New-York tribune., 1922-11-20
Fiction Put toShame BY Group
Of Women Tangled II, Hall Case
Widow With Fierce Pride of Family and Slain Singer
OF Romantic Mind; ssNIule Woman and Ne
gress; Salamander Flapper and Slum Waf

and emotion than Mrs. Mills and Mrs.
Hali. Dominating every other trait
IN the character of the rector's widow
is pride pride and an insiolable sense
OF dignity. She never mingies with
people poorer than herself except as
the lady bountiful, the dispenser of
charity. Even III her husbands con
gregation she held herself aIoof, per-
formed most vigorously what she con-
sidered her duty, but never unbending
one inch. People here respect her:
they do not speak of her with affection
Her pride is s,urt immeasurably, but
even this she conceals with her icy
reserve.
Fer Contrast--thc Farm Woman
Between these two women stands the
figure Of Mrs. Jane Gibson. 1T is for
the grand jury to pass judgment on
her story. She is a rough figure on
the exterior as seen from day to day
at work on her farm. Her form is
squat and msnnishly clad. Her fea
lures arc weatherbeaten and rough
Jenny, the mule on which she says abe
rode on the night of the murder, walks
into her Kitchen and eats from her
hand. Her home is the merest shack
surrounded with squealing pigs. Yet
the woman has distinction of a kind
She is travelled and educated. Her ad-
dress is a surprise when coupled with
her odd appearance. She is positive
about her story, and the prosecution
still has faith in it, in face of attack
Nellie Lo Russell may or may not
appear before the grand jury. She
| fatty eontradicts Mrs. Gibson's story.
ings suggests q Louisiana back road
rather than d location half a mile from
this town of 10000. She lives in q
one-room shanty measuring ten by
twelve feet and strung with apples and
red peppers. The wind blows clear
through it. Like Mrs. Gibson, she
| raises pigs.
The other two of the six feminine
figures of special interest in the case
are Charlotte Mills and Pearl Bahmer,
both indifferently brought up, the vic
TINS Of circumstances more than any
thing else. They are sixteen years of
age and seem old and sophisticated for
their years.
Pathetic Little salamander
| Charlotte is a pathetic little sala.
mander who has emerged from hel
chrysalls since her mother died. She
seems to be devoid Of shame or sorrow
over her mothers fate, perhaps because
she is too shallow to understand 1t
ANY touch of schoolgirl simplicity she
had while her mother lived and had q
restraining influence on her costume is
gone. Her bobbed hair is frizzled and
puffed over pendulum earrings. She is
wearing clothes unsuitable to her wears
/ and her type. Her tongue is pert anc
unchastened. She laughs under tho
black shadow of crime. But she i.
young and no one is helping her to be
any different. which makes her more
pathetic than blameworthy. There is
constant friction between James Mills
! and Charlotte. He says he can dc
nothing with her and that she will moi
help in the house.
Lastly there is Pearl BANNER. who
will be brought from, the House OF
! the Good Shepherd, in Newark. to tes.
| tify before the grand jury. Pearl il
more pathological case than anything
else.
The circumstances of her, birth and
upbringing alone are sufficient to ex-
plain her incorrigibility. There is
nothing pert about her. She is simply
dazed and stupid and uncomprehending
Her lifeless brown hair falls lanky
about her thin, bony features. She il
painfully emaciated and listless. Pearl
| feels no resentment or remorse about
anything. She is a drifter who does
| things without knowing why--a poor
little waif.