Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-10-24
SAW Z WOMEN
AND Z MEN At
NuRDERSCENE
So Says Mrs. Gibson, Who
Lives Near the De Russy's
Lane
HEARD THE SHOTS FIRED
Heard Woman's Voice-s-HeI
Story Was Stricker's Rea-
son for Attempted Arrest
HEARD THE SHOTS FIRED

NEW BRUNSWICK, Oct. 24.H
was learned today from an unlna-
peachable source that the woman
mentioned last week as the myster-
ious eye witness to the doubfe mrr-
der of Rev. Edward Wheeler Han
and Mrs. Eleanor Reinhardt Mills.
his choirleader, on the night Of Sep
tember IA. was Mrs Jane Gibson,
forty years old, a shrewd woman 0f
the plainswoman type. Mrs. Gibson
lives with her twenty-one year old
son in a house on Hamilton road
about 100 yards beyond de Russys
lane, which passes close to the spof
where the bodies were found.
Mrs. Gibson's story secured bs
Prosecutor Stricker's men wo1kins
on the case. is said to have been
the basis upon which the MiddIes-x
county prosecutor locked for an ar
rest last week but Somerset County
Prosecutor Beekman. wfo is ii
chage. could not be convinced. ana
as result DO arrests were forthcora
ing. Mrs. Gibson was questioned
in the Prosecutors office here ca
one occasion when Mrs. Frances
Stevens Hall wife of the murdered
rector, and her brothers, Henry ami
William were present
Mrs. Gibson Is widow aud
she and her son conduct a sixfr
acre farm on Hamilton read. in i
sparsely settled section near the
Phillips farm. Since hint Of her
story first was given she gas re-
ported to have denied it in whole or
part. but it was reported today
that state authorities now investi-
eating the double shooting would
question her further and taat her
story might lead to the arrest nt
persons mentioned prominently In
the case.
A plodding, determined woman II
Mrs. Gibson, who. besides raising
crops cares for five mules, q sad>
die horse and a barn yard.
I The chief product of her sixt4
acres of soil is corn. Recently her
fields have been entered at night and
robbed.
Shortly before the double murder
she decided to end this thieverys
Each night she lay in wait on tile
edge of her corn field. Nearby was
tethered a saddled mule for the pur-
pose of pursuit.
The night of the murder she was
said to have told investigators she
was riding down de Russy's lane
through the Phillips farm when she
saw in a field the dim outline of two
men and two women.
According to the story she was
first reported to have told. she be-
came curious. halted her mule, and
watched. There was moment OF
loud talking, the sound of a plsfok
shot, a streak of flame and one of the
men fell. Then a moment later four
more shots and one of the women
dropped. The man and woman
stood over the slain couple, the story
continued, and the first name Of TIC
man was spoken in horror by ths
woman.
Mrs. Gibson then was said to have
become frightened and to have turn-
ed her mule toward home.
Many "squatters." including foF-
eigners. living on land not owned by
them. reside in the vicinity of fhs
Gibson house. Some of these are
held responsible by Mrs. Gibson for
the theft of pigs and chickens from
her farm and also the killing of her
dogs. 1t was in hopes of finding one
OF these "squatters' prSwling about
her farm that she lay in wait along
deRussy lane for several nights prior
to the murder. she is said to have
told investigators.
Mrs. Gibson is said to have told
detectives she had gone near the
Philips farm on the night OF the
murder as she believed some OF the
corn stolen from her was hidden II
that immediate vicinity. Her search
for her corn was halted when Iona
voices attracted her attention She il
reported to have said.