Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-02
PROBE IS STARTED
INTO PAST LIFE Of
. RECTOR WITNESS

1'-1I lo CIculUlllLy VI MIS- JdAS
Gibson, who says she was an eye.
witness of the murders of the Rev.
Edward Wheeler Hall, rector of the
Episcopal Church Of st. John the
Evangelist, and his choir leader,
Mrs. Eleanor Reinhardt Mills, was
subjected to criticism again today.
Authorities continued their investi'
cation into her past, following re-
ports that instead Of being the wild
ow of a clergyman, she is the wife
of William H. .Easton, who works in
New Brunswick and drives to and
from her farm in q small automo-
bile.
Mrs. Gibson insisted that the re-
ports were untrue. She denied she
has husband or that she is the
Mrs. Gibson whose husband, John,
a railroad worker, died some years
ago in Kentucky. Easton said he
had nothing to say" when asked II
she was his wife. Its an amazing
story" he said, commenting on her
eye witness statement. "She has a
brilliant mind"
"You tell me the officials are in
vestigating the story of my life,
Mrs. Gibson said. "Well 1 don care.
know 1 am here in New Bruins
wick and I witnessed the murder OF
DR.. Hall and Mrs. Mills, what diff
ference does it make whether I have
a past or not?"
Special Attorney General Wilbur
A. Mott, has made no move to pre-
sent Mrs, Gibson's story to the grand
jury. He said. however. that he had
found nothing which would tend to
discredit her account of the muir
ders.
Timothy N. Pfeiffer, counsel for
Mrs. Edward Hall, said his client
was perfectly willing to accept the
challenge Mrs. Jane Gibson extend
ed last night.
Mrs. Gibson, ex-circr~ rider, pig
raiser, farmer and self-styled wit
ness Of the Hall Mills murders-had
dared the rector's wife to meet her
and deny that she was not present
when her husband was killed.
Pfeiffer said Mrs. Hall was ready to
confront Mrs. Gibson at my time, II
the authorities so desired. He added,
however, that she would do so only
in their presence.
Today's Investigations were devoid
Of the spectacular. The authorities,
it appeared, were focusing their at
tention on the eyewitness story told
by Mrs. Gibson, seeking evidence
that would either corroborate or dis
credit the tale.
Mrs. Jane Gibson, who recently
dramatically announced that she
had been an eyewitness to the Hall
Mills murder, today clinched her
hold on the center of the stage by
firing a load of birdshot over the
heads Of reporters who persisted in
surrounding her farmhouse and pep.
pering her with questions.
Mrs. Observation-Disclosures rider,
hog-raiser and woman farmer-Who
suddenly became reticent after am
plfying her story of the killing of
kew. Edward Wheeler Hall and his
choir singer, Mrs. Eleanor r. Mills,
became irritated this morning when
an army of newspapermen showed
up at her door.
The reporters returned to town
and addressed their questions to her
over the telephone. She admitted it
was she who had welded the shot
gun.
You reporters come, here Destroy
ing my place all the time said the
woman of action, who explained her
presence near the scene of the muir
der by stating. that on that night
she was riding her jenny-mule bare
back in quest of corn robbers.
"You are liable to get into a lot
of trouble if you persist, and the
papers are liable to suit for the
things they are printing about me.
''I have told the truth as I saw
it. and my past has nothing to do
with it."
Mrs. Gibson declared that William
Easton, New Brunswick mechanic,
who last night was reported to be
her husband, was merely a relative.
Her husband, she died seventeen
years ago from pneumonia. She de-
clined to say where he had died,
after having previously denied thai
it was in Kentucky.
ST don't want his relatives to be
mixed up in this case" she said. ut
is not their fault. I did not expect
all this notoriety, and I don't want
them to be involved"