The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-25
HALL-MILLS
MURDER CASE
Witnesses Appear Before the
Grand Jury to Unravel
Mysterious Killing

case which Special Prosecutor VIII
bur A. Mott has woven out of the
mystery surrounding the murders
of sthe Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall
aud Mrs. aseanor r. Mills had its
first official airing today when II
persons told their stories to the
Somerset County grand jury.
Mr.. Mott expects to offer the evil
dence of ten or more other wit
nesses tomorrow. Three women are
sitting on the grand jury.
The proceedings today were
more than usually guarded. A
SQUAD of state troopers patrolled
the, court house and surrounding
grounds.
Women. scores of them, came
early. They hung over the dark,
rallied balcony. inside the court
house on the ground floor in the
hope that Mrs. Hall, widow of the
slain minister, or Mrs. Jane Glib
son.. who raises pigs and has be-
come the most important witness
in the case, would appear. The
opening session, Mr.. Mott, assisted
by Azariah NJ. Beekman, prosecu-
tor of Somerset county, outlined to
the grand jury the salient features
of the case.
S. J. Cardinal. a New Brunswick
E.newspaperman, was called to tell
how the bodies of the murdered
pair lay when he first saw them
stretched out under a crab apple
tree on. the Philips farm.
z DR.. E. d. Lobliel, a veterinar-
ian, an acquaintance of Mr.. Hall,
was the first to identify the body
Tof the dead man as that of the
minister.
The third witness was George
|Totten, Somerset detective, whose
testimony was followed by that of
Daniel s Wray, and Frank Denier,
two more New Brunswick newspa-
Ipermen, then Bogart T. Conkiin.
|farmer-sheriff of this COUNTY, and
his deputy. Joseph Nevatta.
When Novatta left Totten was
recalled and close on his heels came
AN order for Conklin to come back.
Both were followed by James F.
Mason, Motifs detective. A stir was
caused when Pearl Rahmer, who
was with Raymond Schneider when
the bodies were found. came
through an underground passage
from the Jail to the grand jury
room. She was on the stand only
about fifteen minutes.
DIR. w. P. Long, the Somerset
county coroner's physician, who
failed to report that Mrs. Mills
throat had been cut, was then next
called. He fidgeted with the door
knob as he entered, but once he
was before the jurors his story
was soon told. Mrs. Grace Ed
wards, of New Brunswick, was the
last witness. She told how Schnei-
der came to the Stryker home to
telephone to the police. Mr.. Mott
refused to discuss with reporters
his plans for tomorrow's session of
the grand jury nor. would he say
whether Mrs. Hall would be a Wit
ness.
While the grand jury was in
session New Brunswick newspa-
per printed "a letter from Mrs.
George Sipes wife Of a farmer of
Middlebush, which said her hus-
band, George Sipel knew nothing
of the murders but declared that
Mrs. Gibson. the pig woman, was
trying to bring him into the case.
Sipel when seen tonight by re-
porters, admitted Mrs. Gibson had
talked to him about the case. He
said, however, that all he knew
was that he had seen a wagon on
Easton avenue the night Of the
shooting. Last Saturday, he said.
Mrs. Gibson asked him to swear to
something but he asserted she was
told she was talking to the wrong
type Of man."