The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-10-09
CRIME MYSTERY
NEAR SOLUTION
ARREST IS MADE
Young Man Charged With Murder
Of Minister and Choir Singer
Following oriIIinu and Con.
fesslon Of Pal.
SHOT FIRED BY MISTAKE
is REPORTED STATEMENT
Prosecutor Refuses to Confirm Rumor
Jealousy Believed TO Have
Been cause--Informant Held
as Witness In Case.
my The United Pres,


Clifford Hayes. 10. will be ct Urged
with the murder OF Rev. Edward
W. Hall. millionaire rector and Mrs
James Mills. his choir leader. ac.
cording TO an official abatement Nv,
sued at noon today by Prosecutors
Bcekman and Strickler. The state
mcnt said that Raymond Schneider,
81. will be held as material wit.
ness and that the process against
Hayes will be issued this afternoon
In Somerset county wherein the
bodies were found.
Prior 10 the prosecutors state.
ment Schneider was reported TO
have signed statement charging
that Hayes shot Mrs. Mills and Hall
by mistake. thinking the woman
was Pearl BANNER. daughter OF a
saloon keeper. with whom Hayes
was in love.
Beekman and Strickler decided
that Hayes would be charged with
the murder on information by
Schneider" They declared the
shooting had evidently taken place
in Somerset county on the aban-
doned Phillips farm.
Both Hayes and Schneider are in
custody, pending the formal charge
against Hayes.
Schneider will be held as ma
tcrlal witness, awaiting further de.
velopments In the case. A process
will be issued In Somerset county
today where It appears the crime
was committed. Both men will be
detained in the Somerset county
JAIL
The prosecutors refused to say
whether they had minated the
Mills and Hall families from the
case.
1--WE cannot eliminate anyone
yet" Prosecutor Beekman said.
When questioned as to what had
become OF DR.. Halls gun, knife and
watch, he replied:
do not ask us any questions
which will let those under arrest
know what the information we
have"
He refused to comment on
Schneider's confession, declaring:
I'VE cannot discuss that either"
No further arrest is under con-
temptation now, he added.
Arrest Of Hayes and Schneider
came after an all night grilling Of
the pair who are chums. Schneider
and Pearl Bahmer the girl over
whom Hayes is alleged to have been
jealous, reported to police here they
had found the bodies while hunting
mushrooms. Both had been quizzed
previous to today and Schneider
was understood to have maintained
he had no knowledge Of the crime
other than that he stumbled onto
the bodies laid out side by side
with Mrs. Mills horribly mutilated
Upon information in possession
of the prosecutors office obtained
from Raymond Schneider and other
witnesses we feel obliged to prefer
a charge against one Clifford
Hayes.
The two prosecutors admitted on
close questioning by newspaper men
that Schneider and Hayes were to-
gether near the scene Of the murder
on the Thursday night when it oc-
cured. When asked il the crime
had been committed through mis-
taken identity they said they could
not reply because they refused to
attribute any motive.
They announced that all evidence
had been checked up and run down
and that no tips had been too fan
tastic to investigate. No explana
ton was offered for the slash on
Mrs. Mills throat Neither was a
statement made as to how much
information had been obtained IRON
willie Stevens, brother of Mrs
Hall.
The arrests of Hayes and Schneid
er came today after more than "a
hours continuous grilling.
1t was reported here today tina
Schneider had signed statement
alleging that Hayes did the killing
The prosecutors refused to confirm
this, however.
Schneider, in his statement, &C
cording to report, declared tha
Hayes was jealous of Pearl Bah
mer, 15-year-old daughter of sa
lloon keeper.
While walking with Schneider tn
night of September IA, the night o
the murder, he saw Pearl with
man who appeared to be intoxicated
The two young men followed tn
pair. and watched them disappea