davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
FAVORS CURTAILING
MOTOR PRODUCTION
American AutOmOtive AsSOcia-
ton Urges Slackening
of Operations.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
Washington, ID. c.. Oct, l5

Washington ID. g., Oct. l5 J
The National American Automotive
Association at its annual dinner in the
New Willard Hotel last night went on
record as favoring curtailed production
Of motor vehicles.
There were present many representa-
tives of the State automobile clubs of
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Illinois, Onio. Indiana and Kansas and
also representatives OF automotive pro-
ducing companies.
Discussion of automotive production
for the year 1922 was much debated.
Statistics produced by the automotive
industries indicated production of 2S9,000
motor vehicles in June, $4,000 in July,
272.000 in August and 204,000 in Sep
tember
IL was predicted that unless automo-
tive producers curtail operations for the
balance of the calendar year the larger
producing companies will find their
plants clogged in the season of 1923. A
gradual tapering off of production since
early September was found not to be
sufficient.
1t is pointed out that the railroads
are severely handicapped by a shortage
of cars and the number of cars en-
ployed in the transportation of auto
mobiles can be utilized for the move
ment Of grain products.
United States Senator Arthur Capper
of Kansas has pointed out the need of
downward revision Of the freight on
grain and that profit prices on grain are
not clearly in sight. Agricultural de-
mand for automobiles has materially de-
creased.
Representatives of many large pro-
ducers of the country. such companies
as Hudson. Velie, Studebaker, Moon,
Chandler and Ford, favored their respec-
tive companies curtailing percentage
production for the rest OF the season.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
MORAN TO UNITE FORCES
FOR SOL WING OF TRAGEDY

the bodies had been carried off TO SOM
erviIIe Nevertheless, we have gathered
a great amount of evidence and l be-
lieve we are getting nearer the truth
every day"
These quotations show the situation
that McCran or his representative VIII
encounter tomorrow or the next day,
when he takes over the case, providing
Judge Parker signs the expected order.
That Lanigan or whoever takes hoiu
will want to question Mrs. Hall Is ex-
pected. and he will unquestionably call
Mills and the latter's daughter, Char
lotte. 1t seems improbable therefore
thay with the work being begun again
there can be many worthwhile develop
ments for some days at least.
Morbid sightseers Turn out.
More than a thousand automobiles
stopped on Easton avenue and DeRussy
lane during the day while the occupants
visited the mysterious old farmhouse
and the now famous crab apple tree.
This tree incidentally will soon be no
more. for sghtseers have broken off not
only twigs but whole branches as
souvenirs. They have pretty well
wrecked some parts of the farmhouse,
too.
one pillar Of the front porch has
been broken down, there is a hole ten
feet long in the flooring of the back
porch. one set Of steps has been broken
to l1indling wood and four windows
have been broken and boarded up.
The doors have been broken in more
than orce and nearly all Of the smaller
pieces of furniture have been taken
away bodily by the curious. whose
morals seem TO suffer relapse as they
IL, laA nj
Of the place, hurried a Waterman out
there to-day When he heard thescrowds
We're literally pulling the place to-
pieces, and the watchman had a lively
time until after dark. whea the crowd
faded away.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
WHALING CAP'N DENIES
HE USED NAUGHTY WORD
Mild hammered Mariner Said
Only by Crir,mus.'

Specios Dispotoh 10 THE New York HERALD.
SOUTHAMPTON. oct. 15.-Although
Cap'n Bill Bennett and dozen other
retired Amagansett and Southampton
whaling cap'ns watched the horizon all
day. the big bull whale that spouted Off
West Hampton late Saturday did not
appear and the expedition had no cause
to put out to sea.
Cap'n Bennett and the others believe
the whale will appear again in the next
day or two. as there is an unusually
large quantity Of whale food this sea-
son.
Cap'n Cyrus Edwards to-day repudi-
ated the statement that was attributed
to him Saturday. when he was quoted
as saying that he would be in the whal-
ing expedition in spite OF "hell and high
water"
"I was mlsquoted." said the Cap'n.
"What | really said wes J'll be thar,
by crimmus I've seen lot OF life in
the rough in my time. but I've always
been q man of mild manners and chaste
diction. / can prove that by Capn Bill
Bennett. and the worst thing he ever
says is Oh Susie
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
Continued from First Page.

figures (n the case. This is what Totten
has to Say:
From the moment l saw the differ
ent consideration with which the dead
bodies had been treated-the eyes of
the minister lovingly closed and his
glasses placed on his nose and the
woman with her head almost cut off
and her eyes staring-I knew / was
not on the trail of any blackmailer or
robber or ordinary criminal
II have had four men working on that
lead for three weeks and working so
quietly that nobody but myself has
known what they have been doing.
Within few days now everybody will
know and will be satisfied we have not
been wasting time or bungling."
Totten Is Sure of Solution.
Totten is sure the mystery will be
solved and expects to continue working
on the case regardless of Judge Parker >
action, which might put NTottens su-
perior. Beekman. out of the matter en-
tirely
The State troopers on the other hand
are not nearly so optimistic. They have
not made enough progress TO satisfy
themselves and while they are working
hard and virtually all of the staff of
$50 men are available for use in con-
nection with the mystery. their leads
have not developed anything OF great
moment.
Occupying about the same situation in
MiddleseX that Totten occupies in Som
erset, Detective Fred David holds diff
ferent views for he says. 1T is true
that this case has been bungled. but the
fault is not in Middlesex county. The
case did not come into this Office until
noon of Monday. September 1S, forty
eight hours after the crime had been
discovered. BY that time the Phillips
farm had been made a show place and
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
Always Room for Doubt.

Within the month facts have been
disclosed which would, in the minds
of the sophisticated. place the char
acters of the man and woman on the
defensive, to say the least. and yet
even the many sophisticated persons
now visible here have to nod assent
when, after the discussion has swung
around the trampled circle. some one
says: And it wasn't true after ALL"
Another interesting if not significant
fact is the persistent refusal of the great
majority of his parishioners to believe
any evil of Mr.. Hall. The more worldly
remark. We'll, he was a human being
like the rest of us" but most of the men
and women who attended st. Johns are
so sure that he could not have erred
that they speak out their faith exult-
antly. dehantly and one is forced to be-
lieve sincerely. This has often been
noted before, but is worth noting again.
For example, there is Miss Agnes
Storer, organist of the church for eight
cen years, an Intelligent and devout
gentlewoman. She Vas with the choir
constantly and must have heard the
gossip, yet she says:
1--WE are all awaiting anxiously for
the mystery to be cleared. as II will be
in Gods good time. for when it is cleared
every one will see that Mr.. Hall was
really the blameless man we knew him
to be-"
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
KILLS MAN;
MATE REVIVED SAVED
TUo Found Unconscious on
Astoria SidetDoIk.

John Barr. aged 53 a gardener at the
Liverest Sanitarium. Astoria, Queens,
died from alcohol poisoning late Satur-
day His body was found on a sidewalk
by Patrolman Frank Hess OF the AS
toris station. Unconscious beside the
dead man was Joseph SankowitZ aged
50. Of 1856 Main street. Long Island City.
lie was revived at st. Johns Hospital.
Santowitz got suspended sentence
when arraigned on n charge OF intoxica-
tion yesterday before Magistrate Doyle
in the Long Island City Court.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16

About this choir business there was
some trouble, suppose, but seems to me
II there had been much dissension the
choir wouldn't have held together. 1t
did hold together.
What has happened hasn't hurt the
church That is another sign. The
pledges in the envelopes last week were
$1,000 larger than usual oh, / suppose
what's happened has shaken my faith in
human nature a little. but not my faith
in the church. The church goes on as
before.
'As treasurer of the church 7 was
pretty close to Mr.. Hall. We kept the
books together. and you can't make il
too plain that ! never saw mite Of
anything wrong in his talk or his at-
tions. Some say we are going too far
in defending him the way we do, but |
guess everybody'll be glad If things
turn out SO both of them are eXonerated.
AS for Jimmy Mills, he's nice, quiet
nan. They say he's slack. and all that.
It's a fact he isn't well educated, but for
his condition he's as good as most of
'em"
The reporter said to Mr.. Bartholo-
new would you like to see the mat
ter dropped?"
mo, sir" he answered IF it was
member of my own family involved l
might try to protect him. / guess, but
my idea is that the guilty parties. who
ever they are, ought to be punished.
Far as Mrs. Hall and her brother. Billy
Stevens. are concerned my, notion is
they didn't have thing to DO with it,
and neither did Jimmy Mills. Jim hasn't
Cnrif z n hu1 hn wi
Mr. Mills was found in corridor of
the Lord Sterling school. He was stoop-
ing over and pushing a little pile of dust
into a dustpan with large broom. An
old heather mixture sweater and n pair
OF flappy blue overalls covered his spare
body. A tweed hat, too small. trem-
bled on his head. Mr.. Mills long ago
forgot how to smile.
The worried looking little man
Strengthened up and poured forth his
troubles until the visitor had to go. All
that the writer was interested in at
the moment was the state Of affairs
in the church before the murders. Mr..
Mills saibhe couldn't help with any in
formation, for nobody had ever bothered
him with any GOSSIP
81 will say, though, as GOD is my
Judge" he offered, that Mr.. Hall was
my friend from the minute I met him
and that nothing has happened TO make
mo feel any different"
"Did you," the reporter felt bound
to ask, ever suspect that Mr.. Hall and
your wife We're too friendly"
Never suspected any such thing"
said Mr.. Mills. Don't you suppose that
If l had I'd have gone right to Mr.. Hall
and had it out with him?"
Mr.. Mills said, by the way, that Mr..
Hall never locked his desk in the study
n the church building. Kept money,
papers, everything there" the janitor
said. open to anybody" Which is
interesting in view of the fact that Mrs.
Mills used to leave her suggestions for
sermons in the study, and possibly her
personal letters.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
Rotor weds In 1911.

During the first year he seemed to
the parishioners TO have marked liking
Tor Miss Matte Long, school teacher.
Their engagement was reported. but not
announced. Recently Miss Long died.
Her friends say she died ''of n broken
heart" The doctors diagnosis was
tuberculosis. on July 90. 1911, Mr.. Hall
married Miss Frances Stevens. She gave
her age as 81. he gave his as 80.
Natives Of the city say the difference
was greater than that.
This and the family relationships OF
Mrs. Hall--her connection with the
stevens family, which is "old" but not
very rich, and with the Carpenters. who
are also old and quite rich (wall paper,
real estate. banking interests and so
on) and who are powerful in the church.
are now threadbare story. Not so
much has been written about Mrs.
Mills. She came OF factory workers and
married one. While not exactly ashamed
of her origin, she was, those who knew
her say, constantly trying to rise above
It,
She was In her late twenties when Mr.
Hail took charge OF So. Johns and at.
resdy married to Jimmy Mills. who
worked i'm rubber factory and whose
insignincance seems 10 have incrcasi.
as his wife struggled for the richer lifS
Mrs. Mills had a pleasing soprano voice
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
DRYS WILL OPPOSE
ANY CHANGE IN LAW
Continued from First Page.

fiscating foreign ships as you would
flivver." the regulations& will still leave
a wide margin for well based complaints
by foreign countries.~
The Administration realizes this and
when the complaints begin to come it is
hoped that even the fanatcal element in
Congress will realize that the situation
into which the Government is precipi-
tated is untenable.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
GOSSIP, NOT SCANDAL,
BEFORE HALL KILLING
Few of the 300 st. Johns
Flock Knew of Whisper
ings in Church.
CONFINED TO CHOIR
Vestryman Had Spoken to
Rector About His Friend
ship for Mrs. Mills.
PARISHI0NERS ARE Loyal
Don't Believe Tales Now Re-
tailed by Those Who De
pend on 'Hindsight.'
PARISHI0NERS ARE LOYAL

Special Dispatch TO THE New YoRK HERALD
New BRUNSWICK, n. j., Oct. ID
Many persons have been asking. IF
the friendship of the Rev. Edward
Wheeler Hall and Mrs. James Mills
was an open scandal in the Church OF
St. John the Evangelist, why did the
church people, the vestry the wardens
permit it to go on? Why did they
not take the action customary in such
conditions?"
The answer is, it was not an open
scandal. 1t was not, Il scandal at all
in the proper sense of the word. There
was not even widespread gossip. There
was talk" but it never reached the
body of the congregation. Compare
lively few of the 300 members of the
church heard breath of it. 1t started
in the choir and virtually stopped
there.
A few members of the choir were
downright suspicious, others mod
erately so, others continuously incred-
ulous. Even those most suspicious
had no proof that something was
wrong" They have no proof to this
day.
That is one of the notable facts
of this extraordinary murder case
Despite all that has been said and
done in the month that has passed
since the finding of the bodies, there
exists, so far as public knowledge
goes. no conclusive evidential support
of the theory as to the minister and
the soprano to which the finger of
inference so strongly points-no per-
son who can say, I'm not guessing or
supposing; ! know"
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
WIFE URGES ALLEN
TO GET NEW NOSE
American Glider, Hurt in Ger
many, to See English Meet.

! Special cable 10 THE Nrw YORK HERALD.
Copyright, I0Ra, by THE Ngw YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
Berlin. Oct. Is
Edmund T. Allen, the American glid-
/ ing expert whose fights against Ger
man gliders ended in a crash at Was
sacrkuppe, has arrived in Berlin. where
! he viii remain short time before going
. 10 England TO attend the meet there on
the south coast. He will be merely an
observer, as his glider was smashed be-
Nond repair on his experiences In
France. Germany and England Allen
plans 10 write book tracing the sud-
den development OF gliding this year.
Mrs. Allen is urging him to see spe.
s,ciaiist as his nose is dishRured from
the accident He recently left the hos
pital In Fulda
N Martens. the German champion glider
Is still at Wasserkuppe. awaiting a fa-
vorablo current TO set a new distance
record
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
warning Talk TO Rector.

"Dd any one ever speak TO Mr.. Hall
about the gossip in the choir7" the
writer asked the man who was telling
this story.
"Yes," he said. about year ago
Ralph v. M. Gorsline. a member of the
vestry and of the choir, told Mr. Hall
that there seemed to be feeling that
his friendllness toward Mrs Mills might
he open to misinterpretation. Mr.. Hall
replied chat he was sure no one who
really knew them would misunderstand
At this time the matter was being gem
orally discussed in tho choir. and one
or two did little talking outside
what all OF VIC New Brunswick
people are interested " is having this
whole affair cleared VI and am talk. Z.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
Opinions of Church People.

A reporter for THE New YORK HERALD
spent some time talking with persons
who knew most about the relations os
Mr. Hall and Mrs. Mills and what was
going on within the church group. Some
of them spoke with unexpected frank
ness, others evasively aSd others not at
all. The reporters purpose was TO pene-
trate as far as possible into the truth
Of the theory that "the secret of the
murders lies in ST. Johns Church"
Whatever he found out is here set down.
Mr.. Hall, ii will be recalled. settled
in New Brunswick on July Is, 1909. He
was born In Brooklyn, sang in the boys
choir of Grace Church in Manhattan.
was graduated from Hobart College and
the General Theological Seminary. went
10 Bernardsvile. n. j.. after serving as
n cl,rate in Grace Chapel. New York. and
from Bernardsville was called TO New
brunswick.
ST. Johns Church. originally an on
shoot OF a larger church in New Bruns-
wick had small congregation that in
creased considerably during Mr.. Hall's
rectorship 1t has by no means the
largest church building in town. but good
architecture and the planting OF fast
growing ivy which now smothers the
walls made IL attractive. Mr.. Hall. when
he moved to New Rrunswick. was 2s
years old, rather short. inclined to be
chubby fresh in color, of boyish disposi-
tim
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
WOMEN FOUNDERS no MEET.

WAsHINGToN. oct IA call for the
100 women founders Of the National
Woman's party TO meet here November
II TO draft and sign n declaration OF
principles" for their organization was
issued to-day by Miss Alice Paul. vife-
president OF the party, n
The New York herald., 1922-10-16

ing frankly with you because / believe
that any person possessing information
chat might either tend to prove or
dsprove any theory and help the
authorities in getting at the facts should
tell what he knows. Now you have
heard Mr.. Mills say that he never hal
the slightest reason for jealousy. that
he never had moments suspicion
about his wife. My personal testimony
is that one evening when l was seeing
Mrs. Mills home from choir practice
it is customary, you know, everywhere
for the men of the choir TO escort tn"
ladies home-she said, as we reached
the doorstep: Now don't come too near.
as my husband is insanely jealous.
Whether he was or not | do not know,
but that's what she said.
'You have also heard that Mrs. Hall
never felt that Mrs. Mills was too deeply
interested in Mr.. Hall. Take this for
what It's worth About a year ago at
a meeting cf the guild it was decided
to have party in the Sunday school
room. Several young women walked
over to Mrs. Hall and gave her spe
cial invitation to be present Mrs. Hall
looked quickly toward n corner OF the
room where her husband and Mrs. Mills
were together. and said to the young
women oh, no; l don't think I'm
wanted
Another Opinion From Choir.
Another man who is a member of the
choir said TO the writer, "Fll tell you
all about the church situation If you
will not use my name.' The promise
was given and he said:
"St. Johns Church has n vested choir
of twenty-five voices-twelve women
and ten men, Only the orgahist. Miss
Storer, and the leader. Mrs. Alice Jor-
dan. are paid. Like all the others, Mrs.
Mills was q volunteer She was never
the leader, although she was first So
prano In Miss Jordan's absence Mr..
Hall was not only the leader of the
church Boy Scouts, but unusually active
in all the church organizations
About two years ago Mr.. Mills got
the job as jantor. He had been out of
work, and just how he happened to be
employed I don't know. but suppose it
was because of Mrs. Mills's influence.
He is a part time janitor, attending to
the opening and closing of the church.
the upkeep of the grounds, &c. and
spending the rest of the day as janitor
Of the Lord Sterling School
Mrs. Mills was always handy
around the church. always wanting to
be doing something and actually doing
It as well as talking about it. She not
only looked after the hangings and COW
cred the choir music. but when an aged
woman we had employed became too
feeble to work Mrs Mills busted and
cleaned Her children, Charlotte and
Daniel, were members of the Sunday
school,
The New York herald., 1922-10-16

they We're kind OF foolish, but nobody
can get me TO say a persons guilty un-
I'll he's proved so. There's no proof
yet. you know. The authorities say
they haven't found any letters from
the rector to Mrs. Mills
Every day now I'm hearing OF
people who say they knew IL all the
time If they did know it, why in
thunder didn't they say so when it
would do some good? 1 was on the
committee that picked Mr. Hall twelve
years ago. ] recall that soon after he
came my wife had an appendicitis
operation, and | guess she was the first
one in the parish he called on.
Some folks thought he didn't do
enough calling. didn't go out Nlless he
was asked, but l don't know: there was
an unfortunate man whose boys got to
drinking and / recollect that he went
TO a low place where i wouldn't have
gone. to help them. No, l shouldn't say
any fault could be found with him in
that respect.
And he was great hand with boys
Scout leader and all that. The day
the bodies were found | met one of the
boys coming down Codwise avenue cry
ing. He said, Heard about Mr. Hall?'
said | had, and he went off crying,
kind of stumbling along and crying
one Of the Boy Scouts of our church.
Mr.. Hall used to get fifteen or twenty
boyA out Tor early communion-half past
z in the morning. 1t takes a pretty
good man with boys to do that.
The New York herald., 1922-10-16
Rector n LiIxabIe Man.

"He was a robust figure, and j thnk
he was happiest when out camping with
men. To meet him was to like him, and
the liking lasted a good while. Well, 1t
got to be gossiped in the choir that
Mr.. Hall and Mrs. Mills were unusually
friendly~ at these church parties-noth-
ing serious, but more talking and joking
between those two than between the
minister and any other woman. But
what really ranked was her continued
attempt at dictation to the choir
"By 1919 most of the choir disliked
her. believe, and in 1920 and 1921 the
gossip was pretty thick, but still there
weren't many who thought that any
thing was really out of the way. as the
saying is. They Just thought that Mrs.
Mills and Mr. Hall liked each other very
well and had no thought of contealing
1t.
II remember that one day Mr.. Hall re-
proved a young theological student for
having taken Mrs. Mills TO the movies
the night before. He said il wasn't
proper to take a married woman out In
the evening chat way. At this time GER
tain persons were saying that Mrs. Mills
was throwing herself at Mr.. Hall and
that he was weakening. Personally,
do not think this was true | have al
ways believed. and still believe, that
all there was to their friendship was
cooperative understanding between two
persons whose minds met pretty well
and who wanted to work together.
"rhere is no doubt that Mrs. Mills
was truly interested in the church, and
II may be that she was too much in
terested in Mr.. Hall. I'm only telling
YOU what ] know personally About
year ago I saw them walking along
Broadway. New York. in front OF the
Rivoli Theater. She was cinging to
his arm with both hands and looking
rp into his face with all expression ]
shall never forget.
Both Of them knew me well AMI
passed within four feet of them. but
neither saw me and / said nothing.
There was nothing in the traffic con-
ditions to cause her to hold on TO him
that way I often saw Mr. and Mrs
Hall in New York. but never Mrs. Mills
except on that occasion"
The New York herald., 1922-10-16

FOUND ANYTHING.
N 80. schTf q is advertised In the Lost and
Eeund pmns Of to-days New york Herald.