The New York herald., 1922-09-22
N. J. MURDER INQUIRY FAILS
TO SUPPLANT OLD THEORY

concerning Mrs Hall and her version
| OF the events leading un 20 and away
| from the crime We're made known to-
day by Miss Sallie Peters. who is mid
die aged, sister of the late Rev. John
p. Peters of st. Michaels Church. AM
sterdam avenue and Ninety-ninth street.
New York city. and daughter of the
late Rev. Thomas Mcclure Peters.
Miss Peters Tells Her story.
To tell Miss Peters's story in her
own way:
THE detectives were here yesterday
and questioned Mrs. Hall. They also
searched the house but found nothing.
They examined Willie's gun, too. Mrs.
Hall has discussed every phase OF the
murder but she has no theory. 1t is not
true that she believes in the theory of
robbery. She has been magnificent and
has borne up wonderfully.
'She told me that shortly before Z 80
o'clock on the night of the murder Mr..
Hall received telephone message which
he discussed with her. The message
was either from Mrs. Mills or Mr.. Mills.
she is not sure which, and 1t was in re-
gard to the doctors bill for Mrs. Mills's
operation. Mr.. Hall explained that he
was going to the Mills home, and left
the house about 80.
"At 10 o'clock Mrs. Hall went to bed
and to sleep. About 2 o'clock she woke
up and found that her husband was still
missing. Then she dressed herself and
woke Willie and together they went to
the church. leaving by a side gate that
leads to short cut to the church.
| 'The church was locked and dark and
she had no key. Then she went to the
Mills house to see if Hall was there,
but that vas dark. too, and she did not
knock or ring, but returaed home, en-
| tering by side gate"
| This point has Importance for the rea-
| son that Mills first said he left home
at 2 o'clock to go to the church. looking
| for his wife. He later changed his story
| and said he went out at l and returned
| at g. In any case so short Is the dis
tance between the Mills home and the
| church that it seems almost impossible
that the two did not meet each other.
Miss Peters continued her story:
, Mrs. Hall--Wille was with her
| did not see Mills. She was very nervous
when she got home and did not sleep.
Early Friday morning she telephoned
to MIR. Halls sister. Mrs. Frank Voor-
| hees of Jersey City, and Paul Bonner
! of New York, telling them that the rec
| tor was missing and asking them to come
| to her. She then notified Senator Flor
ence. who is the family solicitor, and
| asked him. to come up. He came in the
afternoon and later informed the police.
At il: 80 Mrs. Hall went to the station
to meet the sisters. Mrs Bonner re-
manned all night with her. She was
notified of the finding of the bodies on
Saturday about / o'clock by the local
newspaper"
1t appears from this that Mrs Hall
was not at the station looking for her
| husband when she was seen by Remsen
| Covenhoven, as had been assumed from
Covenhoven's story. Continuing, Miss
| Peters, said:
For as Mrs Hall knew, Hall had not
an enemy in the world. She does not
believe there had been any intimacies
| between her husband and Mrs. Mills.
Her relations with Mrs. Mills have been
the usual ones between a rector's wife
and an active worker in the congrega-
ton. but they were not intimate friends
because they were, so to speak, on diff
ferent strata. She was particularly in
| terested in the Mills family because Mrs.
! Mills had a good voice and because the
daughter, Charlotte, was member of
4 her Sunday school class.
after Mrs. Millss illness she would