The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-20
D MURDER
 STIGMA
Henry Stevens, Brother of Mrs. Hall, Unseals Lips, Declaring There Is No Blood Upon My Hands,

Hd1QS.
 Special Correspondent of the In-
 ternationaI News Service.
 Copyright 1922 by International
 News Service.)
 LavalIette, N. J.. Oct. 2O.-
 .tThere is no blood upon my
 hands,
 This emphatic declaration was
 made here today by Henry Ste-
 vcns brother of Mrs. Frances
 Stvens Hall, of New Brunswick,
 whose husband, Rev. pr. Edward
 Wheeler ne1 fooa[hd ad was if founa haa,,fifr1 9n
 choir singer of his church, Mrs.
 James Mills.
 Stevens has been called to New
 Brunswick for interrogation Sey-
 eral times. The present is the
 first statement he has made to
 the press. Hitherto his lips have
 been sealed for all save the cOun-
 ty prosecutors and detectives.
 Eff I had guilty knowledge of this awful thing that happened at New Brunswick" continued Stevens, my conscience would accuse me without ceasing all day and in the silent watches of the night.
 1T know no more who it was that Dr. Hall. and Mrs. Mills. nor the cir cumstances under which they went to their death last month than any per son in South Africa
 When a man is innocent of wrong doing he has no fear. Well, I have no fear. I know that nothing can happen to me. I have told the au- know. I have given them all the as sistance l could. I postponed a trip I had planned so that I could be enarby to give aid whenever I might
 Stevens Calm.
 Stevens spoke calmly. He showed neither excitement nor nervousness. The chief characteristic of his state ment was the vigor with which he uttered 1t.
 Stevens is a quiet self possessed mana man of culture and education in New York city as we'll as a sum- fner home on the Jersey coast. He is much given to outdoor hfe-hunt- ing Ing and and fishing He was on a fshing 3i11 were killed. He offered to produce witnesses to convince Prosecutor Beekman and Prosecutor Stricker of the truth of his statement.
 ''Who do you believe killed Rev. Dr. Hall and Mrs. Mills Stevens was ask ed.
 .I have no opinion" responded would indicate that I was in posses sion of facts upon which belief could be based: As a matter of fact have no knowledge of the affair I know Of course( like every one else, have an impression which, of course is much different from an ac- tuaI belief.
 He Blames BlackmaiI.
 My impr ession Is that blackmail was the motive for this crime. AS is well known there are many bad char acters living in certain sections Of would not hesitate to com init murder if they thought they could obtain a large sum of money by doing
 "of course the Possibility exists that they might take human life only as last resort if cornered and in danger and if they feared exposure. arrest, perhaps Imprisonment.
 Evil Characters.
 ''It is my impression that some OF these evil characters-for no doubt l m ore than one person was involved in a crime of this nature and one or them might well have been crim1- l naIly inclined woman-heard of the | town gossip which had associated the | names of Dr. Hall and Mrs. Mills. | These desperate characters-the men 1 take advantage of the talk to try to l blackmail Dr. Hall. Knowing him to be a clergyman they might have Ge- cided that he had greater incentive than the ordinary layman to Keep hls name clean and above reproach. He could not afford to have his name linked with clandestine love nor with bIackmail. These desperate cnarac- ters - if they really committed this that Dr. Hall could not have his name linked with a member of the choir and they probably be- neved that he could be induced to pay a large sum for silence rather than have certain circumstances made public.
 Not Guilty, He Says.
 T do not know if this brutal crime ever will be solved.
 "But this I do know:
 There is no blood guilt upon me My conscience is clear. As I said be- E fore God and man. 1 know no more who killed Dr.. Hall and Mrs Mills than do millions Of others in this world. 1 sssWhat motive would I have in 1 seeking to end the lives of my brother n-Iaw and Mrs. Mills? was not or pad terms either with my brother-in- law nor the poor woman who was SC souIIy done to death. @I want to see the persons involved l in this crime dragged before the ba, ! of justice and made to expiate theia l erirlle Those who are guilty know Il ] 10 matter how low. how brutal the. maybe they cannot eyade consciencs 1 md if they are not punished on thi i earth they must answer before the bar l If God ss