The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-21

the authorities at New Brunswick
all know. have given them all
the assistance could | postponed
trip / had planned so ,hat ! could
be near by to give aid whenever ]
might be called upon
stevens spoke calmly. lie showed
neither nervousness nor excitement.
The chief characteristic ot ms state
ment was the vigor with which he
uttered IL.
stevens Is a quiet, self-posscssed
mana man OF culture and educp-
tion. lie is wealthy and maintains
home In New York city as well
as a summer homo here on Tho Jer-
| sey coast. lie Is much given to
| outdoor llfe--hunting and fishing.
/ lie was on "A fishing trip the night
/ Doctor Hall and Mrs. Mills were
| Killed. lie offered to produce wit
nesses to convince Prosecutor Beck
man and Prosecutor Stricker OF the
truth of his statement.
"Who do you believe Killed Rev.
DIR. Hall and Mrs. Mllls?" stevens
was asked.
Hc9Ias No Theory Of crime.
81 have no opinion responded
stevens. "If I expressed u belief It
would indicate that l was In pos
session OF facts upon which belief
could be based. AZ q matter of
face have no knowledge OF the
affair. l know nothing. OF course,
like everyone else. l have an i'm
preston, which, OF course, - much
different from an actual belief.
My impression is that blackmail
was the motive for the crime. As
Ia well known. there are many bad
characters living In certain sections
OF New Brunswick. Some of these
shady individuals would not hest
tate to commit murder II they
thought they could obtain a large
sum OF money by doing SO,
"Of course. the possibility exists
that they might take human life
} only as "a last resort II cornered and
In danger and II they feared expo
, sure, arrest and perhaps imprison-
ment.
"It Is my impression that some Of
these evil charaCtcrs--for no doubt
more than one person was involved
In a crime OF this nature and one
OF them might well have been q
criminally inclined woman-heard
OF the town gossip which had as.
sailed the names OF Doctor Hall and
Mrs. Mills. These desperate char
acters--the man and woman--prob'
ably decided TO take advantage oi
the talk to try to blackmail Doctor
Hail. Knowing him ~ be a clergy
3 man, they might have decided thai
; he had greater incentive than tht
, ordinary layman to keep his nam'
! clean and above reproach. He cOulC
] not afford TO have his name linked
T with clandestine love nor with
5 blackmail. These desperate charac
ters--if they really committed thii
Y crime--knew that Doctor Hall coult
! not have his name linked with {
l member OF the choir and they prob
. ably believed that he could be in
duced to pay a large sum for silenc'
rather than have certain circum
stances made public"
May Have Fought Gang.
ut was well known that Docto
: Hall had money or that he coulC
! obtain from friends in case OF need
I IL was lnown furthermore. that IN!
sister. Mrs. Hail, had money o
I could get 1t II need be. to suppress
: a scandal.
The telephone message whlcl
was reported to have been sent q
i Doctor Hall and Mrs. Mills on tn
night of the tragedy (Septembel
1D may have been part OF the plo
{ to lure the victims TO an unfre
!, quented spot where they could b
= accused and the demand for husl
4 money be made.