The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-26
DUAL SLkYINC
is ONCE MORE
NEAR A CLIMAX
Already Enough Evidence tC
Warrant an Arrest.
Widow Declares She Knows
Who Committed Crime.
WAS WITNESS TO KILLING
Identity of Man and Woman
Named Not Disclosed.
Final Roundup OF All Witnesses
Is Being Made.

Is Being Made.
New Brunswick, N. J., Oct. 26.z
Wilbur A. Mott, special prosecutor
conducting the investigation into the
Hall-Nills murder declared today that
he had evidence sufficiently strong to
j warrant an immediate arrest. He
added however, that he preferred to
await an "opportune time" before or
dering an arrest made.
Mott also declared that he had in
his possession ''other evidence as per-
tinent as the Gibson statement" The
statement referred to is the affidavit
of Mrs. Jane Gibson, who claims to
have witnessed the crime in which
she is said to have named a man and
a woman whom she saw at the scene
OF the murder.
In a statement to the press today,
Mrs Gibson declared that she had
positively Identified for the county
authorities the man who did the shoot
ing and the woman who accompanied
this man.
Identified Him Later.
At tho time Of the shooting, Mrs.
Gibson eaid she did not know the man
who did the shooting, but later she
identified him at the court house.
where she had been taken to make
statement. Mrs. Gibson said the wo-
man companion of the Killer did not
knew the other woman. having seen
her once before at a rummage sale.
Mrs. Gibson also told of seeing three
automobiles near the scene of the
tragedy on the night of September IA
and said that the headlights of one
and flashlights carried by the slayer
ara his companion assisted her to see
tho'r faces.
Investigation of the mysterious
murder reached It's final stage today
when all the principals were sum-
moned 10 tell their stories to Deputy
Att rney General Wilber A. Mott. who
is now in supreme command of the
probe
Those summoned to the court house
today ,Ecluded Mrs. Hall. widow of
the sam Gle -gyman; her two broth
ers, Henry and William (''Willie")
Stevens; her cousins, Edwin and
Char.e Carpenter; Mrs. Minnie
CLARKE: James Mills, hu band of the
dead choir singer; Charlotte Mills,
1t-year-Old daughter of Mills; Ralph
Gorsline and Mrs. James Gibson, who
is legrd TO have been an eye witness
o. the double killing.
Women Important Witnesses.
The most important of the wit
Eesacs were be eyed to be Mrs. Hall
and Mrs Gibson, who declares that
one of the two women at the scene
OIL The tragedy cried: "Oh -
don't" to the actual slayer. calling
hnl by name.
James Mason, in charge of the de-
tcc;ives. said that investigation is now
being carried on along several lines
th", hitherto had been deemed too
urimpo' tant to follow up.
Mrs. Gibson, it is reported now, said
she knows the man who did the shoot
ing She added also that the actual
shooting was preceded by a desperate
struggle between the clergyman and
the singer on one side and another
woman and her male companion on
the other.
This statement was borne out by
the condition of the corpses when they
were found on the morning of Sep
tember 6 beneath a stunted crab
apple tree of the Phillips farm-the
scene of the melodramatic killing.
Both bodies bore scratches and
bruises All the skin was torn from
N8octor Halls knuckles and Mrs. Mills
scratched deeply as with finder nails.
Mrs. Gibson fled from the scene in
panic during the shooting and could
throw no light upon the gashing of
Mrs. Mills throat with a knife.
Tells Story in Detail.
Mrs. Gibson, in a new detailed YER
sion of what she claims to have seen
on the night OF September IA, cleared
ap come vague points and discrepan-
c1es that had existed before.
She had set out on her mule to
trail a wagon which, she believed, was
carrying stuff stolen from her farm.
As she passed about twenty feet from
DeRussey lane she saw an oId-fash-
ioned. high bodied automobile of pc
culiar shape. There was a woman in
a gray coat reaching to her knees and
a man standing nearby.
Both the man and woman by the
old-fashioned car carried flashlights
which were flashed at intervals and
this light, together with the head
lights of the car in the lane, enabled
her to get a better view of the faces
Mrs. Gibson said.
The man and woman by the car
who carried the flashlights, cut across
the field toward the crab apple tree
where the bodies were found" said
Mrs. Gibson. LAS they reach the tree,
I heard voices. The light from the car
IN the lane was also turned in that
direction.
Heard Woman Cry.
''Then heard cries as If there was
a quarrel. Then I heard sounds like
a scrimmage- But before that there
were flashes from the two flashlights
Again I heard voices, but 1 cannot
recollect the words. Then there was a
shot Just then / heard a woman cry;
on, please, please, please"
Mrs Gibson said the woman had
uttered the name OF a man whose
name had been mentioned before in
connection with the case.
Mrs. Gibson said three more shots
followed in rapid succession. She was
frightened, and putting her heels to
her mule, Denny. hastened away at
top speed
Mrs. Gibson has already identified
a man and woman as the two she saw
upon the scene nut the authorities
have not officially revealed their