near the rector's
body meant nothing but a game which
his wife played with herself. He was
emphatic in stating that they had
never been mailed and that they were
| in his wife's possession and not the
rector's at the time Of the shooting.
! His wife, he said, was sentimental
woman and was an invetcrate reader
of ronmances. He declared that she
i frequently copied the letters in novels
she read and carried them about with
| her. Mills declared he had seen his
wife both writing and reading these
MESA ges, which he said were address,
ed to imagined characters.
| The sexton was reported to have
| told the authorities on Saturday that
| the letters were written by his wife
! to their two children while she was
visiting in the southern part of the
state this summer.
For more than a year." Mills said
today, II have been hearing gossip
about my wife. ! refused to pay the
slightest attention to it until people
in the church charged that my wife
and Mr. Hall were too friendly. That